Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Drone roof survey in Northway, Oxfordshire
Get a clear view of the roof at a property in Northway. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Moss building up on slopes and in gutters
- Eroded pointing on a chimney stack
- Worn lead at chimneys and walls
Why act early in Northway
On a tall building, problems are frequently found only when water comes in. By then, timbers, ceilings and insulation may be wet. Looking from above picks up the early signs. On a bungalow or cottage around Northway, the roof sits close to the rooms below, so a small leak can mark a ceiling within a few storms. Catching the cause first saves redecorating as well.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Prices start from £400, including VAT.
Why book with us
- A report with photos
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Surveys seven days a week
Read what a roof survey costs and our case studies.
How a drone roof survey works in Northway
Drones need reasonable weather. We don’t fly in high wind or heavy rain, because control and safety come first. If the weather turns, we’ll agree another day. The forecast is checked ahead of the visit and again on the day. Light wind and dry weather give the clearest close-up photos. Waiting for a better day is better than a rushed flight. We survey fragile roofs, large and complex roofs and valleys and parapet gutters, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are cracked mortar along the ridge and coverings that have slipped high up on the roof.
Older cottages and houses around Northway may have little insulation, and some have extensions with their own roofs. A thermal image can show where heat is escaping or where moisture may be trapped, and drone photos show the roof surfaces themselves. Findings are checked with moisture readings where needed. Calm, dry weather suits both methods, so the date is set with the forecast in mind.
We write the report in plain English, so you do not need to be a roofer to follow it. Photographs show what each point refers to.
- Where
- Northway (OX3)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near Northway
Also in Northway
What we’re asked to look at in Northway
Large roofs take a long time to see on foot. A drone can photograph a large roof methodically. That gives a clearer picture of the roof as a whole.
Look out for signs like these:
- Eroded pointing on a chimney stack
- Hidden gutters full of leaves
- Loose ridge and hip tiles
- Flat roofs on upper floors that hold water
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near St Anthony of Padua, steep roofs, tall chimneys and hidden valleys can be hard to see from ground level, and that’s where a view by drone or thermal camera helps.
Questions to ask before booking
- Will the report include photos?
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
Checking the roof from the ground
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.
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.
Northway questions
Is my home in Northway 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.
Do you cover smaller places like Northway?
Yes, Northway is covered. We survey roofs across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Are you structural engineers?
No. Our survey is not a structural engineer’s report. We will recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We do not carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
What do I do with the report?
You will receive the report by email, and what you do next is up to you: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
When does the report arrive?
Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24–48 hours and Premium reports on the same day. Each one is emailed.
Can you fly a drone in central London?
Central London has restricted areas where NATS permission is needed. Where we cannot fly, we use other safe vantage points and explain what we could see.
What this survey can’t tell you
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- The underside of the roof (that needs an inside check)
- Flying in a flight restriction zone without the airport’s permission
- A structural engineer’s report
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you before you book. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Tall and steep roofs
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Chimney stacks
- Fragile roofs
- Large and complex roofs
What happens on the day
You do not need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes about one to two hours at a typical home, and more on a big or complicated roof. Some parts of a survey depend on the weather, so a visit to Northway is booked with the forecast in mind: drone flights and thermal imaging need the right conditions, while a look from the ground and the loft can go ahead in most weather.
- We start by making sure a drone flight makes sense for the roof.
- A date is fixed, with a fallback in case the weather turns.
- Aerial photos are taken of your roof only, not the neighbours’.
- We also look inside the loft space where it’s safe.
- Everything is written up, with the aerial photos and our advice.
Preparing for the visit
- Keep pets in another room
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
Booking a survey
Drone roof survey starts from £400, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email to find out.
Advice
Drones, thermal imaging and Northway roofs
Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. With Holywell Manor about 1.5 miles south-west, Northway sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you run a business near Clarendon Shopping Centre, thermal images can show trapped moisture across a wide commercial roof. If you look after a building such as New Marston Primary School, big roofs are where aerial photos and thermal images show the most at once.
Northway is about 1 mile north of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. Northway is one of many places we visit across Oxfordshire, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. We cover towns and villages across Oxfordshire.
Postcode districts we cover here for drone roof surveys: OX3. You’ll find streets such as Copse Lane, Marsh Lane and Upway Road. You will find Northway on the A40, which makes it simple to reach. We also cover Headington (1 mile south-east), Marston (1 mile north-west), New Marston (1 mile south-west), Headington Hill (1 mile south) and Headington Quarry (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns like Didcot (11 miles south), Bicester (9 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles south), Witney (12 miles west), Thame (11 miles east) and Wantage (15 miles south-west).
Near you in Northway
We work in homes and buildings around English Faculty Library, Bury Knowle Park and Cheney School. Nearby too are Rye St Antony School (0.8 miles south) and White Hart Inn (0.6 miles south-east). The nearest railway station is Oxford station, about 2.4 miles south-west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Churchill Hospital (0.5 miles south) and Oxford Castle (2.2 miles south-west). The countryside around Northway includes Headington Hill and CS Lewis Nature Reserve.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with the building owner or managing agent. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Letting agents and landlords in Northway book surveys as well as homeowners. A written report with photos gives you a clear record of the roof, which helps you plan work between tenancies.