Essex · London and the South East
Roof Survey in Great Wigborough
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Great Wigborough, and put it all in a written report with photos.
- Blocked, sagging or leaking gutters
- Ponding, splits or blisters on flat roofs
- Loose chimney pots
Roof survey in Great Wigborough
A roof survey tells you what condition your roof is in, before small faults become big ones. We check the coverings, the ridges and hips, the valleys and flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, along with the loft where it’s safe to get in. The report sets out what we found, with photos and recommendations. Where it helps, we say which items are urgent and which can wait. We survey ridges, hips and valleys, natural slate and lead flashings, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are standing water on a flat roof and slates or tiles that have slipped or broken.
Some older homes in villages like Great Wigborough are listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
We keep jargon out of it: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, along with how urgent it is.
- Where
- Great Wigborough (CO5)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
FAQs for Great Wigborough
Is my home in Great Wigborough listed or in a conservation area?
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.
Do you cover smaller places like Great Wigborough?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Can you check whether my roof contains asbestos?
No. Asbestos testing is not part of our service. Where materials might contain it, we say so in the report and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We’re experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you’ll need a RICS survey as well.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it applies and safe. We fly a sub-250g drone and we’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). It is included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
What if it rains on the day?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. We’ll rearrange with you if the weather is not right.
Can you inspect a terraced or semi-detached roof?
Yes, the part you own or can give access to. Next door’s roof is only inspected as far as we can see it. Shared stacks and upstands are looked at from your property.
Roof by roof
Clay plain and peg tiles
Older homes in the Weald and across the South East often have clay plain tiles. Rotten pegs and battens let tiles move.
Flat roof coverings
Standing water, blisters and splits all point to wear. We also look at the edges, upstands and outlets, since leaks frequently start there.
Signs you need a roof survey in Great Wigborough
The underlay under the coverings matters too. Breathable membranes only appeared in the UK in the late 1990s, so older roofs frequently have bitumen felt, and very old ones may have none. Felt that has torn or perished stops doing its job.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Worn lead at chimneys and abutments
- Torn or sagging underlay
- Leaking gutter joints and downpipes
- Cracked mortar along the ridge
If you live in an older home near Church of St Stephen, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- When you will get the report
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Prices for roof surveys in Great Wigborough
When we price a survey, we consider:
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- How big the roof is
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can safely be seen and which survey you book.
What to let us know when you contact us
If you can, have these to hand when you get in touch:
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- What made you get in touch
- Dates you’re working to, like exchange
- Anything about access we should know
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. For a price or to book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Before and after the survey
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Mention any damp patches when booking
- Keep a record of damp patches and dates
- Ask about a flat roof on an extension or garage too
- Do not climb onto the roof yourself
We email the report to you, with photos of what we found. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Findings are explained in plain words.
After a storm, check the roof from the garden and the street. Fragments of slate or tile on the ground mean something has shifted. Prompt repairs stop small problems growing.
Honest limits
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- A promise that the roof won’t leak in future
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Lead flashings
- Natural slate
- Flat roofs
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Ridges, hips and valleys
Roof surveys around Great Wigborough
Great Wigborough is within about 3 miles of the coast, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, and plenty of post-war and modern estates besides. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
Layer Marney Tower lies about 2.8 miles north-west, so building around Great Wigborough goes back a long way. Older homes in the area may have roofs that need matching materials when work is done.
Great Wigborough is about 6 miles south of Colchester, in Essex. We carry out roof surveys for homes and businesses in Great Wigborough and the surrounding area. Our Essex coverage includes Great Wigborough and the places around it. There is also a page for Chelmsford.
We survey roofs across CO5 for roof surveys. If you need a roof survey at a property on School Lane and Maldon Road or anywhere close by, we can help. Nearby, we also carry out roof surveys in Little Wigborough (1 mile east), Peldon (2 miles north-east), Layer Breton (2 miles north-west), Birch Green (3 miles north-west) and Layer-de-la-Haye (3 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Colchester (6 miles north), Braintree (14 miles north-west), Clacton-on-Sea (13 miles east), Maldon (9 miles south-west), Witham (9 miles west) and Camulodunum (6 miles north).
Near you in Great Wigborough
In Great Wigborough, that means homes and buildings near Kings Head Public House and the streets around them. Well-known places in the area include Birch Castle (3.2 miles north-west). For a walk, there is Abbotts Hall Farm.
How the survey works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a photo-illustrated written report, sent to you by email. As for time on site, it normally takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, depending on how many separate roofs there are. Around Great Wigborough, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it helps to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. We only go where it’s safe.
- We start with the property details and any concerns.
- A visit is booked for a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- We check the roof from each safe vantage point outside.
- Inside, we check the roof space where there is safe access.
- We email a written report with photographs and recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Let us know about parking before the day
Booking a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or drop us an email whenever suits you.