Reading · London and the South East
Drone roof survey in Fords Farm, Reading
Need a drone roof survey in Fords Farm? We can help, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Standing water on a flat roof
- Coverings that have slipped high up on the roof
- Eroded pointing on a chimney stack
When to book a survey in Fords Farm
Strong winds can lift slates, tiles and ridge pieces. Damage on a high or steep roof is hard to judge from the garden. Close-up photos make it clear what has been disturbed.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Eroded pointing on a chimney stack
- Blocked valleys and parapet gutters
- Wind damage high on the roof
- Flashings that have come away
Take a building like Kennet Valley Primary School: a view from above covers a wide roof far faster than walking it.
Before you book anyone
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
Drone roof surveys for homes and businesses in Fords Farm
From the air, the outer surfaces are clear, but it can’t see inside. We check the loft from inside where it’s safe, since that’s where leaks and condensation often show first. Together, the two give a fuller picture. Your report shows the drone photos alongside what we saw in the loft. Where the loft cannot be reached safely, we note it. We’re often asked to look into cracked mortar along the ridge and moss building up on slopes and in gutters, across flat roofs on upper floors, tall and steep roofs and fragile roofs.
Around Fords Farm, older homes can have thin loft insulation and later additions with roofs of their own. Thermal patterns and close-up photos together give a fuller picture of the roof. Anything that looks like moisture is checked with a meter. Results depend on the weather, so the visit is planned around the forecast.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Location
- Fords Farm (RG30, RG31)
- Region
- Reading
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Also near Fords Farm
More services for Fords Farm
Questions from Fords Farm
Are there drone restrictions around Fords Farm?
Typically it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather.
Will you come out to Fords Farm?
Yes, Fords Farm is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
How soon will I get the report?
Each package has its own report time. Basic: within 48 hours. Standard: 24 to 48 hours. Premium: the same day. Mention any deadline when you book.
How do I arrange a drone roof survey in Fords Farm?
The quickest way is to phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Tell us the address and a little about the roof. We survey on any day of the week.
How much is a survey?
Prices start from £400, including VAT. Our Basic Survey starts from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT.
Will you check the loft?
If there’s a loft and safe access to it, yes. From inside, the underside of the roof often shows damp, staining or daylight that cannot be seen from outside.
What affects the cost of drone roof surveys
Our packages start from £150, inc. VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- How big the roof is
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
Prices start from £400, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, with VAT included.
Booking your survey
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Different roofs, different checks
Valleys and parapet gutters
Some older terraces have a butterfly roof with a valley in the middle. It is almost impossible to see from ground level, but it is plain to see from the air.
Large commercial roofs
Fragile roof sheets and roof lights can be dangerous to walk on. With a drone, nobody has to go near them.
What a drone roof survey looks like in Fords Farm
The drone we use is under 250g, flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID. Flights in the open category stay under 120 m (400 ft), with the drone kept in sight. Historic houses such as Mapledurham House, about 3.1 miles north, show how far back building in the area around Fords Farm goes. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof.
The streets around a church such as St Matthew's are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, tall stacks and steep slopes are easier to judge with close-up aerial photos than from the pavement. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near Broad Street Mall, big, flat commercial roofs are where aerial photos and thermal images help most.
Fords Farm is about 2 miles west of Reading, in Reading. We cover Fords Farm and the rest of Reading, as part of our work across London and the South East. Our Reading coverage includes Fords Farm.
Postcode districts we cover here for drone roof surveys: RG30 and RG31. We cover properties on Low Lane, Mill Lane and Bath Road and the roads around them. If you’re just outside Fords Farm, we cover Horncastle (1 mile north), Southcote (1 mile east), Burghfield Bridge (1 mile south), Beansheaf Farm (1 mile west) and Calcot (1 mile west). Larger places within reach include Caversham (4 miles north-east), Shinfield (4 miles south-east), Arborfield Garrison (7 miles south-east), Caversham Heights (3 miles north-east), Whitley Wood (3 miles south-east) and Sonning Common (6 miles north).
Near you in Fords Farm
We work in homes and buildings around Prospect School, Elvian School and The Cunning Man pub. The nearest railway station is Reading Green Park station, about 1.4 miles south-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Battle Hospital (1.7 miles north-east) and Beaumys Castle (4.8 miles south-east). Open spaces near Fords Farm include Fobney Island Wetland Reserve and South Lake.
How the survey works
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photographs, emailed to you. On timing, it normally takes between one and two hours at a house, including the airspace and weather checks before take-off. With a bit of garden around a house, as there often is around Fords Farm, the roof can be viewed from several angles. Mention any side of the property we cannot get to. Inside, the loft is looked at where it can be reached safely.
- You give us the address and tell us about the roof.
- Airspace restrictions are checked and permission sought where needed.
- On the day, we check the wind, weather and site before flying.
- The drone photographs the roof closely, kept in sight throughout.
- We email the report with close-up photos and recommendations.
How to prepare
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
Arrange a survey
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Read more
DIY checks: what’s safe
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
Honest limits
A survey is a proper look at the roof, but it can’t do everything. Its limits include:
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Neighbouring roofs the owner hasn’t asked us to survey
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll recommend the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Fords Farm
- Chimney stacks
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Fragile roofs
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Tall and steep roofs
- Large and complex roofs