Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Drone roof survey in Forest Hill, Oxfordshire
Close-up drone photographs of roofs that are hard to reach across Forest Hill, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Call or email for a price.
- Moss and weeds taking hold up top
- Blocked valleys and parapet gutters
- Cracked flaunching or loose chimney pots
Why it’s worth a survey now in Forest Hill
Photos from a drone survey show how the roof looks today. Next time, you can compare and see what has moved or worn. It helps when you plan ahead. In a place like Forest Hill, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. It is worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, all including VAT. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why book us in Forest Hill
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- Plain-English reports with photos
See our cost guide and our case studies.
How a drone roof survey works in Forest Hill
Drone roof surveys are available in Forest Hill and throughout London and South East England, where the airspace and the weather allow. We fly on weekdays and at weekends. Every address is checked for airspace restrictions first. You get a written report with close-up photos and recommendations. To check whether your roof suits a drone survey, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address. Typical surveys look at vegetation in valleys and gutters and lifted or split lead flashings, on chimney stacks, fragile roofs and tall and steep roofs.
In a village or hamlet like Forest Hill, roofs can be steep, old and hard to see from the lane. A drone and a thermal camera each give a view you cannot get from ground level. Both the forecast and the airspace are checked first. Steep slopes and tall chimney stacks are where a close-up view adds the most.
What you get is a clear record of the roof on the day we saw it. It is useful right away, and a good reference for later, such as when you want to compare after future work.
- Location
- Forest Hill (OX33)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. The main factors are:
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The size of the roof
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
What we need to know
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- When you need the report by
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 explain the options and the price.
Honest limits
It’s useful to know what a survey will not do before booking:
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- Flying in a flight restriction zone without the airport’s permission
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will recommend the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Tall and steep roofs
- Large and complex roofs
- Chimney stacks
- Fragile roofs
How it works
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you need to know. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen. The survey usually takes about 1–2 hours for a house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Older roofs in small places like Forest Hill can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it is safe.
- You give us the address and tell us about the roof.
- Any flight restriction at the address is looked at, with permission requested if required.
- We assess the conditions and the take-off spot first.
- The drone photographs the roof closely, kept in sight throughout.
- You receive a written report with the photos and our recommendations.
Before we arrive
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
How to book
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Read more
Drone roof surveys in Forest Hill: local notes
Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Older coverings on steep or tall roofs are hard to judge from below, so close-up aerial photos and thermal images help. The drone we use is under 250g, flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID. In the open category, flights stay below 120 m (400 ft) and within sight.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Sandhills Community Primary School, thermal images can show where wet insulation sits under a big flat roof. Take an older house close to Church of St Nicholas: thin or patchy insulation under an old roof frequently shows up clearly on a thermal image.
Forest Hill is about 3 miles east of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. We visit Forest Hill as part of our work across Oxfordshire. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Forest Hill and the places around it.
Drone roof surveys in OX33 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include Main Street, Milton Crescent and Powell Close, and we cover them all. If you are just outside Forest Hill, we cover Holton (1 mile south-east), Stanton St John (1 mile north), Littleworth (1 mile south), Risinghurst (2 miles west) and Wheatley (2 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Oxford (3 miles west), Didcot (11 miles south), Bicester (9 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (8 miles south-west), Witney (14 miles west) and Thame (8 miles east).
What’s near Forest Hill
We work in homes and buildings around Shotover Country Park, The Kings Arm's Public House and Wheatley Park School and the streets around them. Nearby you will also find Waterperry Gardens Rural Museum (2.9 miles east) and Templars Square (3.5 miles south-west). Not far away are CS Lewis Nature Reserve and Shotover.
Places near Forest Hill
More services for Forest Hill
What you can safely check yourself
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
Forest Hill: your questions answered
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Forest Hill?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions. Strong wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying.
Is Forest Hill within the area you cover?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not always. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs can’t always be walked on. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where it applies.
How long will you be at the property?
Expect it to take an hour or two for most homes, with the pre-flight checks included, and longer for big commercial roofs. You will then get the report by email, on the timescale of your package.
What happens next?
You will get the report by email, with photos and clear recommendations. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
How experienced are you?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and they go into the written report alongside our recommendations.
What we are asked to look at in Forest Hill
Walking on some roofs does more harm than good. Old slates and clay tiles crack underfoot, and some sheet roofs are fragile. A drone lets us see them closely without touching them.
We are often asked to look at:
- Cracked slates and tiles out of sight from below
- Plant growth and moss on the roof
- Hidden gutters full of leaves
- Ponding and splits on a high flat roof
Historic houses such as Garsington Manor, about 3.6 miles south, show how far back building around Forest Hill goes. Older roofs nearby can be steep and hard to see from ground level, and a survey by drone or thermal camera doesn’t touch the roof itself.
Before you book anyone
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- What insurance they carry
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours