West Berkshire · London and the South East
Drone roof survey in Shaw, West Berkshire
Get a clear view of the roof at a property in Shaw from an independent roof surveyor. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Loose ridge and hip tiles
- Ponding and splits on a high flat roof
- Moss and weeds taking hold up top
Checking the roof from ground level
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when booking, as it helps us focus the survey.
About our drone roof survey in Shaw
A drone can see more than your roof, so we take care. We keep the camera on the roof we are surveying, not on gardens or windows next door. If your roof is joined to a neighbour’s, it’s worth letting them know about the visit. We inspect only what the owner has asked us to. Each flight is kept short and stays focused on the roof we are there to survey. Common reasons to book are slates or tiles shifted by high winds and coverings that have slipped high up on the roof, on flat roofs on upper floors, fragile roofs and chimney stacks.
Places like Shaw can be near small airfields or other airspace restrictions, so the Drone Safety Map is checked before any flight. Exposed sites can be windy, and a small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind, while thermal imaging also works best with little wind. Neighbours’ privacy is part of planning each flight, along with the airspace and the weather.
You receive the findings by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Location
- Shaw (RG14, RG18)
- Wider area
- West Berkshire
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney stacks
From the air, a lean or a loose pot is easy to see. We record what we find with photos.
Large commercial roofs
Big roofs on offices, warehouses and units take time to inspect. A drone photographs the whole surface methodically, so nothing is skipped.
Tips that help
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Tell next door if the drone will be near their property
- Expect a little longer if permission is needed
- Mention anything you’ve noticed on the roof
- Shut pets inside while we fly
Your report arrives by email, including the close-up photos taken by the drone. Each finding is explained in plain words, and recommendations are ranked by urgency where that helps.
After a storm, check from the garden and the street. Debris in the garden is a sign to act on. A drone can show exactly what has moved.
Shaw: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Shaw is listed?
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.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Shaw?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We carry out surveys on weekdays and at weekends. To find a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not always. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. We use safe viewpoints, the loft space and a drone where it applies, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
What’s in the survey report?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos, and ends with what we recommend. The most urgent items are made clear.
Do you work in Shaw?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, and that includes Shaw.
The survey, step by step
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you’d like to know. We then inspect everything that can be seen safely. Most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. Being in a smaller place like Shaw doesn’t change how the visit works: outside, inside and from any safe vantage point, in that order. It helps to show us anything you’ve already noticed.
- First comes the address, plus a note of what worries you about the roof.
- We check the airspace and seek any permission needed.
- Before take-off, the wind, the weather and the launch spot are looked at.
- We fly the sub-250g drone close to the roof and photograph each area.
- We email the report with close-up photos and recommendations.
How to prepare
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Keep pets in another room
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Arrange a survey
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Read more
Flying and imaging in Shaw
Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. We fly a sub-250g drone and are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Open category rules keep flights below 120 m (400 ft) and the drone within sight at all times.
For hotels and guest houses around Shaw, a roof problem found early is far less disruptive than one found by a guest, so it pays to find faults before guests do. Take an older house close to Parish Church of St Mary: older roofs can be steep and hard to see from the street, which is where aerial photos and thermal images help.
Shaw is about 1 mile north-east of Newbury, in West Berkshire. Shaw is part of the area we cover across London and South East England. Our West Berkshire coverage includes Shaw. You can also see our page for Reading.
Every address in RG14 and RG18 is covered for drone roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Streets in the area include Park Lane, Shaw Road and Kiln Road, and we cover them all. Shaw sits on or near the A4, which makes travel easy. Nearby, we also carry out drone roof surveys in Speenhamland (1 mile west), Donnington (1 mile north-west), Speen (1 mile west), Bagnor (2 miles west) and Stockcross (3 miles west). Further out, we also cover Burghfield Common (11 miles east), Hungerford (9 miles west), Spencers Wood (15 miles east), Calcot (12 miles east), Lambourn (12 miles north-west) and Burghfield Hill (11 miles east). As one of the bigger places in West Berkshire, Shaw has homes, rented property and businesses of every kind.
Local landmarks in Shaw
We work in homes and buildings around Victoria Park, Trinity School and Trinity School and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Newbury Racecourse station, about 0.8 miles south-east. A little further out are Donnington Castle (1.3 miles north-west) and West Berkshire Community Hospital (1 mile east). Not far away are Audrey's Meadow.
Also in Shaw
Common roof problems in Shaw
Big commercial and industrial roofs cover a lot of ground. A drone can photograph a large roof methodically, showing patterns of wear that are hard to spot up close. That gives a clearer picture of the roof as a whole.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Moss and weeds taking hold up top
- Flashings that have come away
- Outlets choked with leaves and silt
- Slates or tiles shifted by high winds
Anyone responsible for a site like St Joseph's Catholic Primary School will know that thermal images can show where wet insulation sits under a big flat roof.
Before booking anyone
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Will the report include photos?
- How long the report takes to arrive
For landlords and managing agents
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the survey around it.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Shaw. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.