Essex · London and the South East
Gilston Roof Survey
Find out the condition of the roof at your property in Gilston from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Torn or sagging underlay
- Standing water on a flat roof
- Worn or blocked valleys
Roof survey in Gilston
Most houses have more than one roof to look at. Flat roofs over extensions, garages and dormers are common. They’re included alongside the main roof, including signs of standing water, splits and tired upstands. Flat roofs frequently need attention long before the main roof, so they deserve a careful look. Felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, while EPDM rubber can last 30 to 50. If you’ve noticed water stains on rafters and ceiling joists and cracked or blistered flat roof coverings, we can find out what’s behind it.
In a village or hamlet like Gilston, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. On older roofs, it’s usually the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Place
- Gilston (CM20)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Why act early in Gilston
Before you put a home on the market, it helps to know the roof’s condition. You will know what a buyer’s survey might pick up. Matching old materials, like handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. That’s one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before booking.
Why us?
- Package prices that include VAT
- Surveys seven days a week
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
What happens on the day
Every roof is different; as a rough guide, the survey takes about one to two hours for most homes, depending on how many separate roofs there are. You’re welcome to ask questions while we are there. Older rural homes like those around Gilston can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen.
- You let us know about the property and any concerns.
- We arrange a day that suits you, including weekends.
- The roof is inspected from the ground, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s safe.
- We check the coverings, ridges, hips, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, and photograph what we find.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations.
Before the survey
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
How to book
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
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Nearby places to Gilston
Other services in Gilston
Gilston questions
My home in Gilston has a flat-roofed garage or porch. Is it worth having that looked at?
It’s frequently worth it, as these roofs are easy to forget. On buildings from before 2000, cement sheet roofs may contain asbestos and should be checked by a specialist asbestos surveyor before anyone disturbs them.
Is Gilston within the area you cover?
Yes, Gilston 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 helps to know about access.
How long does a roof survey take?
On site, it usually takes about one to two hours for an ordinary house roof, and longer if there are extensions, dormers or several chimneys. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
How do I arrange a roof survey in Gilston?
Just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We’ll ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it is applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends. To arrange a date, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
Roof by roof
Clay plain and peg tiles
Handmade and machine-made clay tiles are long-lasting. We check for cracked, slipped and missing tiles, and for spalling where the surface has flaked.
Natural slate
Many Victorian and Edwardian houses have slate roofs. Where several slates have slipped, the cause is often nail fatigue, which we describe in the report.
When to book a survey in Gilston
Some damage starts inside the roof space. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up in the loft, and the damp gets into timbers and insulation. It is often mistaken for a leak, and it needs a different fix.
Problems we come across frequently include:
- Worn lead at chimneys and abutments
- Slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles
- Loose chimney pots
- Gutters that overflow in heavy rain
The streets around a church such as Parish Church of St Mary are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
What to check before booking
- What the survey won’t cover
- What happens after the report arrives
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
Roof surveys in Gilston: local notes
If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, and plenty of post-war and modern estates besides. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
With Much Hadham Palace about 4.8 miles north, the area around Gilston has a long history. Older roofs nearby often mix original materials with later repairs, and the survey shows where each one is. Trees in and around Harlow Marsh shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Gilston is about 2 miles north-west of Harlow, in Essex. Surveys in Gilston work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Our area takes in places right across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
We cover every part of the CM20 postcode area for roof surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on Pye Corner and Eastwick Road. Close by, we survey roofs in Eastwick (1 mile south-west), Little Parndon (1 mile south-west), Great Parndon (2 miles south), Staple Tye (3 miles south) and Roydon (3 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Brentwood (14 miles south-east), Loughton (10 miles south), Waltham Abbey (8 miles south-west), Great Dunmow (13 miles north-east), Epping (6 miles south) and Stansted Mountfitchet (9 miles north-east).
Around Gilston
In Gilston, that means homes and buildings near The Plume Of Feathers pub, Burnt Mill Academy and Harlow Marsh. The closest station to Gilston is Harlow Town station, about 0.6 miles south of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Mark Hall Cycle Museum (1.3 miles south-east) and Harlow Mill (1.2 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Hunsdon Mead.
For landlords and managing agents
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends, which can make access easier.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work around your tenants.
Prices for roof surveys in Gilston
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- The shape of the roof and its details
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
Roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we will tell you which fits.
Booking your survey
We’ll normally ask about:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- The property’s address and postcode
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- What kind of property and roof it is
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and give us some details about the property and we will recommend the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.