Independent roof surveys across Ipswich — visual inspections, drone surveys for hard-to-reach roofs, and pre-purchase reports for buyers. We credit the inspection fee against any repair work you book with us.
A proper roof inspection is far more than a glance from the pavement. We assess the covering, the ridge and hip bedding, the valleys and flashings, the state of the fixings where accessible, the roofline and guttering, and — crucially — the roof space from inside where we can see the underfelt, the timbers and any signs of water ingress that never show from outside.
Where a roof is too steep, too high or too fragile to walk safely, we use a drone survey to capture high-resolution imagery of every slope, valley and stack without putting anyone at risk or disturbing the covering. This is particularly useful on the tall Victorian terraces and on any roof where the covering itself is suspect.
You receive a written report setting out the condition, the issues found, their urgency, and indicative costs to put them right. It is a document you can act on, share with an insurer, or use in a purchase negotiation — not a verbal "it needs doing." And because we credit the inspection fee against any repair work you subsequently book, the survey effectively costs nothing if you go ahead with the work.
An inspection is only as good as the surveyor's knowledge of the local stock. What we look for changes completely depending on which Ipswich property type we are surveying — a generic checklist misses the things that actually fail on these roofs.
On the 1960s and 70s roofs across Chantry, Whitehouse, Gainsborough, Whitton and Kesgrave, the single most important thing we assess is the state of the fixing nails. Nail sickness — the corrosion of the mild-steel nails holding the tiles — is invisible from the ground and often invisible from the tile surface too. We check for the tell-tale slippage pattern and, from inside the roof, the state of the nails and underfelt. This is the finding that most often changes a homebuyer's decision.
On the terraces off Norwich Road, around Fonnereau Road and through the California area, we look for slate delamination and nail fatigue in the original Welsh slate, the condition of the valley gutters shared between properties, and the lead flashings around the party-wall parapets. These roofs hide their problems in the valleys and at the party walls — exactly where a pavement glance cannot see.
The inter-war semis in Rushmere St Andrew and around Cauldwell Hall Road are now at the age where the original bitumen sarking felt has become brittle and stopped doing its job as a secondary barrier. We assess the felt from inside, the condition of the hip and ridge bedding, and the state of the clay or early concrete tiles. Felt failure is the finding that most often tips a 1930s roof toward re-covering.
For anyone buying in Ipswich, a pre-exchange roof inspection is some of the best money you can spend. A homebuyer's survey typically notes the roof only in general terms; a dedicated roof report tells you exactly what you are taking on and what it will cost. On the estate stock in particular, knowing whether that roof has two years or twenty left in it can be worth thousands at the negotiating table.
A dedicated roof condition survey provides evidence that a standard homebuyer's Level 2 survey does not, as RICS guidance notes that roof coverings are typically inspected only from ground level or roof-space access without specialist assessment.RICS Home Survey Standard
Guide prices for roof inspections in Ipswich (2026). The inspection fee is credited against any repair work you book with us.
Honest assessment and an exact written quote before any work begins.
📞 01473 807630Roof Inspections in Ipswich or the surrounding villages? Talk to a local roofer today.
📞 Call 01473 807630"Paid for a pre-purchase report on a 70s estate house. They found nail sickness across the whole roof that the homebuyer's survey completely missed. Used it to knock £6k off. Best £300 I've spent."
"Drone survey of our tall terrace — couldn't have got up there safely otherwise. Detailed report, clear photos of the valley problems, sensible cost estimates. Booked the repairs and they credited the fee."
"1930s semi. They went into the loft and showed me the felt had gone brittle. Honest report, no scaremongering, and the inspection fee came off the repair bill."
A visual roof inspection with written report costs £120–£250 in Ipswich, a drone survey £150–£350, and a pre-purchase report £200–£450. We credit the fee in full against any repair work you book with us, so the survey effectively costs nothing if you proceed.
It is strongly worth it, especially on the estate stock. A standard homebuyer's survey notes the roof only in general terms. A dedicated roof report tells you exactly what you're taking on — on a 1960s–70s concrete-tile roof, knowing whether it has two years or twenty left can be worth thousands in negotiation.
It depends on your property. On post-war estate roofs we assess nail sickness; on Victorian terraces, slate condition and valley leadwork; on 1930s semis, felt failure and hip bedding. We inspect from inside the roof space too, where the real problems show.
Yes — we use a drone survey for steep, tall or fragile roofs, capturing high-resolution imagery of every slope, valley and stack without risk or disturbing the covering. It's particularly useful on the tall terraces and where the covering itself is suspect.
A written report setting out the roof's condition, the issues found, their urgency, and indicative repair costs. It's a document you can act on, share with an insurer, or use in a purchase negotiation — not just a verbal assessment.
Yes. If you book repair work with us following the inspection, we deduct the full inspection fee from the repair cost. It means an honest survey with no incentive for us to over-diagnose — we'd rather do the real work than sell an inflated report.
We usually survey within a few days across Ipswich and the surrounding villages. For pre-purchase reports where you're working to an exchange deadline, tell us the timescale and we'll prioritise it.
No call-out fee. No obligation. An honest assessment and an exact written price.
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