Essex · London and the South East
Storm Damage Roof Report in Waterhales
An independent record of roof damage after a storm for Waterhales, from an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photos.
- New damp or leaks inside
- Damaged ridges and hips
- Loose or torn flashings
Storm damage roof reports for homes and businesses in Waterhales
Many policies treat gusts of about 55 mph as storm conditions, but it varies by policy. Check your own policy wording. Whether the weather met it is for your insurer. Our part is recording the damage to your roof and its likely cause. Each area of damage is photographed, and the report is yours to pass on. The claim decision rests with your insurer. We’re often asked to look into lifted or missing ridge and hip tiles and loose or broken chimney pots and cowls, across gutters and fascias, chimney stacks and flashings.
Roofs in small places like Waterhales often stand in the open, so storms hit ridges, verges and chimneys hard. Once water gets into older walls, it takes a long time to dry, which makes finding the cause quickly worthwhile. A record with photographs is useful if you need to show the damage to anyone else.
Where we can’t see part of the roof, the report says so. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Place
- Waterhales (CM14)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
FAQs for Waterhales
Is Waterhales within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. We work right across London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it’s useful to know about access.
How do I find out if my home in Waterhales is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey seven days a week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
Do you look in the loft space?
If the survey needs it and the roof space can be reached safely, yes. A clear path to the hatch helps.
Does this replace a RICS home 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 and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
My storm claim was turned down. What now?
The first step is a complaint to your insurer. After that, the Financial Ombudsman Service may be able to look at it. An independent report can add to your evidence, but we can’t say how it will turn out.
How strong does the wind have to be for a storm claim?
Each policy has its own definition. About 55 mph is a common figure in many policies, but check your own wording.
Waterhales roofs and the weather
About 3.6 miles south lies Hare Hall, a reminder of how long the area around Waterhales has been built on. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, alongside a good many post-war and newer estates. Each of these roof types has its own typical places for water to get in.
If you live near a park such as Dagnam Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall. If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of St Thomas, the leak may come from a chimney, a valley or tired lead rather than the covering itself. Landlords with a home close to Harold Wood station may find that a tenant living with a leak needs the cause found, not just the stain painted over.
Waterhales is about 3 miles north of Harold Wood, in Essex. Waterhales gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. We cover towns and villages across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Postcode districts we cover here for storm damage roof reports: CM14. Close by, we survey roofs in Navestock Common (1 mile south-west), Horseman Side (1 mile north-east), St Vincent's Hamlet (1 mile south-east), Navestock Heath (1 mile north) and Noak Hill (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Chelmsford (13 miles north-east), Basildon (11 miles south-east), Harlow (10 miles north-west), Brentwood (4 miles east), Billericay (9 miles east) and Loughton (7 miles west).
Around Waterhales
We work in homes and buildings around The Alma Arms and Dagnam Park. Waterhales’s nearest station is Harold Wood station, roughly 3.1 miles south. Nearby you’ll also find Harold Wood Hospital (3.1 miles south). Open spaces near Waterhales include Bedfords Park.
For landlords and managing agents
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
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.
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Keep receipts for any emergency work
- Write down when the storm hit and when you noticed damage
- Photograph damage inside the house too
- Don’t go onto the roof to take pictures
For repair costs, ask a roofer to quote. They can use our report to see what needs doing.
A well-maintained roof stands up to storms better. Fix slipped slates, loose ridges and lifted flashings when you spot them.
Also near Waterhales
Other services in Waterhales
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings
When flashings lift, water can get behind them. The report records the flashing and any damp inside.
Slate roofs
After strong winds, we often see cracked and slipped slates. We photograph and describe each one.
Prices for storm damage roof reports in Waterhales
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Which survey package you book
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, which starts from £400, including VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you want to find out.
Booking your survey
A little information up front helps. Please include:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
Once you know what you need, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
The survey, step by step
We work from the outside in: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the roof space where it can be reached. In total, it takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, depending on how much of the roof was hit. Cottages and farmhouses around Waterhales frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- We note the date of the storm and the damage you’ve seen.
- The roof is inspected from safe positions.
- Each area of damage is photographed and described.
- The report notes whether the damage fits a storm, older wear or both.
- You get a written report to pass to your insurer.
How to prepare
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
Book a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Read more
What this survey can’t tell you
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Bear these in mind:
- Repair costs or quotes for the work
- What’s beneath slates, tiles or membranes
- Your insurer’s view of the claim
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will recommend the right survey before you book. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in Waterhales
- Flat roofs
- Ridges and hips
- Slate and tile slopes
- Gutters and fascias
- Flashings
- Chimney stacks