Southampton · London and the South East
Drone Roof Survey in Bitterne
Drone roof surveys in Bitterne, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Tired mortar and pots at the top of a stack
- Cracked slates and tiles out of sight from below
Drone roof surveys for homes and businesses in Bitterne
Drone roof survey starts from £400, including VAT. The Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where applicable, along with structural analysis, a same-day report and an in-person consultation. It also includes a follow-up after 12 months. We’ll tell you if a drone is not the right tool for your roof. Every drone survey comes with a written report and close-up photos. Common reasons to book are hidden gutters full of leaves and ridge and hip pieces working loose, across tall and steep roofs, chimney stacks and large and complex roofs.
Around Bitterne, a good many roofs are low enough to see partly from the garden or the street. The parts you can’t see, such as rear slopes, valleys and chimney tops, are where a drone or thermal camera adds detail. The forecast decides the day. Even so, a close-up image often shows wear on ridges and flashings that a view from ground level misses.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Place
- Bitterne (SO18, SO19)
- Region
- Southampton
- Prices
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What a drone roof survey looks like in Bitterne
Bitterne is within about 2 miles of the coast, where wind off the sea can be strong. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. Bitterne is inside, or right on the edge of, the flight restriction zone around Southampton Airport. Before any flight there, we ask the airport for permission, and the flight only goes ahead if it’s given.
For businesses in and around places such as Marlands Shopping Centre, large commercial roofs are often easiest to see from the air or with a thermal camera. For an older house near a landmark such as Church of the Holy Saviour, older roofs can be steep and hard to see from the street, which is where aerial photos and thermal images help.
Bitterne is about 1 mile east of Southampton, in Southampton. From houses to flats and shops in Bitterne, the roof can be surveyed. Bitterne is one of the places in Southampton where we work.
All of SO18 and SO19 is covered for drone roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. That includes homes and businesses on Bath Road, Ruby Road and Dean Road and the roads around them. Bitterne sits on or near the A3024. We also cover Northam (1 mile west), Bitterne Park (1 mile north-west), Itchen (1 mile south-west), Midanbury (1 mile north) and Harefield (1 mile north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Shirley (3 miles west), Regents Park (3 miles west), Maybush (4 miles west), Coxford (4 miles west), Freemantle (3 miles west) and Lordswood (4 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Bitterne
We work in homes and buildings around Itchen College, Riverside Park and St Mary's Independent School and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Bitterne station, roughly 0.7 miles north-west of the centre. A little further out are Bitterne Local History Society Heritage And Research Centre (less than half a mile north-west) and Marlands Shopping Centre (2 miles west). Open spaces near Bitterne include Netley Common.
What a survey costs
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Booking your survey
These details help when you contact us:
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- What made you get in touch
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- What kind of property and roof it is
When you’re ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Honest limits
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- The underside of the roof (that needs an inside check)
- Flying in a flight restriction zone without the airport’s permission
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Tall and steep roofs
- Chimney stacks
- Large and complex roofs
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Fragile roofs
Before and after the survey
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Allow time for permission if you are in a flight restriction zone
- Keep pets indoors during the flight
- Let us know what you want to see
- Check the loft can be reached
If you need work done, roofers can work from the photos. They’ll see exactly where each defect is.
After a storm, check from the garden and the street. Debris in the garden is a sign to act on. A drone survey can show what has shifted.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Bitterne
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Signs you need a drone roof survey in Bitterne
The top of a stack is the most exposed part of many roofs. From the ground, you rarely see cracked flaunching or loose pots. A drone gets close enough to see them in detail.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Lead work pulling away at abutments
- Vegetation in valleys and gutters
- Wind damage high on the roof
- Ridge and hip pieces working loose
Take a building like Bitterne CE Primary School: a drone or thermal camera can show a large roof in a single visit.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Their report turnaround times
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- What insurance they carry
How it works
The visit has one job: 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 between one and two hours on an ordinary house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Being in a smaller place like Bitterne doesn’t change how the visit works: outside, inside and from any safe vantage point, in that order. It is useful to show us anything you’ve already noticed.
- First, we check the address for flight restrictions.
- If permission is needed, we ask for it ahead of the visit.
- 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.
- We email a written report with the photographs and our recommendations.
Before the survey
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Getting a price
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Related advice
Bitterne: your questions answered
Do you cover smaller places like Bitterne?
Yes, Bitterne is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Bitterne?
Normally it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. Bitterne is inside, or right on the edge of, the flight restriction zone around Southampton Airport. Before any flight there, we ask the airport for permission, and the flight only goes ahead if it’s given. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and visible signs like sagging are noted, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. The report will say if you need an engineer.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where it applies, a drone.
How many surveys have you done?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
How do I arrange a drone roof survey in Bitterne?
The quickest way is to ring 07833 053749 or email us. Let us know the address and a little about the roof. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.