Hampshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Beech
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Beech, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
Should I look at the roof myself first?
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That is where a survey comes in.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we check the roof.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Beech
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, and the roof is only one part of it. Our survey is not a RICS survey, and it doesn’t replace one. It adds a focused look at the roof on its own, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. The two sit side by side if you want the fullest picture. We survey chimney stacks, lead flashings and valleys and natural slate, and people most often book us about damp timbers or stains in the loft and slates or tiles that have slipped or gone.
Somewhere as small as Beech, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings frequently sit beside a few newer homes. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters, with a note and a photo for each point. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Place
- Beech (GU34)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your 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 a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
A survey is a proper look at the roof, but it can’t do everything. Its limits include:
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Asbestos testing of any kind
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Beech: local notes
If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. A number of Hampshire villages keep thatched roofs on their older buildings. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
Landlords with a home close to Alton station may find that a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in. Bentworth Hall lies about 1.5 miles west, so building around Beech goes back a long way. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area. Take an older house close to St Peter's: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Beech is about 2 miles west of Alton, in Hampshire. We visit Beech as part of our work across Hampshire. Our Hampshire coverage includes Beech and the places around it. We also survey roofs in Guildford.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: GU34. Local streets include Wellhouse Road, Medstead Road and King's Hill. We also cover Thedden (1 mile north-west), Wivelrod (1 mile west), Bentworth (2 miles north-west), Holt End (2 miles west) and New Copse (2 miles west). Larger places within reach include Basingstoke (9 miles north-west), Winchester (14 miles south-west), Farnborough (15 miles north-east), Fleet (12 miles north-east), Aldershot (13 miles north-east) and Petersfield (10 miles south).
Near you in Beech
The nearest railway station is Alton station, roughly 2.2 miles east. Nearby you’ll also find Barton Castle (4.3 miles west) and Alton Community Hospital (1.2 miles east). Open spaces near Beech include King's Hill.
What we do, step by step
Before we start, let us know why you’ve booked: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. Most visits take about one to two hours for most houses, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Cottages and farmhouses around Beech often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed ahead of time.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from the ground and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Before we arrive
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Find any records of previous roof work
Arrange a survey
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Read more
Useful tips for Beech property owners
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Let us know your exchange date when you book
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
It’s worth sharing the report with your solicitor so they can raise enquiries with the seller’s side. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it.
After strong winds, look at the roof from ground level. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Small repairs done quickly stop bigger problems later.
What else we do in Beech
What a survey costs
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before booking. This is what makes a difference:
- House, block, shop or office
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- The size of the roof
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
What to let us know when you contact us
Before you get in touch, it helps to have:
- Anything about access we should know
- What made you get in touch
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
If you are buying, it’s useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you are ready.
Beech questions
Is Beech within the area you cover?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Do you cover Beech?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
It’s your choice, but the two do different jobs. A home survey looks at the whole property, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. Buyers use the findings to ask questions, ask for repairs before completion or ask for a price change. What the seller agrees to is their decision, so we can’t promise any saving.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey seven days a week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Just tell us the days that suit you.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
Does someone need to be in?
That depends on the survey. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in.
How the survey changes by roof type
Gutters and parapets
A butterfly roof drains to a central valley gutter, normally to the back of the house. If the home you’re buying has one, that gutter and its outlet get a careful look.
Clay and concrete tiles
Older homes in the South East frequently have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles on some. Rotten pegs let tiles slide.