Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Drone Roof Survey in Appleton
Find out the condition of the roof at your property in Appleton. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Damage after a storm that can’t be seen from below
- Cracked slates and tiles out of sight from below
- Moss building up on slopes and in gutters
What affects the price in Appleton
Not every roof costs the same to survey, for these reasons:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The size of the roof
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
Drone roof survey starts from £400, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and which survey you book.
Getting in touch
The more you tell us, the easier it is to price the survey. When you get in touch, it is useful to mention:
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. The price is agreed before a date is set.
About our drone roof survey in Appleton
Our drone weighs under 250g, and we’re a CAA-registered drone operator, with a Flyer ID and an Operator ID. It stays within sight for the whole flight, and well below the 120-metre height limit. Each flight is planned with the site and its surroundings in mind. Before every flight, we check the airspace and the weather. Safety comes first on every visit. Typical surveys look at gaps where slates or tiles have gone and moss and weeds taking hold up top, across chimney stacks, tall and steep roofs and fragile roofs.
Older buildings in small places like Appleton may be listed or in a conservation area. Neither a drone survey nor a thermal survey involves any work on the roof, so it’s a gentle way to see the condition of an old roof. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, so check with the council first.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Place
- Appleton (OX13)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlords, agents and block managers in Appleton
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when tenants work during the week.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
Tips from our surveys
Getting the most from a drone roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Keep pets indoors during the flight
- Allow time for permission if you’re in a flight restriction zone
- Tell next door if the drone will be near their property
- Allow for a change of day in poor weather
Premium also includes a 12-month follow-up. It shows whether anything has moved or worn since the first visit, and whether work has done its job.
Look at the roof from ground level after strong winds. Pieces of slate or tile on the ground mean something has moved. A drone can show exactly what has moved.
Also near Appleton
Other services in Appleton
When to book a survey in Appleton
Walking on some roofs does more harm than good. Older slates and tiles break easily, and fragile sheet roofs are dangerous to walk on. A drone lets us see them closely without touching them.
Look out for signs like these:
- Slates or tiles shifted by high winds
- Cracked flaunching or loose chimney pots
- Debris building up in hidden gutters
- Cracked slates and tiles out of sight from below
Take an older house close to Church of St Lawrence: thin or patchy insulation under an old roof frequently shows up clearly on a thermal image.
Before booking anyone
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
Appleton questions
Is Appleton within the area you cover?
Yes, Appleton is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Is my home in Appleton listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Is your drone operator registered?
We are. The CAA has issued us a Flyer ID and an Operator ID, and we fly a drone that weighs under 250g, kept within sight on every flight.
When does the report arrive?
Each package has its own report time. Basic is within 48 hours, Standard is 24–48 hours and Premium is the same day. If you have a deadline, such as an exchange date, tell us when you book.
Will you photograph next door’s garden?
Privacy is taken seriously on every flight. The camera is pointed at your roof, not next door. It’s worth telling neighbours about the flight.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys.
What a drone roof survey looks like in Appleton
Appleton Manor, about 0.1 miles east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Appleton. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Take a building like Appleton Church of England (A) Primary School: a view from above covers a wide roof far faster than walking it.
Appleton is about 4 miles north-west of Abingdon-on-Thames, in Oxfordshire. From houses to flats and shops in Appleton, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Appleton. There is also a page for Oxford.
We work across OX13 for drone roof surveys. We cover properties on Whites Forge, Town Furlong and Badswell Lane. We also cover the places around Appleton: Northmoor (2 miles north-west), Henwood (2 miles east), Cumnor (2 miles north-east), Wootton (2 miles east) and Chawley (3 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Oxford (6 miles north-east), Didcot (9 miles south-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (4 miles south-east), Witney (8 miles north-west), Carterton (11 miles west) and Wantage (9 miles south).
Around Appleton
Around Appleton, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Plough Inn and the streets around them. Appleton’s nearest station is Oxford station, about 5 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include FitzHarris Castle (4.2 miles south-east) and Abingdon Community Hospital (3.8 miles south-east). The countryside around Appleton includes Hitchcopse Pit and Cumnor Hill.
What happens on the day
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. We take close-ups from wherever is safe, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes an hour or two for most homes, with the pre-flight checks included, and longer for big commercial roofs. Around Appleton, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- You give us the address so we can check the airspace.
- We arrange any permission that’s needed before we fly.
- On the day, we check the weather and the site before flying.
- The sub-250g drone takes close-up photos of the roof, kept in sight throughout.
- Your report arrives by email, with close-up photos and recommendations.
How to prepare
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
Getting a price
Our price is from £400, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or send us an email to find out.
Read more
Why act early in Appleton
With drone photos, everyone can see the same thing. You can show exactly where the problem is, which helps when you ask for quotes. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Appleton, driving rain gets into any weakness, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What you get with us
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Read how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.