Reading · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Emmer Green, Reading
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Emmer Green, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photos.
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
What you can safely check yourself
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That’s where a survey comes in.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are frequently out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Emmer Green
The roof is one of the most expensive parts of a home to repair, and one of the hardest for a buyer to see. Our pre-purchase roof survey gives you a careful look at it before you’re committed. We check the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, plus the loft where there is safe access. The findings come in a written report with photos. We survey gutters and downpipes, lead flashings and valleys and natural slate, and common reasons people get in touch are chimney mortar that has eroded and flashings that have lifted or split.
In a smaller place like Emmer Green, some houses face open ground, so their roofs may take more wind and driving rain. Loose ridge tiles, lifted coverings and tired flashings are the kind of things that show it. For a purchase or a new roof, those exposed edges are checked closely. Wind lifts anything already loose, so a small fault on an exposed roof doesn’t stay small for long.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the coverings down to the gutters, each with a short note and a photo. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Place
- Emmer Green (RG4)
- Wider area
- Reading
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
When we price a survey, we consider:
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Which survey package you book
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, how it can safely be seen and the package you choose.
Helping us price your survey
We’ll normally ask about:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The address and postcode of the property
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. For a price or to book, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Local roofs and buyers in Emmer Green
If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near St Barnabas Church Hall, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are. For landlords with property near Reading station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. Historic houses such as Mapledurham House, about 3.2 miles west, show how far back building around Emmer Green goes. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later.
Emmer Green is about 1 mile north-east of Caversham, in Reading. We survey roofs in Emmer Green and the rest of Reading. We cover towns and villages across Reading.
All of RG4 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Kiln Road, Grove Road and Barnes Road and the roads around them. Other places close to Emmer Green include Caversham (1 mile south-west), Caversham Park Village (1 mile east), Littlestead Green (1 mile north-east), Dunsden Green (1 mile north-east) and Chalkhouse Green (1 mile north-west). Larger places within reach include Norcot (3 miles south-west), Tilehurst Within (4 miles south-west), Shinfield (5 miles south), Arborfield Garrison (7 miles south), Horncastle (4 miles south-west) and Whitley Wood (5 miles south).
Around Emmer Green
Around Emmer Green, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The White Horse pub, Chiltern Nursery Nurse Training School and Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre. The nearest railway station is Reading station, roughly 1.7 miles south of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Broad Street Mall (2 miles south) and Royal Berkshire Hospital (2.2 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Sonning Hill and Fobney Island Wetland Reserve.
How the survey works
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. The whole visit typically takes between one and two hours at a typical home, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. With a bit of garden around a house, as there often is around Emmer Green, the roof can be viewed from several angles. Let us know if any side is fenced off or hard to reach. Inside, the loft is checked where it can be reached safely.
- You book once your offer is accepted and tell us the address and your timetable.
- We agree a time and how we’ll get in, including the loft.
- We look at the roof from ground level, from windows, from the loft space and from the roof where safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Keep pets in another room
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Booking a survey
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Emmer Green, ring 07833 053749 or email us. The address, the type of property and what you want to find out help us price the survey accurately.
Advice
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
A butterfly roof drains to a central valley gutter, usually to the back of the house. If the home you are buying has one, that gutter and its outlet get a careful look.
Clay and concrete tiles
Many post-war houses have concrete interlocking tiles. They wear slowly, but surfaces erode and edges crack, and low-pitched roofs need their laps to be right.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Sellers aren’t always aware of roof problems. The forms they complete only show what they’re aware of. Our survey shows you the roof as it is today, whatever anyone remembers. In an older home around Emmer Green, water from a roof defect can get into timber and plaster, which is far harder to put right than the roof fault itself.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. You will know the figure before booking.
Why us?
- Photos and a written report every time
- Visits on any day of the week
- 20+ years’ experience
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
See how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Emmer Green
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Emmer Green. For a price for a let property or a block, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant.
Nearby places to Emmer Green
More services for Emmer Green
Emmer Green: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Emmer Green is listed?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Will you come out to Emmer Green?
Yes. Emmer Green is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
It’s your choice, but the two do different jobs. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Our survey complements a RICS survey and does not replace one.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. What the seller agrees to is their decision.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. You need the report before you exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
When will the report arrive?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Let us know your exchange date and we’ll help you choose.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where possible, yes. We look in the loft space where there is safe access, and views from upper windows help too. Access is typically arranged through the agent or seller.