Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Lower Sheering Roof Survey
Independent roof surveys in Lower Sheering. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Loose chimney pots
- Condensation or damp timbers in the loft
- Blocked, sagging or leaking gutters
What we are asked to look at in Lower Sheering
What’s under the slates or tiles is as important as the coverings themselves. Breathable membranes only appeared in the UK in the late 1990s, so many older roofs have bitumen felt underlay, and some very old roofs have no underlay at all. Felt that has torn or perished stops doing its job.
Problems we come across often include:
- Cracked mortar along the ridge
- Leaking gutter joints and downpipes
- Cracked or blistered flat roof coverings
- Leaning or weathered chimney stacks
Homes near green spaces like Gibberd Garden can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Before you book anyone
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- What experience they bring
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
Roof surveys for homes and businesses in Lower Sheering
Many homes have several roofs, not just one. Rear extensions, dormers, porches and garages often have flat roofs. We check them as well as the main pitched roof, including signs of standing water, splits and tired upstands. A flat roof typically wears out sooner than a pitched one, so they deserve a proper look. A felt roof often lasts around 15 to 20 years, and GRP up to about 30. We survey lead flashings, ridges, hips and valleys and flat roofs, and common reasons people get in touch are loose ridge or hip tiles and gaps in the roof where coverings have gone.
In a village or hamlet like Lower Sheering, older cottages and farmhouses frequently 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. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly.
- Where
- Lower Sheering (CM21, CM22)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: buying, a leak, storm damage, new work or just wanting to know where things stand. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. The visit normally takes between one and two hours at most homes, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Rural addresses near Lower Sheering can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You pick the package that suits your roof.
- On the day, we start by hearing what you’ve noticed.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Moisture detection, a structural check, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- The report is emailed with findings and recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
How to book
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To get started, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
What a roof survey looks like in Lower Sheering
The wider area around Lower Sheering has a long history of building, with Barrington Hall about 4.2 miles north-east. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Parish Church of Great St Mary's, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Fawbert and Barnard Infants' School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Lower Sheering is about 3 miles north-east of Harlow, in Hertfordshire. We survey roofs in Lower Sheering and the rest of Hertfordshire, as part of our work across London and the South East. Our area takes in places right across Hertfordshire. Chelmsford is in our area too.
We work across CM21 and CM22 for roof surveys. We cover properties on Back Lane, Vantorts Road and Forebury Avenue and the roads around them. We also cover the places around Lower Sheering: Sawbridgeworth (1 mile west), Sheering (1 mile east), High Wych (2 miles west), Gaston Green (2 miles north) and Spellbrook (2 miles north). Further out, we also cover Bishop's Stortford (4 miles north), Welwyn Garden City (15 miles west), Hoddesdon (8 miles south-west), Cheshunt (11 miles south-west), Hertford (10 miles west) and Ware (8 miles west).
Near you in Lower Sheering
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Leventhorpe, Gibberd Garden and King William IV Public House, among other places. There’s a railway station in Lower Sheering itself: Sawbridgeworth station. Nearby you will also find Harlow Mill (1.9 miles south-west) and Mark Hall Cycle Museum (2.6 miles south-west). For a walk, there’s Portingbury Hills and Sawbridgeworth Marsh.
DIY checks: what’s safe
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are frequently out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That’s where a survey comes in.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Lower Sheering
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Lower Sheering. To discuss a property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Don’t climb onto the roof yourself
- Ask about a flat roof on an extension or garage too
- Hold on to the report for future surveys
- Make sure we can open the loft hatch
Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months. It helps you see whether anything has changed.
Every so frequently, look in the loft space with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Look for water marks, damp wood and chinks of light. Take photos of anything that changes.
Nearby places to Lower Sheering
Also in Lower Sheering
Your questions about roof surveys in Lower Sheering
Is my home in Lower Sheering listed or in a conservation area?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Is Lower Sheering within the area you cover?
Yes. Lower Sheering is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We work right across London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
What insurance do you have?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
How quickly will I get the report?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Each report includes photographs.
How much is a survey?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for your survey before booking, and it depends on the roof’s size, access and the package you choose. To get a price, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain does not usually stop a survey, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so if conditions are not right we’ll arrange another day with you.
Do you give a life expectancy for the roof?
We don’t put a figure on it, since the fixings, underlay and maintenance all play a part. What we do is explain the roof’s condition and what to deal with first.
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings and valleys are where many leaks start. That is why we check them closely.
Chimney stacks
We look at the stack itself, and it isn’t a flue or gas safety check. We’ll tell you if the flue needs a specialist.