Essex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Ugley, Essex
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Ugley, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
Pre-purchase roof survey in Ugley
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that is often not the individual flat owner. We check as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. We are often asked to look into cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing and slipped or missing slates and tiles, across the roof space, chimney stacks and flat-roofed extensions and dormers.
Being in a small place like Ugley makes no difference to the inspection itself: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when booking. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Location
- Ugley (CM22)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll recommend the right survey before you book. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
What else we do in Ugley
When to book a survey in Ugley
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. It is often found in cement sheets, soffits and flue pipes. We do not carry out asbestos surveys, but we flag materials that might so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
We’re often asked to look at:
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
With Horham Hall about 4.6 miles east, the area around Ugley has a long history. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Their insurance cover
- Is VAT included in the price?
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
Tips that help
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
If the report shows work is needed, you can raise it with the seller or agent. Some buyers ask for repairs before completion, others ask for a change to the price. The outcome is between you and the seller, and we can’t promise any result.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
Why get it checked now?
After exchange, any roof defect is yours to deal with. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. Finding out later gives you the same facts, but with far less room to act on them. Outbuildings and barns around Ugley are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. It’s worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Prices start from £150, including VAT.
Why us?
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Ugley
Will you come out to Ugley?
Yes, Ugley is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Ugley?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. It’s a dedicated roof survey, with a written report and photographs. It isn’t a RICS survey and doesn’t cover the rest of the house.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
What’s the best way to book?
It is easiest to call 07833 053749 or email us. Let us know the address and a little about the roof, and we’ll take it from there. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling aren’t something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
How it works
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. The inspection then takes an hour or two on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. Rural addresses near Ugley can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from every safe viewpoint, inside and out.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Before the survey
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
How to book
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Read more
Buying a home or a new roof in Ugley
The flight restriction zone around Stansted Airport comes within about 1 mile of Ugley. If your survey includes the drone, we check the exact boundary for the address before flying. Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, alongside a good many post-war and newer estates. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new.
If you let a flat or house near Elsenham station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Peter, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Ugley is about 5 miles north of Bishop's Stortford, in Essex. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Ugley can all book pre-purchase roof surveys. Ugley is one of the places in Essex where we work. There’s also a page for Chelmsford.
Here we cover the CM22 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Patmore Fields and Vicarage Lane. If you are just outside Ugley, we cover Quendon (1 mile north), Ugley Green (1 mile south-east), Elsenham (2 miles south-east), Henham (2 miles east) and Widdington (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Harlow (12 miles south), Saffron Walden (6 miles north), Great Dunmow (8 miles south-east), Great Notley (15 miles east), Bocking (15 miles east) and Newhall (12 miles south).
What’s near Ugley
In Ugley, that means homes and buildings near Cricketers Public House. Ugley’s nearest station is Elsenham station, about 1.6 miles south-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Herts and Essex Hospital (5.1 miles south) and House On The Hill Toy Museum (2.3 miles south). The countryside around Ugley includes Aubrey Buxton Nature Reserve.
Different roofs, different checks
Natural slate
Many older homes in London and the South East have slate roofs. We check for slipped, cracked and missing slates, plus the metal clips that show earlier patching.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings close the gaps at chimneys, walls and abutments. We look for lead that has lifted, split or been patched over.