Essex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Wakes Colne
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Wakes Colne, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Flashings that have lifted or split
Pre-purchase roof survey in Wakes Colne
A roof report gives you something solid to take back to the seller or the agent. You can ask about the roof’s history, ask for repairs before completion or rethink the price. We can’t say how a seller will respond, but you’ll be asking from facts rather than guesses. It also helps you decide whether to go ahead at all. We survey chimney stacks, the roof space and lead flashings and valleys, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are flashings that have lifted or split and roof slopes that look uneven or sagging.
Somewhere as small as Wakes Colne, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings often sit beside a few newer homes. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
What you get is a clear record of the roof on the day we saw it. It’s useful straight away, and a good reference for later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Location
- Wakes Colne (CO6)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
FAQs for Wakes Colne
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Wakes Colne?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is Wakes Colne within the area you cover?
Yes. Wakes Colne is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We carry out surveys on any day of the week. To arrange a date, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That way you can still act on what we find, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first, with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it when you book and we will plan the survey around it.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
For landlords and managing agents
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you contact us and we’ll plan the survey around it.
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the addresses.
What we do, step by step
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. The whole visit typically takes about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Somewhere as small as Wakes Colne, access is often the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- We check the roof from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
How to book
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Related advice
What we are asked to look at in Wakes Colne
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. Felt flat roofs frequently last around 15 to 20 years, and standing water, blisters and splits are typical signs of ageing. A buyer can easily miss them, because many can only be seen from an upstairs window.
Common reasons to book include:
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
Take an older house close to Church of St Barnabas: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Questions to ask before you book
- Their insurance cover
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What the survey won’t cover
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
Leave it or get it looked at?
It’s tempting to skip the roof to keep a sale moving. We visit on weekdays and at weekends, and the Premium Survey report arrives the same day, so it can fit around a tight timetable. In a small place like Wakes Colne, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
What you get with us
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- Visits on any day of the week
- Photos and a written report every time
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Wakes Colne
If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
For landlords with property near Chappel & Wakes Colne station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Wakes Colne is about 5 miles east of Halstead, in Essex. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Wakes Colne. Wakes Colne is one of the places in Essex we cover. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
We survey roofs across the CO6 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Station Road, The Street and Colchester Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. Being close to the A1124, Wakes Colne is simple for us to get to for pre-purchase roof surveys. Other places close to Wakes Colne include Chappel (1 mile south), Rose Green (1 mile south-east), Swan Street (1 mile south), White Colne (1 mile west) and Great Tey (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Colchester (7 miles east), Braintree (9 miles west), Maldon (14 miles south), Witham (10 miles south-west), Camulodunum (6 miles south-east) and Halstead (5 miles west).
Around Wakes Colne
Around Wakes Colne, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Colne Valley and The Swan pub, among other places. There is a railway station in Wakes Colne itself: Chappel & Wakes Colne station. Other landmarks nearby include Mount Bures (2.5 miles north) and Halstead Hospital (5.2 miles west). Open spaces near Wakes Colne include Sergeants Orchard.
Also near Wakes Colne
Also in Wakes Colne
DIY checks: what’s safe
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
We confirm the exact price before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- The roof’s overall size
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you need to know.
Helping us price your survey
These details help when you get in touch:
- When you need the report by
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- What made you get in touch
- The property’s address and postcode
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.