Essex · London and the South East
Roof survey Chelmsford
Independent roof surveys across Chelmsford, from Victorian terraces near the centre to newer estates, offices and blocks of flats.
- Reports from £150 including VAT
- Drones and thermal imaging
- 20+ years’ experience
Roof surveys in Chelmsford
We survey roofs across Chelmsford and the villages around it, for buyers, homeowners, landlords and businesses. Chelmsford is the county town of Essex and became a city in 2012, and it has grown a great deal in recent decades, so its roofs range from Victorian slate to brand-new tiles. Our roof survey covers coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys, gutters and the roof space where there is safe access.
Buyers book a pre-purchase roof survey after an offer is accepted and before exchange. Our guide to using a roof report to negotiate explains how buyers raise findings with the seller.
Victorian streets, post-war estates and new homes
Close to the centre, Victorian and Edwardian terraces and villas have slate or clay tile roofs, shared chimney stacks and rear additions, and many have had loft conversions or dormers added. Slate lasts a long time, but the nails often corrode first, so slates slip, and chimney flashings and flaunching wear out. Our chimney survey looks closely at stacks, pots and flashings.
Much of Chelmsford is interwar, post-war and newer housing, with concrete interlocking tiles, flat-roofed garages and porches, and plenty of flat-roofed rear extensions. Large new neighbourhoods have been built in recent years, and our new roof snagging service checks new roofs for snags before the defects period ends. In older Essex villages nearby, weatherboarded and clay-tiled buildings bring their own faults.
Conservation areas, trees and drone checks
Chelmsford has conservation areas in the city centre and many surrounding villages, and a good number of listed buildings. If yours is one, changes affecting a listed building need listed building consent, and re-roofing in a different material may need permission; check with Chelmsford City Council first.
Leaves from street and garden trees block gutters and valleys every autumn, and an overflowing gutter can soak a wall for months before damp shows inside. Our gutter survey looks at gutters, outlets and downpipes. When a drone is useful, we fly a sub-250g drone as a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID) and check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before every flight. Weather on the day decides whether it goes ahead.
If you’re planning a loft conversion, solar panels or other work that relies on the existing roof, it pays to know its condition first. Our guides to roof checks before a loft conversion and solar panels on older roofs explain what to look at.
Offices, retail and blocks of flats
Chelmsford’s offices, shops, business parks and blocks of flats often have flat roofs, with membranes, upstands, outlets and rooflights that need regular checks. Our flat roof survey looks for ponding, blistering, splits and deflection. Where a flat roof leaks and nobody can find the hole, electronic leak detection may help.
Landlords, letting agents and residents’ management companies use our landlord roof survey to record shared roofs and plan maintenance. For larger or more complicated roofs, a Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis, with a same-day report and an in-person consultation.
How it works
- Get in touch. Call 07833 053749 or email us with the address, the type of roof and what you’re worried about.
- Choose a survey. We’ll suggest the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the roof, with the price including VAT.
- The visit. We inspect what can be seen safely: from the ground and vantage points, inside the roof space, and by drone where applicable.
- Your report. A written report with photographs and recommendations: within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard, same day for Premium.
- Next steps. Use the report to brief roofers, ask the seller questions or plan maintenance.
Our services in Chelmsford
- Pre-purchase roof survey (from £150): Before you exchange: the roof’s condition, defects and what to raise with the seller, in a written report with photos.
- Roof survey (from £150): A full look at coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys, gutters and the roof space, with written recommendations.
- Roof leak investigation (from £150): Tracing where water is getting in, using moisture detection and thermal imaging where they help.
- Drone roof survey (from £400): Close-up photos of roofs that are tall, steep or hard to reach, flown by a CAA-registered operator with airspace checked first.
- Flat roof survey (from £150): Felt, asphalt, EPDM, GRP and single-ply roofs on extensions, garages, flats, offices and units.
- Thermal imaging roof survey (from £400): Thermal images that can point to trapped moisture or missing insulation, checked against moisture readings.
- Chimney survey (from £150): Stacks, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, including leaning and redundant stacks.
- Storm damage roof report (from £150): An independent record of storm damage, with photos, for you to give your insurer.
- Gutter survey (from £150): Gutters, valleys, parapet and box gutters, outlets and downpipes, and why they overflow.
- Landlord roof survey (from £150): Roof condition reports for landlords, managing agents and freeholders, to plan maintenance.
- New roof snagging (from £150): A check of a new or replacement roof for snags before you make the final payment.
- Electronic leak detection (quoted for your roof): Electronic testing to pinpoint holes in flat roof membranes.
Why Independent Roof Survey in Chelmsford
We bring more than 20 years’ experience, 5,000+ completed surveys and 98% customer satisfaction. We use drones and thermal imaging, and we’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Visits run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Reports arrive within 48 hours for a Basic Survey, in 24–48 hours for a Standard Survey and on the same day for a Premium Survey; see pricing for what each includes.
Around Chelmsford
From the centre, the nearest railway station is Chelmsford station. Well-known places nearby include Bond Street Chelmsford (0.5 miles south-west), Priory Hospital (less than half a mile north) and Peter Edwards Museum And Library (0.8 miles south-west). Around the centre, we survey roofs on homes, rented flats and businesses close to Trinity Road Primary School, The Boswells School, Chelmsford College and Church of the Holy Trinity. Green spaces within reach include Newland Grove.
Prices
All prices include VAT. Electronic leak detection is quoted for your roof.
Basic Survey
from £150
Including VAT · report within 48 hours
- Visual inspection
- Basic condition report
- Photographs
- Written recommendations
- Report emailed to you
Standard Survey
from £250
Including VAT · report in 24–48 hours
- Comprehensive inspection
- Detailed report with photographs
- Moisture detection
- Structural check
- Report in 24–48 hours
- Follow-up consultation
Premium Survey
from £400
Including VAT · same-day report
- Full inspection
- Thermal imaging
- Drone inspection where applicable
- Structural analysis
- Same-day report
- In-person consultation
- 12-month follow-up review
Areas we cover in Chelmsford
Pick your area for local details, or call 07833 053749 or email us with the address.
- Boreham
- Broomfield
- Danbury
- Galleywood
- Great Baddow
- Great Waltham
- Howe Green
- Little Baddow
- Little Waltham
- Moulsham
- Patching
- Roxwell
- Sandon
- Springfield
- Writtle
Towns near Chelmsford
Questions from Chelmsford
Do you cover villages around Chelmsford?
Yes. We survey roofs across Chelmsford and the surrounding parts of Essex.
Can you check a new-build roof?
Yes. Our new roof snagging service checks a new or replacement roof before final payment or before the defects period ends.
My flat-roofed extension is leaking. Can you help?
Yes. A roof leak investigation or flat roof survey looks at the membrane, upstands, outlets and edges to find where water is getting in.
Do you survey office and retail roofs?
Yes. We survey flat roofs, metal sheeting, gutters and rooflights on commercial buildings.
Is your survey the same as a RICS survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey and not a structural engineer’s report.
When can you visit?
Surveys are carried out on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
How much does a roof survey cost?
Our Basic Survey starts from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT. Larger commercial roofs are quoted.
How long does a survey take?
Usually about 1–2 hours for a house and about 3–4 hours for a commercial roof. Larger or more complex roofs take longer.