Essex · London and the South East
Thermal imaging roof survey in West Horndon, Essex
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you spend money on it. We carry out thermal roof surveys in West Horndon.
- Cold spots on ceilings under the roof
- Thin or uneven insulation in the roof
- Leaks far from where the stain appears
How it works
The aim of the visit is simple: to look at the roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. The visit normally takes an hour or two at a house, including the thermal images, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial roof. Older roofs in small places like West Horndon can have low, tight loft spaces, so it’s useful to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- We go through the roof, the problem and the weather expected on the day.
- The roof is inspected visually from safe positions.
- We take thermal images of the roof and of the loft where we can reach it.
- We take moisture readings where the images suggest a problem.
- The report pairs each thermal image with a photo and explains what it suggests.
Before the survey
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Let us know about parking near the property
Arrange a survey
Our price is 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
Thermal roof surveys for homes and businesses in West Horndon
Our thermal survey records how the surface temperature varies across your roof. The patterns can suggest wet insulation, gaps in insulation or places where heat is getting out. It’s important to know that the camera shows temperature, not water, so findings are checked with moisture readings. It comes as part of our Premium Survey, from £400. The report also notes the conditions on the day, since they affect what the camera can show. Typical surveys look at damp around roof outlets and upstands and leaks far from where the stain appears, across insulated roof spaces, flat roofs and commercial roofs.
Older buildings in small places like West Horndon may be listed or in a conservation area. Neither a drone survey nor a thermal survey involves any work on the roof, so it is a gentle way to see the condition of an old roof, before anyone decides what work it needs. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, so check with the council first.
The written findings come by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Where
- West Horndon (CM13)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How we price thermal roof surveys
Survey packages start from £150, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- How big the roof is
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
Prices start from £150, inc. VAT, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both inc. VAT. You’ll know the price for the job before booking.
Helping us price your survey
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
A quick phone call is usually the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Heat lost through a roof costs money every winter. Thermal images can show where insulation is missing or has slipped, so you know where to put things right. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, from £400 with VAT included. We can help you choose the package that fits what you want to find out.
Why us?
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- 20+ years’ experience
- Packages from £150, with VAT included
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
See what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Practical tips
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Our tips:
- Note where damp appears and after what weather
- Take photos of stains as they appear, so we can compare
- Keep the heating on as usual before a heat loss survey
- Move stored items away from the loft hatch
You also get an in-person consultation with a Premium Survey, giving you the chance to talk through the images and findings. A follow-up 12 months later is included as well.
Watch for new damp patches on ceilings beneath the roof. Catching a leak early stops insulation getting soaked.
What you can safely check yourself
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Places near West Horndon
More services for West Horndon
Airspace, weather and West Horndon roofs
There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so the council is the place to ask. Older buildings in Essex often have clay tiles and 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.
Take an older house close to St Francis: older roofs can be steep and hard to see from the street, which is where close-up aerial shots and thermal images help. Anyone responsible for a site like West Horndon Primary School will know that a view from above covers a wide roof far faster than walking it.
West Horndon is about 4 miles south-east of Brentwood, in Essex. We survey roofs in West Horndon as part of our work across London and South East England. West Horndon is one of the towns and villages in Essex we cover. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
Here we cover the CM13 postcode area for thermal roof surveys. If you need a thermal roof survey at a property on Station Road, Petresfield Way and Cadogan Avenue or a nearby road, we can help. Nearby, we also carry out thermal roof surveys in East Horndon (1 mile north-east), Childerditch (1 mile north-west), Little Warley (1 mile west), Bulphan (2 miles south-east) and Herongate (2 miles north). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (13 miles north-east), Basildon (5 miles east), Brentwood (4 miles north-west), Canvey Island (11 miles east), Billericay (5 miles north-east) and Rayleigh (11 miles east).
What’s near West Horndon
There is a railway station in West Horndon itself: West Horndon station. A little further out are Upminster Tithe Barn Museum of Nostalgia (3.8 miles west) and Spire Hartswood Hospital (3 miles north-west). Open spaces near West Horndon include Langdon Nature Reserve.
FAQs for West Horndon
Do you cover West Horndon?
Yes. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and West Horndon is part of that. You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and some details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Is my home in West Horndon listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Can a thermal survey trace a roof leak?
Thermal imaging can help, alongside other checks. What it shows depends on the weather and the roof. Where it cannot be pinned down, the report suggests a next step, such as electronic leak detection.
What can thermal imaging tell me about my roof?
A thermal camera shows differences in surface temperature. Those patterns can point to trapped moisture, missing insulation or heat loss. We check what it shows with moisture readings.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so we need permission from the freeholder or managing agent. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you’ll need a RICS survey as well.
Will the survey show heat loss through my roof?
Gaps and thin areas of insulation can show up on the camera. The difference is clearest when the building is heated and it is colder outside. We look from the loft as well, where there is safe access.
Different roofs, different checks
Parapets, valleys and junctions
Parapet and valley gutters can overflow inside a building. Thermal images, checked with moisture readings, can help trace it.
Felt and asphalt flat roofs
Felt and asphalt sit tight to the layers below, which often helps the camera pick up differences. We confirm any patterns with moisture readings.