Wokingham · London and the South East
Wokingham Drone Roof Survey
Close-up drone photographs of roofs that are hard to reach in Wokingham. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Tired mortar and pots at the top of a stack
- Cracked slates and tiles out of sight from below
- Worn lead at chimneys and walls
How a drone roof survey works in Wokingham
We fly a sub-250g drone, and we hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID. It stays within sight for the whole flight, and well below the 120-metre height limit. Each flight is planned with the site and its surroundings in mind. Before every flight, we check the airspace and the weather. Safety comes first on every visit. We are often asked to look into damage after a storm that can’t be seen from below and outlets choked with leaves and silt, across valleys and parapet gutters, fragile roofs and tall and steep roofs.
In a place like Wokingham, offices, shops, schools and blocks of flats often have big flat roofs. On a large flat roof, trapped moisture under the covering can spread a long way from the leak. Aerial photos show the whole roof at once, and anything a thermal image suggests is checked with moisture readings. Blocks, offices and schools frequently have plant and rooflights that make a roof harder to walk safely.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Wokingham (RG40, RG41, RG7, RG10)
- Wider area
- Wokingham
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in Wokingham
How do I find out if my home in Wokingham is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Is Wokingham in the area you cover?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Wokingham as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Will the drone film my neighbours?
No, the camera is kept on your roof. Neighbouring homes and gardens aren’t the subject. It is useful to tell neighbours beforehand.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them.
Do you hold CAA registration for the drone?
Yes. Our registration covers a Flyer ID and an Operator ID. We use a sub-250g drone, flown within the rules for the open category.
What happens next?
You’ll receive the report by email, and you decide the next step: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. Visible signs like deflection or sagging are recorded, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. If one is needed, the report says so.
What you can safely check yourself
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
What we can’t see
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- Neighbouring roofs the owner hasn’t asked us to survey
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- Flights in a restricted zone without permission
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Large and complex roofs
- Chimney stacks
- Tall and steep roofs
- Fragile roofs
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Flat roofs on upper floors
When to book a survey in Wokingham
Height and steep pitches make close inspection risky. Three-storey houses, blocks of flats and tall commercial buildings are common examples. A drone gets close-up views from a safe position on the ground.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Flashings that have come away
- Blistered or cracked flat roof coverings
- Cracked mortar along the ridge
- Damage after a storm that can’t be seen from below
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Walter Infant School, thermal images can show where wet insulation sits under a big flat roof.
What to check before booking
- How long the report takes to arrive
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
How it works
On the day, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that’s worrying you. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, from the ground, from windows, in the loft space and by drone where it applies. Most surveys take about 1–2 hours at most homes, or half a day or so for a commercial building. For a property in Wokingham, it helps to know where we can park, and for flats, mention stairs, lifts and shared entrances. On the day, we look at the roof from ground level, from windows and vantage points, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- We start by checking the airspace and any restrictions at your address.
- We arrange any permission that is needed before we fly.
- We assess the wind, the weather and the surroundings before take-off.
- We fly the drone close to the roof to photograph it in detail, always in sight.
- We email a written report with the photographs and our recommendations.
Before the survey
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Keep pets in another room
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Getting a price
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form whenever suits you.
Related advice
Also near Wokingham
What else we do in Wokingham
How the survey changes by roof type
Flat roofs on tall buildings
Felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber around 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. We record the signs of age we can see.
Valleys and parapet gutters
A butterfly roof drains to a central valley gutter. It is almost impossible to see from ground level, but it is plain to see from the air.
Flying and imaging in Wokingham
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. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. A drone or thermal camera adds most on the steep, tall and hidden parts of roofs like these.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Paul, steep roofs, tall chimneys and hidden valleys can be hard to see from ground level, and that is where a view from above or with a thermal imager helps.
Wokingham is about 33 miles west of London. Wherever you are in Wokingham, we can carry out drone roof surveys at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. We cover towns and villages across the surrounding area, from the larger towns to small villages. Our Reading page covers surveys nearby.
Postcode districts we cover here for drone roof surveys: RG40, RG41, RG7 and RG10. Streets in the area include Station Road, Market Square and London Road. Wokingham sits on or near the A321 and A329. Neighbouring places we cover for drone roof surveys include Woosehill (1 mile west), Emmbrook (1 mile north), Sindlesham (2 miles north-west), Winnersh (2 miles north-west) and Hurst (3 miles north). Larger places within reach include Reading (6 miles north-west), Woodley (4 miles north-west), Earley (4 miles north-west), Crowthorne (3 miles south-east), Lower Earley (3 miles west) and Newtown (5 miles north-west).
Around Wokingham
In Wokingham, that means homes and buildings near The Holt School, St Crispin's School and The Station Tap and the streets around them. Wokingham has its own railway station: Wokingham station. Nearby you will also find Berkshire Library & Museum of Freemasonry (1.9 miles north-west) and Wokingham Hospital (within half a mile east). Not far away are Heath Lake and Sonning Hill.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Leaving a slipped slate or a blocked valley can turn a small fault into a leak. Finding them now means less to put right, whatever height the roof is. For landlords in Wokingham, a roof defect left alone tends to become a tenant’s damp or leak complaint. Finding it early, between tenancies if possible, is simpler than dealing with it mid-let.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how it can be reached and seen safely. Drone roof survey starts from £400, including VAT.
What you get with us
- PI and public liability insurance
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- Every finding written up with photos
- Visits on any day of the week
See what a roof survey costs and our case studies.