Essex · London and the South East
Roof survey in Start Hill, Essex
Not sure what state the roof is in? We carry out roof surveys in Start Hill and across Essex.
- Lifted, split or missing lead flashings
- Crumbling chimney pointing or cracked flaunching
- Torn or sagging underlay
Roof survey in Start Hill
There is no single reason to have a roof surveyed. Some have spotted a stain or a slipped slate, others want a check before selling or after years without one. Whatever the reason, the survey works the same way: we inspect carefully and explain what we see in writing. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, so finding a time is rarely difficult. We survey flat roofs, clay and concrete tiles and chimney stacks, and the problems we are asked to look at most are torn or sagging underlay and blocked, sagging or leaking gutters.
In a village or hamlet like Start Hill, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are frequently old. 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 typically the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, and where it can wait, that’s said too.
- Location
- Start Hill (CM22)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Keep the report with your property records
- Do not climb onto the roof yourself
- Include dormers, porches and garages when booking
- Take photos of any leaks as they happen
Your report arrives by email, with photographs of what we found. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Findings are explained in plain words, with recommendations.
Have the roof surveyed every few years, and after major storms. Regular checks catch problems while they’re small. Each report gives a record to compare against.
The survey, step by step
We’ll ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. The inspection then takes an hour or two at most homes, and longer for a large or complex roof. Somewhere as small as Start Hill, access is often the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- You get in touch with the address and anything you’ve noticed.
- We arrange a day that suits you, including weekends.
- The roof is inspected from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is 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.
Getting ready for the survey
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
Getting a price
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from the ground or a window, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Advice
Can I check my roof myself?
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Nearby places to Start Hill
Other services in Start Hill
When you need someone else
No survey can tell you everything, and it is better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Confirmation of asbestos in soffits or cement sheets
- The condition of the rest of the building (that’s a RICS home survey)
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in Start Hill
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Flat roofs
- Lead flashings
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- The roof space
What a survey costs
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- Height and safe access
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- The size of the roof
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Helping us price your survey
A few details help us recommend the right survey and price. When you contact us, let us know:
- What made you get in touch
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- The property’s address and postcode
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Your questions about roof surveys in Start Hill
Is my home in Start Hill listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Start Hill?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. The flight restriction zone around Stansted Airport covers Start Hill, or comes right up to its edge. Before any flight there, we ask the airport for permission, and the flight only goes ahead if it is given. A small drone can’t fly safely in high wind or heavy rain, and the rest of the survey does not depend on the drone.
Can you look at a roof that is joined to next door?
Yes, the part you own or can give access to. We can only look at neighbouring roofs as far as access allows. Shared stacks and upstands are looked at from your property.
What’s the best way to book?
Just phone 07833 053749 or email us. We’ll ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date, weekday or weekend.
Do I need to be at home?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. Access is agreed with you as you book.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days as you book.
Do you look in the roof space?
If the survey needs it and the roof space can be reached safely, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch, and if the loft can’t be reached safely, the report says so.
Roof surveys around Start Hill
Historic houses such as Barrington Hall, about 2.8 miles south-east, show how far back building in the area around Start Hill goes. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, alongside lots of post-war and newer estates. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
If you let a flat or house near Bishops Stortford station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Start Hill is about 2 miles east of Bishop's Stortford, in Essex. Anywhere in Start Hill, we can carry out roof surveys at your property. Our area takes in places right across Essex, large and small. There is also a page for Chelmsford.
Here we cover the CM22 postcode area for roof surveys. Streets in the area include Start Hill and Provenance Close. We also cover Bedlar's Green (1 mile south), Takeley Street (2 miles east), Burton End (2 miles north), Takeley (2 miles east) and Smith's Green (3 miles east). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (15 miles south-east), Braintree (15 miles east), Harlow (8 miles south-west), Saffron Walden (11 miles north), Waltham Abbey (15 miles south-west) and Great Dunmow (6 miles east).
Landmarks near Start Hill
We work in homes and buildings around The Three Willows pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Bishops Stortford station, about 1.9 miles west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include House On The Hill Toy Museum (2.4 miles north) and Moated mound (4.5 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Portingbury Hills and Rushy Mead.
What we’re asked to look at in Start Hill
A blocked gutter does more harm than it looks. Once leaves and moss block a gutter, water spills down the brickwork. Hidden gutters behind parapets and in valleys can send water indoors.
Most people get in touch after spotting one of these:
- Cracked mortar along the ridge
- Leaking gutter joints and downpipes
- Slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles
- Lifted, split or missing lead flashings
If you look after a building such as Birchwood High School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Before booking anyone
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price