Hampshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Cowplain, Hampshire
Not sure what state the roof is in? You can book a pre-purchase roof survey in Cowplain and across Hampshire, with plain-English findings.
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
Tips from our surveys
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. The photos show the defects and where they are, so each quote covers the same ground.
Every so frequently, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Take photos so you can show whoever looks at it.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Cowplain
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, so the roof is one item among many. We do not offer a RICS home survey, and ours is not a substitute for one. It adds a focused look at the roof on its own, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. You can have both if you want the fullest picture. If you’ve noticed patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem and old water stains in the roof space, we can find out what’s behind it, on chimney stacks, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and gutters and downpipes alike.
Bungalows, chalet bungalows and older cottages are common in smaller places like Cowplain, and many have been extended or had dormers added. Even on a low roof, dormers, valleys and flat-roofed additions need a careful look. The same goes for a purchase or a new roof around Cowplain. Snags and wear both tend to show at dormer lead work and along flat-roof edges.
The report records the roof as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Location
- Cowplain (PO8, PO7)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Local roofs and buyers in Cowplain
Cowplain lies within about 4 miles of the sea, where wind off the sea can be strong. The weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead, as a small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour. 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. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
Warblington Castle lies about 4.5 miles south-east, so building around Cowplain goes back a long way. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area. For landlords with property near Rowlands Castle station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Cowplain is about 1 mile south-west of Horndean, in Hampshire. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Cowplain for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings. We cover towns and villages across Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. There is also a page for Portsmouth.
We survey roofs across PO8 and PO7 for pre-purchase roof surveys. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Milton Road, King's Road and London Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Other places close to Cowplain include Hart Plain (1 mile south-west), Waterlooville (1 mile south), Soake (1 mile west), Furzeley Corner (2 miles west) and Purbrook (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Gosport (9 miles south-west), Havant (3 miles south-east), Eastleigh (15 miles west), Fareham (8 miles south-west), Hedge End (12 miles west) and Petersfield (8 miles north-east).
What’s near Cowplain
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Cowplain School. Cowplain’s nearest station is Rowlands Castle station, about 3 miles east. A little further out are Havant Museum (3.9 miles south-east) and Havant War Memorial Hospital (3.5 miles south-east). Open spaces near Cowplain include Windmill Hill and Southmoor Nature Reserve.
Places near Cowplain
Other services in Cowplain
What happens if roof problems are left?
Without a survey, you are relying on a glance from the pavement. That will not show slipped slates on the rear slope, a worn valley or cracked flaunching. We fill that gap before you’re tied in, with photos of anything that needs attention. Arranging work in a smaller place like Cowplain is easier with notice than in an emergency. A survey gives you that notice.
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Cowplain
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
How it works
The visit normally starts outside and finishes in the loft: outside views come first, then the loft space if there’s safe access. All told, expect about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. In a smaller place like Cowplain, parking is seldom the issue; lanes, gates and long drives are worth mentioning. On bungalows and lower roofs, much can be seen from ground level, with the loft showing the underside, while taller roofs may need other vantage points or the drone where it applies.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Before we arrive
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
Booking a survey
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Cowplain questions
Will you come out to Cowplain?
Yes. Cowplain is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
Is the coastal weather around Cowplain hard on roofs?
It can do. Within about 4 miles of the sea, as Cowplain is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, if whoever owns or manages the building agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That way you can still act on what we find, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Do you go up on the roof?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the roof space, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where it applies.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS 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’s where a roof survey helps. It does not stand in for a RICS survey.
What a survey costs
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- The roof’s overall size
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, including VAT.
Getting in touch
Before you get in touch, it helps to have:
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and give us a few details about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
When to book a survey in Cowplain
Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. We do not carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before work starts.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
The streets around a church such as The Hart Plain Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Before booking anyone
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Will the report include photos?
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
DIY checks: what’s safe
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.