Essex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Wickford
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Wickford, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photographs.
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Wickford
A full home survey looks at the whole property, and the roof is only one part of it. We do not offer a RICS home survey, and ours is not a substitute for one. It adds a focused look at the roof on its own, with photos of what we find and written recommendations. You can have both if you want the fullest picture. If you’re worried about worn or lifted lead flashings and gaps where slates or tiles have come loose, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Around towns like Wickford, many houses have gained extensions, dormers, porches or garages, often with flat roofs. The joints where a new roof meets an old wall or slope are a common source of leaks. On a purchase or a newly finished roof in Wickford, those junctions are high on the list.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Wickford (SS12, SS11, CM11)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from the ground
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
When you need someone else
No survey can tell you everything, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Bear these in mind:
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will point you to the right survey. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
Towns and villages near Wickford
Also in Wickford
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Wickford
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
For landlords with property near Wickford station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Wickford is about 4 miles north-east of Basildon, in Essex. From houses to flats and shops in Wickford, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. Across Essex, we cover Wickford and the places around it. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in SS12, SS11 and CM11 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include High Street, Market Road and Upper Market Road, and we cover them all. Wickford is on the A129 and A132, which makes it simple to reach. We also cover the places around Wickford: Shotgate (1 mile east), Runwell (1 mile north), Battlesbridge (2 miles north-east), Rawreth (2 miles east) and Brock Hill (2 miles north). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (9 miles north), Basildon (4 miles south-west), Brentwood (10 miles west), Maldon (11 miles north-east), Canvey Island (6 miles south-east) and Billericay (5 miles west).
What’s near Wickford
Typical jobs here are in homes near Beauchamps High School and the streets around them. The closest station to Wickford is Wickford station, roughly 0.7 miles north-west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Rayleigh Castle (3.6 miles east) and Battlesbridge Motorcycle Museum (2.2 miles north-east). Not far away are Shotgate Thickets.
What we look for on each type of roof
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.
Gutters and parapets
Parapet and box gutters are hidden behind walls and can overflow inside. We check their linings and outlets from wherever is safe.
How it works
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. The survey typically takes between one and two hours at a typical home, and more on a big or complicated roof. For a visit in Wickford, we need access to the loft, any rooms with leaks or stains, and the outside of the building. Mention gates, side passages and anything at the back. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- We agree a time and how we’ll get in, including the loft.
- We inspect the roof from the ground, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- We email a written report with photographs and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
Booking a survey
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or email us and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
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Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Wickford
Do you carry out roof surveys in Wickford?
Yes, Wickford is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Wickford as anywhere else.
How should I get ready for a visit in Wickford?
Clear the way to the loft hatch if there is one, and tell us about any leaks, stains or past repairs. Let us know about parking and access in Wickford too.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
They do different things. A home survey looks at the whole property, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Our survey complements a RICS survey and does not replace one.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that ahead of time, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We carry out surveys on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
How long does the survey visit take?
Allow an hour or two at a typical home, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. We’ll give you an idea of timing as you book.
Before and after the survey
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Let us know your timetable
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
With the findings in hand, you can talk to the seller or their agent. Some buyers ask for repairs before completion, others ask for a change to the price. What happens next is your decision and the seller’s, and we cannot promise any result.
Keep the loft ventilated. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents so air can move.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Wickford?
Patch repairs are common on roofs of every age. Bitumen over flashings, mortar fillets in place of lead and odd replacement tiles can point to a problem that keeps coming back. We note what we see so you can ask about it.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- A ridge or slope that dips
Take an older house close to St Andrew: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- What happens after the report arrives
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Whether you get a written report with photos