Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Tonwell
An experienced roof surveyor for pre-purchase roof surveys in Tonwell. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us.
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Tonwell
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. At that point you can still ask questions, while you are not yet committed. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when the chain is moving fast. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. If you’ve noticed bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and standing water on a flat extension roof, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on gutters and downpipes, clay and concrete tiles and lead flashings and valleys alike.
Older buildings in small places like Tonwell may be listed or in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it’s worth knowing which applies. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
We keep jargon out of it: where something needs attention, it says so plainly.
- Where
- Tonwell (SG12)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. A few suggestions:
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
It is worth sharing the report with your solicitor so they can raise enquiries with the seller’s side. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
Checking the roof from the ground
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are frequently out of sight.
What happens on the day
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photos. On timing, it typically takes between one and two hours for most houses, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Rural addresses near Tonwell can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Before the survey
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
How to book
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Tonwell, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. The address, the type of property and what you want to find out help us give you an accurate price.
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Honest limits
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. The main factors are:
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The roof’s overall size
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. You will know the figure before booking.
What we need to know
There is no need for technical words. Just tell us:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and give us some details about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Also near Tonwell
Other services in Tonwell
Why act early in Tonwell
When a chain is moving fast, a roof survey can feel like one more delay. Weekend visits are available as well as weekdays, and the Premium Survey report arrives the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. For an older or listed building in a place like Tonwell, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it’s urgent leaves less time to plan.
One thing that affects the price is the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, including VAT. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
Why book us in Tonwell
- 20+ years’ experience
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Clear package prices, including VAT
Read our cost guide or our case studies.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Tonwell
Do you cover Tonwell?
Yes, Tonwell is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Tonwell as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Is Tonwell within the area you cover?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it applies and safe. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where applicable.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It is not a replacement for a RICS survey.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We do not carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, like cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Mention it when you get in touch and we will plan the survey around it.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Someone needs to let us in if we are looking inside or in the loft. Access is agreed with you as you book.
Buying a home or a new roof in Tonwell
If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. The wider area around Tonwell has a long history of building, with Aston Bury about 4.6 miles north-west. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
For landlords with property near Ware station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Tonwell is about 2 miles north-west of Ware, in Hertfordshire. Tonwell is one of many places we visit across Hertfordshire, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Our Hertfordshire coverage includes Tonwell and the places around it. There is also a page for London.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: SG12. Whether your property is on Ware Road, Temple Lane and Bourne Honour or a nearby road, we can help. If you’re just outside Tonwell, we cover Chapmore End (1 mile south), Sacombe (1 mile north), Thundridge (2 miles east), Wadesmill (2 miles east) and Sacombe Green (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Stevenage (7 miles north-west), St Albans (13 miles south-west), Bishop's Stortford (10 miles east), Welwyn Garden City (6 miles south-west), Harpenden (12 miles west) and Hitchin (12 miles north-west).
What’s near Tonwell
In Tonwell, that means homes and buildings near Robin Hood & Little John pub and Chauncy School, among other places. Tonwell’s nearest station is Ware station, roughly 2.5 miles south-east of the centre. A little further out are Hertford County Hospital (3 miles south) and Barrowfield (2.7 miles south). Not far away are King's Meads.