West Berkshire · London and the South East
Earlstone Common Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Earlstone Common, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Earlstone Common
Some roofs cannot be seen well from ground level or from windows. Our Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and, where it applies, a drone inspection, along with a same-day report. Where a flight isn’t possible, because of airspace rules or the weather, we tell you and look from ground level, windows and the loft instead. We survey clay and concrete tiles, the roof space and gutters and downpipes, and people most often book us about sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes and slates or tiles that have slipped or gone.
Older buildings in small places like Earlstone Common may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials a new roof may use, so check with the council and Historic England’s list. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it’s worth knowing which applies, as well as what condition the roof is in. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, and where it can wait, that’s said too.
- Place
- Earlstone Common (RG20)
- Wider area
- West Berkshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips from our surveys
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Tell us your exchange date when booking
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, while Premium includes a consultation in person. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
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. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
Places near Earlstone Common
What else we do in Earlstone Common
Should I look at the roof myself first?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Honest limits
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Earlstone Common
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
Hidden gutters behind parapets send water indoors when they block. We look at their linings and outlets from wherever is safe.
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead-lined valleys and gutters are common on older homes in London and the South East. Worn or cracked lead lets water straight into the roof, and lead is also a target for theft.
Earlstone Common homes and their roofs
About 2.6 miles south-west lies Highclere Castle, a reminder of how long the area around Earlstone Common has been built on. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of the Ascension, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges. If you let a flat or house near Newbury station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Earlstone Common is about 3 miles south of Newbury, in West Berkshire. From houses to flats and shops in Earlstone Common, the roof can be surveyed. We cover towns and villages across West Berkshire, from the larger towns to small villages. Reading is in our area too.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in RG20 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Close by, we survey roofs in Burghclere Common (1 mile north), Burghclere (1 mile south-west), Newtown Common (1 mile north), Wash Water (2 miles north-west) and Sandleford (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Newbury (3 miles north), Thatcham (4 miles north-east), Burghfield Common (12 miles east), Speenhamland (4 miles north), Hungerford (9 miles north-west) and Spencers Wood (15 miles east).
Landmarks near Earlstone Common
We work in homes and buildings around Burghclere Primary School, Horris Hill School and Sandleford Priory, among other places. Earlstone Common’s nearest station is Newbury station, roughly 3 miles north. Nearby you’ll also find Old Chapel Textile Centre (2.2 miles north-east) and West Berkshire Community Hospital (3.8 miles north). Not far away are Beacon Hill and Audrey's Meadow.
What we do, step by step
We look at the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the loft space too. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey normally takes about one to two hours for most houses; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. For a village or hamlet like Earlstone Common, the journey is planned in advance: tell us 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 choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- 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.
Getting ready for the survey
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
Arrange a survey
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: ring 07833 053749 or email us, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Advice
Surveys for landlords and agents in Earlstone Common
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer, and they’re priced for the size.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out by urgency where it matters.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Earlstone Common
How do I find out if my home in Earlstone Common is listed?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Will you come out to Earlstone Common?
Yes, Earlstone Common is covered. We work right across London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
How do I book a survey in Earlstone Common?
Simply call 07833 053749 or email us with the address. We will ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date.
What insurance do you have?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. It’s a dedicated roof survey, with a written report and photographs. It does not cover the rest of the property, which a RICS survey does.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
When will the report arrive?
It depends on the package: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your timetable when booking.