Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Bow, Oxfordshire
Pre-purchase roof surveys across Bow, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Bow: what you get
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. At that point you can still ask questions, because nothing is binding yet. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which helps when the chain is moving fast. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. We survey gutters and downpipes, chimney stacks and lead flashings and valleys, and the problems we are asked to look at most are worn or lifted lead flashings and patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem.
For a small place like Bow, the visit is planned like any other: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when you book. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Visits can be booked on weekdays and at weekends.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Where
- Bow (SN7)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Bow
How do I find out if my home in Bow is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Is Bow within the area you cover?
Yes, Bow is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
How long does the survey visit take?
Allow between one and two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. We will confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
How many surveys have you done?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and that’s where a roof survey helps. It does not stand in for a RICS survey.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where possible, yes. We look in the roof space where there is safe access, and upstairs windows give useful views. Access is usually arranged through the agent or seller.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first, with the building owner or managing agent. Mention it when you contact us and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Roof by roof
Chimney stacks
Our chimney check is a visual one, not a flue, gas or sweep inspection. We will say if the flue needs a specialist.
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead flashings seal the joints where a roof meets a wall or chimney. We check whether they’ve lifted, split or been replaced with mortar or bitumen.
Nearby places to Bow
Also in Bow
What we cannot see
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- A structural engineer’s report
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
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. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Bow
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
What affects the price in Bow
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- Which survey package you book
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we’ll tell you which fits.
Helping us price your survey
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- When you need the report by
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Buying a home or a new roof in Bow
Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Historic houses like Longworth House, about 4.3 miles north-east, show how far back building in the area around Bow goes. 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 you live in an older home near Church of St Denys, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Bow is about 4 miles east of Faringdon, in Oxfordshire. We visit Bow as part of our work across Oxfordshire, for homes and businesses alike. We cover towns and villages across Oxfordshire, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Oxford.
Here we cover the SN7 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We cover properties on Chapel Road, High Street and Sheards Lane and the roads around them. Close by, we survey roofs in Stanford in the Vale (1 mile west), Hatford (1 mile north-west), Shellingford (2 miles west), Baulking (2 miles south-west) and Buckland (3 miles north). Further out, we also cover Oxford (14 miles north-east), Didcot (11 miles east), Abingdon-on-Thames (10 miles east), Witney (10 miles north), Carterton (10 miles north-west) and Wantage (5 miles south-east).
Near you in Bow
Around Bow, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Former Red Lion Public House and Holy Trinity Church, among other places. Nearby you’ll also find Faringdon Museum (3.8 miles west) and Faringdon Castle (3.4 miles north-west).
Leave it or get it looked at?
When a chain is moving fast, a roof survey can feel like one more delay. Weekend visits are available as well as weekdays, and a Premium report comes the same day, so it can fit around a tight timetable. For older village homes like those around Bow, the right replacement materials are not always easy to find quickly. That is one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why book us in Bow
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- A written report with photographs
Read how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
How the survey works
Every visit follows the same pattern: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and record our findings for the written report. Most visits take about one to two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Somewhere like Bow needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect what can be seen safely, 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.
- We check the roof from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Find any records of previous roof work
How to book
We confirm the price for your survey before you book, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Landlord and commercial surveys in Bow
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant, which helps when budgeting.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.