Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Roof Survey in Gustard Wood
A careful look at the roof at your property in Gustard Wood, and put it all in a written report with photographs.
- Ponding, splits or blisters on flat roofs
- Loose chimney pots
- Slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles
Leave it or get it looked at?
Valley gutters and parapet gutters are out of sight until they overflow. An overflow there sends water indoors. A survey checks them while they’re still dry. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Roof survey starts from £150, including VAT.
Why book with us
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
Take a look at what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
About our roof survey in Gustard Wood
Everything we check, we check safely: from ground level, from windows and other vantage points, from inside the loft and from the roof itself where it’s safe. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging and, where it applies, a drone, for roofs that are hard to see well. All we need from you is access to the property and the loft. Each defect we find is photographed and explained. If you are worried about cracked mortar along the ridge and worn or blocked valleys, we can find out what’s behind it.
Older buildings in small places like Gustard Wood may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is frequently expected.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Gustard Wood (AL4)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Roof by roof
Concrete interlocking tiles
Mortar at ridges and verges often cracks on tiled roofs. Loose ridges and gaps in the mortar are recorded.
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead flashings seal chimneys, walls and abutments. We check for lead that has lifted, split or slipped, and for flashings replaced with mortar or bitumen.
FAQs for Gustard Wood
Will you come out to Gustard Wood?
Yes, we do. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Are there drone restrictions around Gustard Wood?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. The flight restriction zone around Luton Airport comes within about 2 miles of Gustard Wood. The exact boundary is checked for each address before any flight, and a roof inside it needs permission before we fly. Strong wind or a downpour also stops a small drone flying.
Do you give a life expectancy for the roof?
We do not give a number of years. We describe the condition of each part of the roof and how it’s wearing, with recommendations ranked by urgency.
Is a roof survey the same as a structural survey?
No. Where we see something that needs a structural engineer, the report says so. We do not provide structural calculations.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999, so older buildings may have it. Our report notes any materials that might, and a specialist asbestos surveyor should check them.
Can you survey a roof I share with a neighbour?
Yes, we inspect your part of the roof. We can only look at neighbouring roofs as far as access allows. Shared stacks and upstands are looked at from your property.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
The survey, step by step
The visit usually starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. All told, expect about one to two hours for most homes, depending on how many separate roofs there are. Older rural homes like those around Gustard Wood can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- You get in touch with the address and anything you’ve noticed.
- A visit is booked for a weekday or a weekend.
- We inspect from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where safe.
- Slates or tiles, ridges, hips, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are all examined and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Preparing for the visit
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Getting a price
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form, let us know about the property and we’ll suggest the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Advice
Useful tips for Gustard Wood property owners
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Stay off ladders and the roof
- Keep a record of damp patches and dates
- Watch for slipped slates after bad weather
- Make sure we can open the loft hatch
File the report with your other home documents. It gives you something to compare against later, and buyers may ask about the roof when you sell.
Every so frequently, look in the loft space with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Watch for stains, damp timbers and daylight through the roof. Photograph anything new.
When you need someone else
Our survey isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- A full building survey of the property
- How the roof will behave in every kind of weather
- Faults hidden behind ceilings or boarding
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- The roof space
- Lead flashings
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Flat roofs
- Natural slate
Local roofs in Gustard Wood
In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. Historic houses such as Shaw's Corner, about 1.2 miles north-east, show how far back building in the area around Gustard Wood goes. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Take a building like St Helen's Church of England Primary School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. If you let a flat or house near Harpenden station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. Take an older house close to St Peter: old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Gustard Wood is about 3 miles east of Harpenden, in Hertfordshire. We cover Gustard Wood and the rest of Hertfordshire, as part of our work across London and South East England. Across Hertfordshire, we cover Gustard Wood. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
We cover every part of AL4 for roof surveys and the streets around it. Nearby, we also carry out roof surveys in Wheathampstead (1 mile south), Ayot St Lawrence (1 mile north-east), Kimpton (2 miles north), Ayot St Peter (2 miles east) and Codicote Bottom (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Watford (12 miles south), Hemel Hempstead (9 miles south-west), Stevenage (7 miles north-east), St Albans (5 miles south), Welwyn Garden City (5 miles south-east) and Harpenden (3 miles west).
Local landmarks in Gustard Wood
We work in homes and buildings around Sir John Lawes School and The Old Plough Public House and the streets around them. Gustard Wood’s nearest station is Harpenden station, about 2.7 miles west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include St Albans City Hospital (5.1 miles south-west) and Harpenden Museum (2.9 miles west). For a walk, there is Wheathampstead Local Nature Reserve.
Towns and villages near Gustard Wood
What else we do in Gustard Wood
Checking the roof from the ground
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.