Southampton · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Bitterne, Southampton
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Bitterne, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Bitterne
Many older houses carry decades of roof repairs. Corroded nails let slates slide, valley linings wear thin and chimney mortar erodes. Most of it cannot be seen from the street. We look closely and record what we see, with photographs that show you exactly where. Each finding is explained in plain words, so it is clear what it means for your purchase. If you are worried about a ridge or slope that dips and old water stains in the roof space, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on chimney stacks, lead flashings and valleys and gutters and downpipes alike.
In a smaller place like Bitterne, homes are mostly houses and bungalows, from older cottages to more recent builds. Older roofs may still have their original slates or clay tiles, with fixings and underlay that have done a long stint. For a purchase or a newly replaced roof, what’s under the coverings matters as much as what’s on top. Older roofs often have bitumen felt under the coverings, as breathable membranes only arrived in the late 1990s.
The report is written in plain words, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Photographs show what each point refers to, and recommendations are put with the most urgent first where relevant.
- Where
- Bitterne (SO18, SO19)
- Region
- Southampton
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlord and commercial surveys in Bitterne
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed in advance. We survey seven days a week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it as you book and we will plan the survey around it.
How the survey works
The visit has one job: to look at the roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It normally takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Parking around Bitterne is typically 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.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe 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
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
How to book
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or send us an email, tell us about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
Tips from our surveys
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. What helps most:
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Let us know your timetable
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, while Premium includes a consultation in person. If anything in the report isn’t clear, ask us.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
Nearby places to Bitterne
What else we do in Bitterne
When to book a survey in Bitterne
Blocked or leaking gutters do damage that isn’t obvious at first. Overflowing water soaks walls and can rot the timber behind. Hidden gutters behind parapets or in roof valleys can send water indoors. We check them as part of the survey.
Here are some of the things we see frequently:
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
For landlords with property near Bitterne station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Before booking anyone
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Which limits apply to the survey
- When you’ll get the report
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
Checking the roof from ground level
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Questions from Bitterne
Will you come out to Bitterne?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Is my home in Bitterne listed or in a conservation area?
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.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it’s safe. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the roof space, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where it applies.
How experienced are you?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, over more than 20 years, and 98% of customers are satisfied.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a 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 that is where a roof survey helps. It isn’t a replacement for a RICS survey.
Are you insured?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it isn’t a RICS home survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Bitterne: local notes
Bitterne is within about 2 miles of the coast, and wind near the sea can be strong. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. With South Stoneham House about 1.8 miles north-west, Bitterne sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of the Holy Saviour, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Bitterne is about 1 mile east of Southampton, in Southampton. We cover Bitterne and the rest of Southampton, as part of our work across London and South East England. We cover towns and villages across Southampton, large and small.
We survey roofs across the SO18 and SO19 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. You’ll find streets like Bath Road, Ruby Road and Dean Road. Main roads around Bitterne include the A3024, so getting to you is simple. If you are just outside Bitterne, we cover Northam (1 mile west), Bitterne Park (1 mile north-west), Itchen (1 mile south-west), Midanbury (1 mile north) and Harefield (1 mile north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Shirley (3 miles west), Regents Park (3 miles west), Maybush (4 miles west), Coxford (4 miles west), Freemantle (3 miles west) and Lordswood (4 miles north-west).
Around Bitterne
Around Bitterne, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Itchen College, Riverside Park and St Mary's Independent School. For rail, the closest station is Bitterne station, roughly 0.7 miles north-west. Nearby you’ll also find Bitterne Local History Society Heritage And Research Centre (under half a mile north-west) and Marlands Shopping Centre (2 miles west). For a walk, there is Netley Common.
Why get it checked now?
The lender’s valuation is done for the lender, not for you. It looks at whether the property is suitable security for the loan, not at the condition of each slate and flashing. A roof survey is carried out for the buyer. Homes in smaller places like Bitterne can face more weather, so a loose ridge or verge soon lets rain in. Wind gets under it and lifts more.
All our prices include VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for the job before booking.
What you get with us
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
- An independent look at the roof
Read our cost guide or two real surveys.