Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Poets Estate Thermal Roof Survey
Independent thermal roof surveys in Poets Estate. We have completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Leaks that are hard to trace
- Areas losing heat at the eaves and junctions
- Damp around chimneys and parapets
Thermal roof survey in Poets Estate
Thermal imaging works best in the right conditions. It helps to have a sunny day beforehand, a dry surface and calm air. Rain, wind and cloud can all make the patterns weaker. We will discuss the weather with you when booking, and our report notes the conditions and how they affected what we saw. We are often asked to look into damp around chimneys and parapets and leaks far from where the stain appears, on insulated roof spaces, loft conversions and ceilings below the roof.
Places like Poets Estate can be near small airfields or other airspace restrictions, so the Drone Safety Map is checked before any flight. Exposed sites can be windy, and a small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind, while thermal imaging also works best with little wind. Each flight is planned with neighbours’ privacy in mind, as well as the airspace and the wind.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Location
- Poets Estate (SG4, SG5)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from the ground
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry, as it helps us focus the survey.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Questions from Poets Estate
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Poets Estate?
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 carry out roof surveys in Poets Estate?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Poets Estate as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
How soon will I get the report?
It depends on the package: the Basic Survey report arrives within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey the same day. The report is emailed to you.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We note visible signs such as sagging or deflection, but we’re not structural engineers and don’t carry out calculations. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
What’s in the report?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos, and ends with what we recommend. The most urgent items are made clear.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and details are available on request.
How we price thermal roof surveys
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Height and safe access
- The size of the roof
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Our price is from £400, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Helping us price your survey
If you can, have these to hand when you get in touch:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
- The address and postcode of the property
Most bookings start with a short call: phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Drones, thermal imaging and Poets Estate roofs
If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Many roofs like these can’t be judged properly from the pavement, and that is where a view from above or a thermal image earns its place.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as William Ransom Primary School, a drone or thermal camera can show a large roof in a single visit. A roof leak in a hotel or guest house around Poets Estate means lost rooms as well as repairs. If you own one of the older houses in the streets near St Faith's Church, steep roofs, tall chimneys and hidden valleys can be hard to see from ground level, and that is where a view by drone or thermal camera helps.
Poets Estate is about 1 mile east of Hitchin, in Hertfordshire. Poets Estate gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. We cover towns and villages across Hertfordshire, large and small. For surveys nearby, see our Milton Keynes page.
Postcode districts we cover here for thermal roof surveys: SG4 and SG5. If you need a thermal roof survey at a property on Riddy Lane, The Avenue and Green Lane or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Close by, we survey roofs in Benslow (1 mile west), Walsworth (1 mile north), Hitchin (1 mile west), Great Wymondley (1 mile south-east) and Bearton (1 mile north-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Stevenage (4 miles south-east), St Albans (14 miles south), Welwyn Garden City (11 miles south), Harpenden (10 miles south-west), Hatfield (13 miles south) and Hertford (13 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Poets Estate
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to St Mary's Church, Hitchin Girls' School and Butts Close. You will also find Kingshott School (0.8 miles south) and The Millstream pub (under half a mile north). Poets Estate has its own railway station: Hitchin station. Other landmarks nearby include Wymondley Castle (1.1 miles south-east) and Lister Hospital (2.6 miles south-east). For a walk, there’s Purwell Ninesprings and Markham's Hill.
Roof by roof
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 back up what the camera shows with a look in the loft where we can.
Parapets, valleys and junctions
Junctions where roofs meet walls, parapets and valleys are common places for water to get in. The camera can help show damp around these junctions.
Also near Poets Estate
More services for Poets Estate
How it works
You don’t need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes an hour or two at a house, including the thermal images, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial roof. With a bit of garden around a house, as there often is around Poets Estate, the roof can be viewed from several angles. Let us know if any side is fenced off or hard to reach. Inside, the loft is looked at where it can be reached safely.
- First we discuss the roof, any damp and the forecast for the visit.
- We look over the roof from wherever it is safe.
- We take thermal images of the roof and of the loft where we can reach it.
- Patterns that stand out are checked with moisture readings.
- Each image is set beside a normal photo and explained in the report.
Preparing for the visit
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Let us know about parking near the property
How to book
Prices start from £400, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can ring 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
Advice
Leave it or get it looked at?
Once insulation under a membrane is wet, it tends to stay wet. In time, it stops insulating properly and can damage the deck. Finding the wet areas sooner keeps the work smaller. Arranging work in a smaller place like Poets Estate is easier with notice than in an emergency. Knowing early gives you time to get the right people in.
Thermal roof survey starts from £400, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, with VAT included.
Why book us in Poets Estate
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Visits on any day of the week
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
Read what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
Tips from our surveys
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Check from ground level or a window, never by climbing
- Remember the conditions on the day affect the results
- Keep a record of when stains appear
- Keep outlets and gutters clear to stop water sitting
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.
Check that loft insulation is laid evenly and hasn’t been pushed aside. Insulation is often moved when people work in the roof space.