Hampshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Bishop's Waltham
A careful look at the roof at your property in Bishop's Waltham, and put it all in a report with photographs.
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
What happens on the day
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes about 1–2 hours for most houses, and more on a big or complicated roof. Parking around Bishop's Waltham is usually easier than in a town centre, but mention lanes, gates or long drives. Low roofs on bungalows can often be seen well from ground level, and the loft shows the rest, while taller roofs may need other vantage points or the drone where it applies.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- 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’s safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before the survey
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
How to book
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Related advice
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Bishop's Waltham
Many older houses carry decades of roof repairs. Slates slip when their nails corrode, lead valleys and flashings wear, and chimney pointing crumbles. Most of it cannot be seen from the street. Our survey picks it out, with photos that show you exactly where. Each finding is explained in plain words, so it is clear what it means for your purchase. We survey chimney stacks, clay and concrete tiles and the roof space, and the problems we are asked to look at most are cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing and gutters that overflow or drip at the joints.
In a smaller place like Bishop's Waltham, some houses face open ground, so their roofs may take more wind and driving rain. Ridges, verges and flashings are where that weather typically shows first. Whether you are buying or signing off new work, those edges deserve a close look. On an exposed roof, a loose ridge or verge soon becomes a bigger job.
Where we can’t see part of the roof, the report says so. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Location
- Bishop's Waltham (SO32)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to Bishop's Waltham
Also in Bishop's Waltham
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Bishop's Waltham
Do you carry out roof surveys in Bishop's Waltham?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Bishop's Waltham?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and it’s safe, yes. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It’s a roof survey by an experienced roof surveyor, with a written report and photos. It isn’t a RICS survey and doesn’t cover the rest of the house.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. You need the report before you exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It does not stand in for a RICS survey.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years, across London and South East England.
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Whether timbers meet design loads
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer before you book. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
Why get it checked now?
A seller may honestly not know the state of the roof. Their answers on the property forms only cover what they know about. An independent look tells you how the roof is now, whatever anyone remembers. Tradespeople may need to travel further to a smaller place like Bishop's Waltham, so it is useful to plan roof work rather than call someone out in a hurry. A survey gives you that notice.
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. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you’d like to know.
Why us?
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- PI and public liability insurance
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
Common roof problems in Bishop's Waltham
The fixings and underlay often fail before good slates or tiles do. Natural slate can last 100 years or more, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. That kind of wear is common on older roofs.
Most people get in touch after spotting one of these:
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Old water stains in the loft space
For landlords with property near Botley station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Which limits apply to the survey
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether you get a written report with photos
Bishop's Waltham homes and their roofs
If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. A number of Hampshire villages keep thatched roofs on their older buildings. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
The streets around a church such as Church of St Peter are often among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Bishop's Waltham is about 5 miles north-east of Hedge End, in Hampshire. We survey roofs in Bishop's Waltham and the rest of Hampshire, as part of our work across London and the South East. Our area takes in places right across Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. Our Southampton page covers surveys nearby.
Every address in SO32 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on High Street, St Georges's Square and Station Road and the roads around them. You’ll find Bishop's Waltham on the B2177 and B3035, so it is easy for us to get to. Other places close to Bishop's Waltham include Ashton (1 mile north), Waltham Chase (2 miles south), Durley Street (2 miles west), Wintershill (2 miles west) and Upham (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Winchester (8 miles north-west), Gosport (11 miles south), Havant (12 miles south-east), Eastleigh (6 miles west), Fareham (7 miles south) and Horndean (9 miles east).
What’s near Bishop's Waltham
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Swanmore College of Technology and The Crown Hotel. For rail, the closest station is Botley station, about 3.3 miles south-west of the centre. A little further out are Bishop's Waltham Museum (under half a mile south-west) and Moorgreen Hospital (5.1 miles west). For a walk, there’s Bishops Waltham Branch LNR and Beacon Hill.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Bishop's Waltham
Landlords and agents in Bishop's Waltham book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photos.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
What we look for on each type of roof
Natural slate
Good slate is one of the longest-lasting roof coverings, but the nails holding it corrode long before that. When slates start to slip, corroded nails are often the reason.
Chimney stacks
A stack stands exposed above the roof line. The pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings are all checked, as far as we can see them safely.