Wokingham · London and the South East
Drone Roof Survey in Earley
Find out the condition of the roof at your property in Earley from an independent roof surveyor. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Cracked flaunching or loose chimney pots
- Plant growth and moss on the roof
- Cracked slates and tiles out of sight from below
Practical tips
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Keep a clear space in the garden or drive for take-off
- Be ready to move the date if the weather turns
- Move stored items away from the hatch
- Keep dogs indoors during the visit
Premium also includes a 12-month follow-up. It helps you see how the roof has changed over the year.
Plan a drone survey every few years for tall or large roofs. Regular photos make changes easy to spot, and early repairs keep water out.
About our drone roof survey in Earley
Some roofs are hard or unsafe to reach. Our drone roof survey gets a camera close to them without anyone climbing. You see slates, ridges, chimneys, valleys and gutters in detail, including slopes that cannot be seen from the street. Everything we find goes into a written report with photographs. It also suits roofs that would be damaged by someone walking on them. Where a flight is not possible, we explain why. We survey large and complex roofs, valleys and parapet gutters and flat roofs on upper floors, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are lead work pulling away at abutments and coverings that have slipped high up on the roof.
In older houses around Earley, loft insulation can be thin, patchy or missing in places. Thermal imaging can show where heat escapes, and it can also point to damp patches. It shows temperature, so anything that looks like moisture is checked with a meter, while drone photos show the outside of the same roof. Results depend on the conditions, which is why the date is chosen with care.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly.
- Place
- Earley (RG6, RG2, RG1)
- Region
- Wokingham
- Prices
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it is worth a survey now in Earley
A drone survey disturbs nothing on the roof. Fragile slates and tiles stay as they are, so the survey does not create new problems. Extensions and dormers on homes around Earley often hide the first signs of trouble at their joints with the main roof. A few wet winters later, it can mean new plaster and decorating as well as roof work.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Why us?
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Over 20 years’ experience
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Photographs and a written report every time
Read what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
What we do, step by step
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 an hour or two for most houses, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. A survey in Earley needs access inside and out, including the loft hatch and any rooms with damp. Mention gates, side passages and anything at the back. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- We start by making sure a drone flight makes sense for the roof.
- We agree a date, including weekends, subject to the weather.
- Aerial photos are taken of your roof only, not the neighbours’.
- Where there’s safe access, we check the loft as well.
- You get photos, findings and clear recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Find any records of previous roof work
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Getting a price
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Advice
Airspace, weather and Earley roofs
In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Many roofs like these can’t be judged properly from the pavement, and that’s where a view from above or a thermal image earns its place. We fly a sub-250g drone and are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Flights in the open category stay under 120 m (400 ft), with the drone kept in sight.
Take a building like Radstock Primary School: thermal images can show where wet insulation sits under a big flat roof. Shop and office owners around The Oracle may find that a commercial roof can be photographed from above without anyone walking on it.
Earley is about 2 miles south-east of Reading, in Wokingham. We provide drone roof surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Earley and nearby. Earley is one of the places in Wokingham we cover for drone roof surveys.
Every address in RG6, RG2 and RG1 is within our area for drone roof surveys. Local streets include Elm Road, Elm Lane and Mays Lane, all of which we cover. You will find Earley on the A327 and A3290, so it is easy for us to get to. We also cover Lower Earley (1 mile south-east), Whitley (1 mile west), Newtown (2 miles north-west), Whitley Wood (2 miles south-west) and Shinfield (2 miles south). Further out, we also cover Wokingham (4 miles south-east), Crowthorne (7 miles south-east), Woosehill (4 miles south-east), Emmbrook (3 miles east), Twyford (4 miles north-east) and Charvil (4 miles north-east). Earley is among the bigger towns we cover in Wokingham.
Local landmarks in Earley
Around Earley, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Maiden Erlegh Local Nature Reserve, Leighton Park School and The Three Tuns pub, among other places. You will also find University of Reading library (0.7 miles north-west) and Maiden Erlegh School (0.5 miles north-east). For rail, the closest station is Earley station, roughly 0.9 miles north-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Royal Berkshire Hospital (1.7 miles north-west) and Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre Museum (1.7 miles north-west). For a walk, there’s South Lake and Fobney Island Wetland Reserve.
Places near Earley
More services for Earley
For landlords and managing agents
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photographs, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Earley questions
Do you cover Earley?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Earley as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Is my home in Earley listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
What if my home is near an airport?
Flight restriction zones around protected airports need permission from the airport or air traffic control before any flight. We check the airspace for your address and seek permission where it’s needed. If we cannot fly, we use other safe vantage points.
How fast do I get the report?
Each package has its own report time. Basic is within 48 hours, Standard is 24–48 hours and Premium is the same day. Mention any deadline when booking.
Do drone rules differ in central London?
Some areas need permission from NATS before any flight. If permission isn’t possible, we inspect by other means.
Are you registered with the CAA?
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.
Are you insured?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
Can I check my roof myself?
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
What we’re asked to look at in Earley
Height and steep pitches make close inspection risky. Tall townhouses, blocks of flats and offices are typical. We fly from the ground and bring the camera close to the roof.
Look out for signs like these:
- Debris building up in hidden gutters
- Slipped or missing slates on a high roof
- Wind damage high on the roof
- Blistered or cracked flat roof coverings
Take an older house close to Trinity Church: thin or patchy insulation under an old roof frequently shows up clearly on a thermal image.
Before booking anyone
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Whether VAT is added on top
- What exactly goes into their report