Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Black Bourton, Oxfordshire
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Black Bourton, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Black Bourton
A full home survey looks at the whole property, so the roof is one item among many. 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 photographs of what we find and written recommendations. You can have both. If you are worried about flashings that have lifted or split and blistered or split felt on a flat roof, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
For a small place like Black Bourton, the visit is planned like any other: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed in advance. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Whether you’re buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Visits can be booked seven days a week.
After the visit, you get a report with photographs, emailed to you. It sets out the condition of the roof, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Location
- Black Bourton (OX18)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Honest limits
No survey can tell you everything, and it is better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll suggest the right survey before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
Your report arrives by email, with photos of what we found. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Findings are set out in plain English, and recommendations are ranked by urgency where that helps.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Black Bourton
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer, and they’re priced for the size.
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks, loose pots and eroded mortar are common findings. We note them with photos so you can ask about them.
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but the nails holding it corrode long before that. When slates start to slip, corroded nails are frequently the reason.
More services for Black Bourton
How it works
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, inspect the roof from each safe vantage point, photograph what we find and make notes for the report. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Somewhere like Black Bourton needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect whatever is safely visible, inside and out.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from each safe vantage point, inside and out.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Arrange a survey
For a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Black Bourton, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us price the survey accurately.
Read more
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Black Bourton
Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. Older houses in the South East frequently have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. Black Bourton is about 1 mile from RAF Brize Norton. If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
Historic houses like Kelmscott Manor, about 4.2 miles south-west, show how far back building around Black Bourton goes. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later. The streets around a church such as Church of St Mary the Virgin are often among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Black Bourton is about 2 miles south of Carterton, in Oxfordshire. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Black Bourton and the surrounding area. We cover towns and villages across Oxfordshire. There’s also a page for Oxford.
We survey roofs across the OX18 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on Station Road, Burford Road and Mill Lane and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Clanfield (2 miles south), Weald (2 miles south-east), Bampton (2 miles east), Carterton (2 miles north) and Brize Norton (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Oxford (15 miles east), Abingdon-on-Thames (14 miles east), Witney (5 miles north-east), Wantage (12 miles south-east), Grove (11 miles south-east) and Faringdon (6 miles south).
Around Black Bourton
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Vines pub and Carterton Community College and the streets around them. Well-known places in the area include Bronze Age Bowl Barrow (less than half a mile south-west) and Longworth Hospital (5.4 miles south).
Black Bourton questions
Is my home in Black Bourton listed or in a conservation area?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Is Black Bourton within the area you cover?
Yes, Black Bourton is covered. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
It is your choice, but the two do different jobs. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It’s included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes, you can. You will have photos and a written description of each defect, which you can share with the seller or agent. How the seller responds is up to them.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where we can, yes. From the loft space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If we can’t get in, the report says so.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Small roof defects let water in slowly. By the time a stain shows, timber or plaster may already be damp. Finding the cause at the survey stage lets you deal with it as soon as you move in. In a small place like Black Bourton, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
All our prices include VAT. Prices start from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for your roof before booking.
What you get with us
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Surveys seven days a week
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- 5,000+ surveys completed
See what a roof survey costs and our case studies.