Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Dry Sandford, Oxfordshire
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Dry Sandford, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
Dry Sandford homes and their roofs
The wider area around Dry Sandford has a long history of building, with Appleton Manor about 1.7 miles north-west. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters. If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Take an older house close to Church of St Helen: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them. For landlords with property near Radley station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Dry Sandford is about 2 miles north-west of Abingdon-on-Thames, in Oxfordshire. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Dry Sandford and nearby. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Dry Sandford.
We survey roofs across OX13 for pre-purchase roof surveys. Other places close to Dry Sandford include Cothill (1 mile south-west), Shippon (2 miles south-east), Frilford Heath (2 miles south-west), Tubney (2 miles south-west) and Marcham (2 miles south). We also work in nearby towns like Oxford (5 miles north-east), Didcot (7 miles south-east), Witney (9 miles north-west), Carterton (12 miles west), Thame (15 miles east) and Wantage (9 miles south-west).
Around Dry Sandford
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Merry Miller pub and Larkmead School and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Radley station, about 3.8 miles east of the centre. A little further out are FitzHarris Castle (2.5 miles south-east) and Abingdon Community Hospital (2.3 miles south-east). For a walk, there is Parsonage Moor and Cumnor Hill.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Dry Sandford
Older homes often have roofs that have been patched over the years. Corroded nails let slates slide, valley linings wear thin and chimney mortar erodes. Most of it cannot be seen from the street. Our survey picks it out, with photos so you can see it for yourself. We explain each finding in plain English, so it is clear what it means for your purchase. If you’re worried about slipped or missing slates and tiles and cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
In a village or hamlet like Dry Sandford, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
After the visit, you get a written report with photos, sent by email. It explains the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- Dry Sandford (OX13)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, access and the package you choose.
Booking your survey
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- What’s prompted the survey
- The property’s address and postcode
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Practical tips
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Let us know your timetable
You may want to pass the report to your solicitor or conveyancer so they can raise enquiries with the seller’s side. Past repairs, re-roofing and any records of that work are all fair questions.
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.
When you need someone else
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll point you to the right survey. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
Surveys for landlords and agents in Dry Sandford
Landlords, agents and building managers in Dry Sandford and across Oxfordshire can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.
The survey, step by step
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you’d like to know. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. Most surveys take an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Somewhere like Dry Sandford needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed ahead of time.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
How to prepare
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
Booking a survey
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Read more
How the survey changes by roof type
Natural slate
On a slate roof, the underlay may be old bitumen felt, or there may be none at all on very old roofs. From inside the loft space, we report what we can see of it.
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks, loose pots and eroded mortar are common findings. We photograph them so you can raise them before exchange.
Towns and villages near Dry Sandford
More services for Dry Sandford
Questions from Dry Sandford
Do you cover smaller places like Dry Sandford?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Dry Sandford?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That gives you time to use the findings.
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 we need permission from the freeholder or managing agent. We inspect only the parts we’re allowed to reach.
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’ll give you an idea of timing as you book.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime. Just say which days work for you.
How quickly will I get the report?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email, with photos.