Essex · London and the South East
Thermal imaging roof survey in Harwich, Essex
Need a thermal roof survey in Harwich? We can help, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Areas losing heat at the eaves and junctions
- Water getting in at parapets and stacks
- Stains that keep coming back
Before and after the survey
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- File the images with your roof records
- Move stored items away from the loft hatch
- Keep the heating on as usual before a heat loss survey
- Note where damp appears and after what weather
Many people send the report to roofers, who can then quote for the areas shown. Because the images are paired with photos, it is easy to find each area on the roof.
After repairs or a new covering, a later survey can confirm things are dry, when the conditions are suitable.
How a thermal roof survey works in Harwich
Our Premium Survey, from £400, brings together a full roof inspection and thermal imaging. You also get a drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and a report on the same day. An in-person consultation and a 12-month follow-up are included too. To book, just phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’ve noticed. For big commercial roofs, we quote on size and access. Typical surveys look at patches of heat loss across the roof and damp where roofs meet walls and chimneys, across insulated roof spaces, pitched roof slopes and loft conversions.
Around a town like Harwich, steep roofs, tall gables and rear slopes are often hidden from ground level. A drone can take close-up photos of them, and thermal imaging can show patterns of heat loss or trapped moisture. Both depend on the weather on the day. Rear slopes over back additions are a common example, as they’re rarely visible from the street.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, along with how urgent it is.
- Place
- Harwich (CO12)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Harwich questions
Do you cover Harwich?
Yes, Harwich is within the area we cover. Our area covers London and South East England. You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and a few details.
How do I find out if my home in Harwich is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
How experienced are you?
We have been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
What’s in the survey report?
A photo-illustrated written report, explaining the condition of the roof, any defects and our recommendations, in order of urgency where relevant. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
What happens next?
You will receive the report by email, and you decide the next step: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only when it is safe. Safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where it applies cover most of what’s needed, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
Is thermal imaging good for finding leaks?
It can help narrow down where water may be getting in. Water can travel under a covering before it shows inside, and temperature patterns can help follow it. It is used alongside a close inspection and moisture readings because the camera cannot confirm water on its own.
Towns and villages near Harwich
Other services in Harwich
What affects the cost of thermal roof surveys
To price your survey, we check:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Roof area
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
Every price we give includes VAT. Our price is from £400, including VAT. You will know the exact price before booking.
What to let us know when you get in touch
These details help when you get in touch:
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
When you’re ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That is where a survey comes in.
Airspace, weather and Harwich roofs
Harwich is within about 1 mile of the coast, and coastal wind can be strong. 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. Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
If you look after a building such as Harwich and Dovercourt High School, a drone or thermal camera can show a large roof in a single visit. Hotels and guest houses near Harwich cannot easily close rooms for a leak.
Harwich is in Essex. If you’re in Harwich, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Across Essex, we cover Harwich. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Postcode districts we cover here for thermal roof surveys: CO12. That includes homes and businesses on Station Road, High Street and Market Street. Main roads around Harwich include the A120 and B1352. Close by, we survey roofs in Parkeston (1 mile north-west), Little Oakley (2 miles south-west) and Ramsey (2 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Clacton-on-Sea (10 miles south-west), Greenstead (14 miles west), Wivenhoe (14 miles west), Brightlingsea (13 miles south-west), Walton-on-the-Naze (6 miles south) and Bocking's Elm (11 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Harwich
In Harwich, that means homes and buildings near St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and The Trafalgar Public House and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Dovercourt station, roughly 0.9 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Landguard Fort (2.5 miles east) and Harwich Museum (1.3 miles north-east). Open spaces near Harwich include Copperas Wood.
What we’re asked to look at in Harwich
Unexplained damp is one of the main reasons people ask for thermal imaging. Water can travel under a roof covering or along timbers before it shows inside. Temperature patterns can help narrow down where to look.
A survey can pick up problems like:
- Cold spots on ceilings under the roof
- Patches of heat loss across the roof
- Leaks far from where the stain appears
- Areas of a flat roof that may hold water
The streets around a church such as Church of All Saints are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, thin or patchy insulation under an old roof frequently shows up clearly on a thermal image.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- How soon the report will arrive
- What insurance they carry
What we do, step by step
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes roughly 1–2 hours at a house, including the thermal images, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial roof. Most visits in a town like Harwich start at the front of the house and work round to the back. The back garden is often where extensions, dormers and rear slopes are best seen. Then, if it can be reached safely, we look in the loft.
- First we discuss the roof, any damp and the forecast for the visit.
- The roof is inspected visually from safe positions.
- Thermal images are taken across the roof and, where there is safe access, in the loft.
- We take moisture readings where the images suggest a problem.
- Each image is set beside a normal photo and explained in the report.
Before the survey
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
Getting a price
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
How the survey changes by roof type
Loft insulation
Heat loss shows most clearly when it’s warm inside and colder outside. Our report notes how the conditions affected the images.
Felt and asphalt flat roofs
Water under felt or asphalt can stay hidden for years. Thermal imaging helps suggest where it is, given suitable conditions on the day.