Essex · London and the South East
Bradfield Thermal Roof Survey
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Bradfield, and put it all in a written report with photos.
- Water getting in at parapets and stacks
- Leaks that are hard to trace
- Heat escaping through the roof
FAQs for Bradfield
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Bradfield?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Will you come out to Bradfield?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, if the freeholder or managing agent agrees access. We look at the parts we’re given access to.
Can you do a thermal survey in any weather?
Conditions on the day affect the results. It works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof surface and little wind. Rain, wind and heavy cloud can weaken the patterns, so we discuss the forecast when booking.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only if it’s safe. We check everything that can be seen safely: from ground level, from windows, from inside the loft space, from the roof where it is safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we cannot see is noted in the report.
Is thermal imaging included in your surveys?
Thermal imaging is included in our Premium Survey, from £400. That also includes a full inspection, a drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and a same-day report.
Does thermal imaging work on slate and tile roofs?
It can help, but the results are often less clear than on a flat roof. Slates and tiles over a ventilated space can mask what’s below, so we combine it with an inspection from the loft where there’s safe access.
About our thermal roof survey in Bradfield
Wet insulation under a flat roof covering holds heat for longer than dry. So a wet patch can show as a warmer or cooler area on the camera. This can give an idea of how far water has travelled beneath the membrane, something you can’t usually tell from the surface. We then check those areas with moisture readings. If you are worried about damp that repairs haven’t cured and leaks that are hard to trace, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
In a small place like Bradfield, open ground can mean strong wind. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and thermal imaging works best with little wind. We plan the journey, access and timing around the weather. A change in the forecast can mean moving the visit to another day.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Location
- Bradfield (CO11)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Also near Bradfield
More services for Bradfield
Useful tips for Bradfield property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Do not climb onto the roof to look for leaks yourself
- Heat the home normally on the days before
- Keep a record of when stains appear
- Talk to us about the weather when booking
Buyers can use the findings when talking to the seller or agent. What you do with it is up to you, whether that’s asking for work or discussing the price.
Watch for new damp patches on ceilings beneath the roof. Early action keeps insulation from staying wet.
Common roof problems in Bradfield
Once a leak has been fixed, people frequently ask whether the roof is still wet. A thermal survey with moisture readings can show whether wet areas remain when the conditions on the day are suitable.
A survey can pick up problems like:
- Water that travels before it shows
- Moisture around outlets and upstands
- Thin or uneven insulation in the roof
- Patches of heat loss across the roof
If you live in an older home near Church of St Lawrence, tall stacks and steep slopes are easier to judge with close-up aerial photos than from the pavement.
Before you book anyone
- How soon the report will arrive
- What exactly goes into their report
- Which limits apply to the survey
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
What a survey costs
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- House, block, shop or office
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Which survey package you book
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, all including VAT. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you’d like to know.
Getting in touch
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. Just let us know:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Bradfield
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants. Surveys run on any day of the week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too. Larger roofs take longer.
How it works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs. As for time on site, it usually takes an hour or two for most houses, and longer for a large or complex roof. In a hamlet or village like Bradfield, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- First we go over the roof, the problem you’ve noticed and the conditions forecast for the visit.
- We look at the roof from the ground, from windows and from the roof itself where it’s safe.
- Thermal images are taken to show differences in surface temperature.
- We check the patterns that stand out with moisture readings where there is safe access.
- You get a report with thermal images, photos and our recommendations.
Before the survey
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
Getting a price
If you’re buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you’re ready.
Related advice
Drones, thermal imaging and Bradfield roofs
The coast is about 1 mile or less from Bradfield, and wind off the sea can be strong. Calm, dry conditions after a sunny day suit thermal imaging best, so the visit is planned around the forecast. If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Bradfield Primary School, big roofs are where close-up aerial shots and thermal images show the most at once.
Bradfield is about 6 miles west of Harwich, in Essex. Bradfield is part of the area we cover as part of our work across London and the South East. Bradfield is one of the places in Essex we cover. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
We work across CO11 for thermal roof surveys. We cover properties on The Street, Station Road and Wix Road and the roads around them. We also cover Bradfield Heath (1 mile south-west), Wix (2 miles south-east), Wix Green (2 miles south-east) and Wrabness (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns like Colchester (10 miles west), Clacton-on-Sea (9 miles south), Harwich (6 miles east), Camulodunum (11 miles west), Greenstead (8 miles west) and Wivenhoe (8 miles south-west).
What’s near Bradfield
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Village Maid pub. The closest station to Bradfield is Mistley station, roughly 1.7 miles north-west of the centre. Green spaces nearby include Wrabness Nature Reserve and Alton Water.
Checking the roof from ground level
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.