Reading · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Arborfield Garrison
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Arborfield Garrison, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
Landlords, agents and block managers in Arborfield Garrison
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too. Bigger roofs take more time, and they’re priced for the size.
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out by urgency where it matters, which helps with budgets and planning.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Arborfield Garrison
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that’s often not the individual flat owner, with costs often passed on through the service charge. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. If you’ve noticed quick fixes on flashings and valleys and standing water on a flat extension roof, we can find out what’s behind it, on natural slate, lead flashings and valleys and clay and concrete tiles alike.
Around Arborfield Garrison, you’ll mostly find houses and bungalows of different ages. Older roofs may still have their original slates or clay tiles, with fixings and underlay that have done a long stint. Whether you’re buying or have just had the roof replaced, that hidden layer is worth knowing about. Older roofs frequently have bitumen felt under the coverings, as breathable membranes only arrived in the late 1990s.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Arborfield Garrison (RG2, RG40)
- Wider area
- Reading
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
Survey packages start from £150, including VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- Height and safe access
- Roof area
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Basic, Standard or Premium
Prices start from £150, with VAT included, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. You will know the exact price before booking.
What we need to know
You do not need to know any roofing terms. It’s enough to tell us:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- When you need the report by
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Arborfield Garrison?
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. It is often found in cement sheets, soffits and flue pipes. We don’t test for it or carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Blocked or leaking gutters
The streets around a church such as St Eligius are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Before you book anyone
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Are they insured for the work?
- Is VAT included in the price?
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Places near Arborfield Garrison
Also in Arborfield Garrison
Common questions in Arborfield Garrison
Is Arborfield Garrison within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. We work right across London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Is my home in Arborfield Garrison listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, if whoever owns or manages the building agrees access. We check the parts we’re given access to.
How quickly will I get the report?
It depends on the package: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Tell us your exchange date and we will help you choose.
Do you need to go inside the property?
Where possible, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and upstairs windows give useful views. Access is usually arranged through the agent or seller.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it applies and safe. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where applicable.
How long does the survey visit take?
It typically takes about one to two hours at most homes, and longer for a large or complex roof. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
Why act early in Arborfield Garrison
Once you exchange, the roof’s problems become yours. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. A survey after you’ve moved in tells you the same things, but too late to use them in the purchase. On a bungalow or cottage around Arborfield Garrison, the roof sits close to the rooms below, so water can show inside quickly once it gets past the covering. Finding the cause first saves a second job inside.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before you book.
What you get with us
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Take a look at our cost guide or our case studies.
What we do, step by step
We do not take risks to get a closer look. We inspect what can safely be seen, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. Most visits take about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Parking around Arborfield Garrison is typically easier than in a town centre, but mention lanes, gates or long drives. On bungalows and lower roofs, much can be seen from the ground, with the loft showing the underside, while taller roofs may need other vantage points or the drone where applicable.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed beforehand.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from the ground and from vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
Getting a price
We confirm the price for the job before booking, so you know the cost up front. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney stacks
We inspect the outside of the stack, not a flue, gas or sweep inspection. We will say if the flue needs a specialist.
Flat roofs
Repeated coatings on a flat roof can mask what’s underneath. We say when the covering would need opening up to know more.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Arborfield Garrison: local notes
Stratfield Saye House, about 4.8 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Arborfield Garrison. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead. If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
Landlords with a home close to Wokingham station may find that it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Arborfield Garrison is about 3 miles south-west of Wokingham, in Reading. We cover Arborfield Garrison and the rest of Reading. Arborfield Garrison is one of the towns and villages in Reading we cover. For surveys nearby, see our Reading page.
Surveys in RG2 and RG40 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Rowcroft Road, Lance Way and Infirmary Court or anywhere close by, we can help. If you are just outside Arborfield Garrison, we cover Langley Common (1 mile north), California (1 mile east), Barkham (1 mile north-east), Eversley (2 miles south) and Lower Common (2 miles south). We also work in nearby towns such as Caversham (7 miles north-west), Norcot (8 miles north-west), West Reading (6 miles north-west), Tilehurst Within (8 miles north-west), Shinfield (3 miles north-west) and Caversham Heights (8 miles north-west). Being one of Reading’s larger places, Arborfield Garrison has every kind of building, from houses and flats to offices.
Around Arborfield Garrison
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Shepperlands Farm Nature Reserve, The Bramshill Hunt pub and Farley Hill Primary School and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Wokingham station, roughly 3.2 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include Wokingham Hospital (3 miles north-east) and Beaumys Castle (3.6 miles west). Not far away are The Marshes Local Nature Reserve and Horseshoe Lake.