Wokingham · London and the South East
Landlord roof survey in California, Wokingham
A careful look at the let or shared roof at your property in California, and put it all in a written report with photos.
- Leaking joints at party walls
- Missing or loose roof coverings
- Choked outlets and gutters
Landlord roof surveys for homes and businesses in California
Roofs on let houses and blocks of flats are easy to forget until something leaks. A condition survey lets you find problems before they become leaks so work can be planned, not rushed. The findings come in a written report with photos that you can keep with the building’s records. Many clients repeat the survey on a rolling basis to see how the roof is changing. Typical surveys look at cracked or lifting flashings and mortar falling from ridges and verges, across flat roofs on blocks, shared roofs and rented houses.
Somewhere as small as California, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
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
- California (RG40)
- Region
- Wokingham
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlord roof surveys in California: local notes
What can be done to an older roof may depend on listing or a conservation area. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list, before anyone quotes for re-roofing. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
For landlords with property near Crowthorne station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Gorse Ride Junior School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
California is about 3 miles south-west of Wokingham, in Wokingham. We carry out landlord roof surveys in California for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings. Our area takes in places right across Wokingham. For surveys nearby, see our Reading page.
Landlord roof surveys in RG40 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We offer landlord roof surveys to properties on Warren Lane, White Horse Lane and Fernbank. We also cover Arborfield Garrison (1 mile west), Finchampstead (1 mile south-east), Barkham (1 mile north), Langley Common (1 mile north-west) and Eversley (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cover Reading (7 miles north-west), Wokingham (3 miles north-east), Woodley (5 miles north), Earley (5 miles north-west), Crowthorne (3 miles east) and Lower Earley (4 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in California
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Queen's Oak pub, Bohunt School Wokingham and Shepperlands Farm Nature Reserve. The nearest railway station is Crowthorne station, about 2.4 miles east. Well-known places in the area include Beaumys Castle (4.7 miles west) and Wokingham Hospital (2.6 miles north-east). Not far away are Horseshoe Lake and Holt Copse & Joel Park.
Prices for landlord roof surveys in California
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- House, block, shop or office
Price depends partly on the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all including VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Booking your survey
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Anything about access we should know
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Where the property is, with the postcode
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Common roof problems in California
Shared roofs can fall between owners. Each party may assume someone else is dealing with it and work gets delayed. A condition report gives everyone the same starting point.
Most people get in touch after spotting one of these:
- Blocked gutters over flats
- Chimney stacks in poor repair
- Damp or stains in top-floor flats
- Standing water on a flat roof
Trees in and around Shepperlands Farm Nature Reserve shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
What to check before booking
- Their report turnaround times
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
How the survey changes by roof type
Shared chimney stacks
Many terraces and conversions have shared stacks. Pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings are looked at from safe vantage points.
Party-wall upstands and parapets
Where a roof is shared with neighbours, we can only inspect what we’re given access to, and the report says what was seen.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
How the survey works
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. A typical visit takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Around California, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- You let us know about the building, its roofs and any known leaks.
- We confirm the access we will need.
- The roofs are inspected from the ground, vantage points, the loft space and the roof where safe.
- The report records areas we couldn’t access.
- Findings and recommendations are set out with photos.
Before the survey
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
Arrange a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or email us when you’re ready.
Related advice
Tips from our surveys
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Our tips:
- Give residents notice before a survey
- Have gutters and outlets cleared every year
- Survey the roof on a regular cycle
- Give tenants a simple way to report leaks
You receive a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations ranked by urgency where relevant. It’s emailed to you so you can share it with owners, agents or contractors.
Deal with the high-priority defects quickly and schedule the others. Left alone, minor faults typically get worse.
Towns and villages near California
More services for California
California questions
Does a conservation area affect roof work in California?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Is California within the area you cover?
Yes, California is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Do I need to be at home?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. Access is agreed with you when booking.
How many surveys have you done?
We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
Can your report let us know who pays for the roof work?
No, that depends on the lease, so speak to your managing agent or a solicitor. Our job is to report on the roof itself.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We carry out surveys on any day of the week. To arrange a date, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Will you need to get into tenants’ homes?
We may do. Where the loft or roof can only be reached through a home, we’ll need to go in so please give residents notice.