Buckinghamshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Coombe, Buckinghamshire
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you spend money on it. Pre-purchase roof surveys in Coombe, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Coombe
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. That is when the findings are most useful, while you’re not yet committed. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when a sale is moving quickly. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Typical surveys look at damp timbers or stains in the loft and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs, on chimney stacks, lead flashings and valleys and the roof space.
Some older homes in villages like Coombe are listed or sit in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it is worth knowing which applies. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
It is not only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend.
- Where
- Coombe (HP17)
- Wider area
- Buckinghamshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Coombe: your questions answered
Do you cover smaller places like Coombe?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
How do I find out if my home in Coombe 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.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
It normally takes about one to two hours on an ordinary house, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so the freeholder or managing agent needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It’s a dedicated roof survey, and you get a written report with photos. It does not cover the rest of the property, which a RICS survey does.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Only where it’s safe. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where applicable.
Buying a home or a new roof in Coombe
If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. What can be done to an older roof may depend on listing or a conservation area. Your council and Historic England’s list will tell you where you stand, ideally before any re-roofing is planned.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Peter and St Paul, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Coombe is about 5 miles south of Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire. We survey roofs in Coombe and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Our Buckinghamshire coverage includes Coombe and the places around it. You can also see our page for Oxford.
We work across the HP17 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. If you’re just outside Coombe, we cover Butler's Cross (1 mile north), Ellesborough (1 mile north-west), Chalkshire (1 mile north), Terrick (1 mile north) and Nash Lee (1 mile north). Within a short drive, we also cover Aylesbury (5 miles north), High Wycombe (8 miles south), Chesham (8 miles east), Marlow (12 miles south), Amersham (9 miles south-east) and Beaconsfield (11 miles south-east).
Around Coombe
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to John Colet School and The Russell Arms and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Little Kimble station, about 1.3 miles west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Little Kimble Motte (1 mile west) and Trenchard Museum (3.1 miles north-east). The countryside around Coombe includes Brush Hill Local Nature Reserve and Coombe Hill.
What happens on the day
The visit usually starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. In total, it takes about one to two hours at a typical home, and longer for a large or complex roof. Somewhere like Coombe needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. 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.
- 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 report with photographs and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
How to book
Booking is simple: just call 07833 053749 or email us and give us a few details about the property and we will recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Read more
What this survey can’t tell you
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we check
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
Useful tips for Coombe property owners
Most of what helps is simple and safe from the ground. Our suggestions:
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. The photos show the defects and where they are, which makes quotes easier to compare.
Keep the loft ventilated. Condensation in a roof space can look like a leak and can damage timbers over time. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents so air can move.
When to book a survey in Coombe
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. A felt roof frequently lasts around 15 to 20 years, and ponding, blisters and splits are common signs of age. A buyer can easily miss them, especially when they’re only visible from an upper floor.
Look out for signs like these:
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
If you own a rental within reach of Little Kimble station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Before you book anyone
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- How soon the report will arrive
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
Leave it or get it looked at?
Leaving it means judging the roof from the street. That rarely shows the back slope, the valleys or the top of the chimney. A survey fills that gap before you commit. Around Coombe, older homes often have old roof timbers, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it’s left.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, including VAT, and we’ll tell you which fits.
Why us?
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- Clear package prices, including VAT
- Photos and a written report every time
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Read what a roof survey costs and our case studies.
For landlords and managing agents
Landlords, agents and building managers in Coombe and across Buckinghamshire can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Larger roofs take longer.