Essex · London and the South East
Ardleigh Thermal Roof Survey
Thermal roof surveys in Ardleigh, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Areas losing heat at the eaves and junctions
- Water getting in at parapets and stacks
- Wet areas near outlets and upstands
Thermal roof survey in Ardleigh: what you get
Thermal imaging is a useful tool, but it has limits. It shows surface temperature, and things like sun, shade, reflections and wind all affect the readings. That is why we check findings with moisture readings and a close visual inspection. Our report says plainly what the camera picked up and how sure we can be. Where something can’t be confirmed, we say what would help next. If you are worried about wet insulation beneath the membrane and cold spots on ceilings under the roof, we can find out what’s behind it, on commercial roofs, loft conversions and ceilings below the roof alike.
In a village or hamlet like Ardleigh, roofs can be steep, old and hard to see from the lane. A drone and a thermal camera each give a view you can’t get from the ground. Both the forecast and the airspace are checked first, and the journey is planned in advance. Older roofs with steep slopes and tall chimneys are where the extra view helps most.
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
- Ardleigh (CO7)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Felt and asphalt flat roofs
Water under felt or asphalt can stay hidden for years. The camera can give clues to where it is sitting, when the conditions allow.
Loft insulation
Loft insulation is easily disturbed when people store things or run cables. The camera can show where it no longer covers the ceiling.
Airspace, weather and Ardleigh roofs
Ardleigh is within about 5 miles of the coast. Thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof surface and little wind, so the date is chosen with the forecast in mind. In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. A drone or thermal camera adds most on the steep, tall and hidden parts of roofs like these.
The streets around a church such as Church of St Mary are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, older roofs can be steep and hard to see from the street, which is where photos from the air and thermal images help.
Ardleigh is about 4 miles north-east of Colchester, in Essex. We survey roofs in Ardleigh and the rest of Essex, as part of our work across London and the South East. Our Essex coverage includes Ardleigh and the places around it. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
We work across the CO7 postcode area for thermal roof surveys. Whether your property is on Station Road, The Street and Mary Warner Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. We also cover the places around Ardleigh: Ardleigh Heath (1 mile north), Dedham Heath (1 mile north), Lamb Corner (2 miles north), Fox Street (2 miles south-west) and Dedham (2 miles north). Larger places within reach include Colchester (4 miles south-west), Clacton-on-Sea (11 miles south-east), Harwich (12 miles east), Camulodunum (6 miles south-west), Halstead (15 miles west) and Greenstead (3 miles south-west).
What’s near Ardleigh
Around Ardleigh, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Ardleigh Park and The Lion Inn and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Manningtree station, roughly 3.1 miles north-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Colchester Hospital (3.8 miles west) and The Munnings Museum (1.8 miles north). Not far away are Cattawade Marshes.
Ardleigh: your questions answered
Do you cover Ardleigh?
Yes, Ardleigh is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Ardleigh?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you take photos of the roof?
Yes, every report has them. Pictures sit next to the findings they show.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. For inside areas and the loft space, someone has to give us access; we will agree the details as you book.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
Will the camera show exactly where the water is?
Thermal imaging shows temperature rather than water. Wet insulation holds heat longer than dry, so it can stand out, but we check each finding with moisture readings.
For landlords and managing agents
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed in advance. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Nearby places to Ardleigh
More services for Ardleigh
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level.
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Trapped water can harm decks, timbers and ceilings the longer it stays. Surveying sooner gives you more choice about what to do. Older cottages and farmhouses around Ardleigh can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it is left.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, from £400 inc. VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you want to find out.
What you get with us
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- An independent look at the roof
- 20+ years’ experience
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
How it works
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, from ground level, from windows, in the loft space and by drone where applicable. The survey typically takes between one and two hours at a typical home, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Older rural homes like those around Ardleigh can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- We start by discussing the roof, any signs of damp and how the weather may affect the images.
- The roof is inspected visually from safe viewpoints.
- We take thermal images of the roof to pick up temperature patterns.
- Any patterns of interest are checked with moisture readings where we can reach them.
- The report sets out the images, what they suggest and what we recommend.
Before we arrive
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Getting a price
We survey roofs on weekdays and at weekends. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Advice
Common roof problems in Ardleigh
After a long-running leak, insulation under a flat roof can stay wet. Owners want to know how far it has spread before deciding what to do. Thermal images and moisture readings together can show the likely extent.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Leaks that are hard to trace
- Damp around chimneys and parapets
- Wet insulation beneath the membrane
- Stains that keep coming back
With Castle House about 1.8 miles north, the area around Ardleigh has a long history. Older roofs nearby can be steep and hard to see from ground level, and a survey from above or with a thermal imager does not touch the roof itself.
Questions to ask before booking
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Their insurance cover
- What the survey will not cover
- Whether the price includes VAT