Essex · London and the South East
Thermal Roof Survey in Great Leighs
A careful look at the roof at your property in Great Leighs, with photos and a written report.
- Areas losing heat at the eaves and junctions
- Stains that keep coming back
- Possible trapped moisture under a flat roof covering
Thermal roof survey in Great Leighs: what you get
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. It helps us see how far water may have spread under the covering, something you can’t typically tell from the surface. Moisture readings are then used to check what the camera suggests. Typical surveys look at ceilings that feel colder in places and leaks far from where the stain appears, on pitched roof slopes, ceilings below the roof and commercial roofs.
Villages like Great Leighs frequently stand in open country, where wind can be strong. Strong wind or a downpour stops a small drone flying, and calm conditions also suit thermal imaging best. The visit is planned around the forecast, along with the journey and access. A change in the forecast can mean moving the visit to another day.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Photographs show what each point refers to, with the urgent items made clear.
- Where
- Great Leighs (CM3)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Pitched slate and tile roofs
Slate and tile roofs are often harder to read with a thermal camera, because of the air space beneath. We combine the images with an inspection from the loft where there’s safe access.
Parapets, valleys and junctions
When valley or parapet gutters overflow, water can get into walls and ceilings. We use the camera and moisture readings to help follow it.
Your questions about thermal roof surveys in Great Leighs
Do you cover smaller places like Great Leighs?
Yes, Great Leighs is covered. We work right across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Is Great Leighs in the area you cover?
Yes, Great Leighs is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Great Leighs as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
How fast do I get the report?
The Premium Survey report comes the same day, the Standard within 24–48 hours and the Basic within 48 hours. All of them come by email, ready to forward.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
What does a thermal roof survey show?
The images show how warm or cool each part of the surface is. Differences can suggest wet areas, missing insulation or heat loss, and we check them with moisture readings.
Which survey includes thermal imaging?
Thermal imaging is included in our Premium Survey, from £400. The Premium Survey also covers a full inspection, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and a report on the same day.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first, with the freeholder or managing agent. Tell us about it when booking and we will explain what’s needed.
What affects the cost of thermal roof surveys
Survey packages start from £150, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how it can be reached and seen safely. Thermal roof survey starts from £400, including VAT.
What to let us know when you contact us
Before you get in touch, it helps to have:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Anything about access we should know
- What made you get in touch
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Towns and villages near Great Leighs
More services for Great Leighs
The survey, step by step
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that’s worrying you. After that, we check everything we can see safely. The survey usually takes between one and two hours for most houses, and longer for a large or complex roof. Around Great Leighs, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it helps to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- You let us know about the roof and any damp, leaks or cold rooms.
- We check the conditions and note how they may affect the images.
- A full inspection and thermal imaging are carried out together.
- Moisture readings are used to check what the camera shows.
- You get the report the same day, with an in-person consultation to follow.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Getting a price
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Read more
For landlords and managing agents
Landlords, agents and building managers in Great Leighs and across Essex can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Letting agents and landlords in Great Leighs book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photographs.
What a thermal roof survey looks like in Great Leighs
Older buildings in Essex often have clay tiles and weatherboarding, alongside a good many post-war and newer estates. Where a roof is steep, tall or hard to see from ground level, drone photos and thermal images add detail. An older home may be listed, or stand in a conservation area. Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the council can say whether a street is in a conservation area. In either case, a change of roofing material may need consent.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St John the Evangelist, tall stacks and steep slopes are easier to judge with close-up aerial photos than from the pavement. Take a building like Great Leighs Primary School: a drone or thermal camera can show a large roof in a single visit.
Great Leighs is about 4 miles south-west of Braintree, in Essex. Great Leighs is one of many places we visit across Essex, for homes and businesses alike. Across Essex, we cover Great Leighs and the places around it. There is also a page for Chelmsford.
Here we cover the CM3 postcode area for thermal roof surveys. You’ll find streets such as Aragon Road, Fortune Close and Audley Road. Nearby, we also carry out thermal roof surveys in Gubbion's Green (1 mile east), Young's End (1 mile north-east), Fuller Street (1 mile south-east), Row Green (2 miles north-east) and Fairstead (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (6 miles south), Braintree (4 miles north-east), Maldon (10 miles south-east), Billericay (14 miles south), Witham (6 miles east) and Wickford (15 miles south).
What’s near Great Leighs
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Castle pub. The nearest railway station is Cressing station, roughly 3.4 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include William Julien Courtauld Hospital (3.6 miles north-east). Not far away are Sandylay and Moat Woods.
Why act early in Great Leighs
Buyers get extra information from thermal images that the eye can miss. Finding hidden moisture before exchange gives you facts to raise with the seller. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Great Leighs, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you need to know.
Why us?
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Package prices that include VAT
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- A written report with photographs
See what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Don’t switch the heating off before the visit
- Take photos of stains as they appear, so we can compare
- Keep a record of when stains appear
- Clear a path to the loft hatch before we arrive
If the images suggest moisture that cannot be confirmed, we will say what would help next, such as electronic leak detection or opening up a small area.
Keep outlets and gutters clear so water drains off the roof quickly. Less standing water means less chance of it getting under the covering.