Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Ewelme
Need a pre-purchase roof survey in Ewelme? We can help, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Old water stains in the roof space
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Ewelme
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, including VAT. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check. Premium goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where applicable and a same-day report. Pick the one that fits the property. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. Common reasons to book are cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing and slates or tiles that have slipped or gone, on gutters and downpipes, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and the roof space.
Older buildings in small places like Ewelme 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 is worth knowing which applies, as well as what condition the roof is in. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
Findings are set out part by part, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets. You’ll see the good as well as the bad.
- Where
- Ewelme (OX10)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and make notes for the report. Most visits take an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Cottages and farmhouses around Ewelme often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- 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 every safe viewpoint, inside and out.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets in another room
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Book a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Landlords, agents and block managers in Ewelme
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, with the report sent to whoever needs it. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photographs, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
What this survey can’t tell you
Every survey has limits, and it is better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Ewelme
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The size of the roof
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how it can be reached and seen safely. Prices start from £150, including VAT.
Booking your survey
Before you get in touch, it helps to have:
- What made you get in touch
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
Unsure which package suits your roof? It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Ewelme
Is drone flying allowed in Ewelme?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. Ewelme is about 2 miles from RAF Benson, so the Drone Safety Map is checked for restrictions around it before we fly. High wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying, and the rest of the survey does not depend on the drone.
Is my home in Ewelme listed or in a conservation area?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do I need to be at home?
It depends on what we need to see. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in, while outside access can be discussed when booking.
What insurance do you have?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, like cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it is safe. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the roof space.
How long will you be at the property?
On site, it typically takes between one and two hours for most houses, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Tips that help
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
After you move in, keep the report somewhere safe. Work through the urgent items before anything else, and use the photos as a record of how the roof looked when you bought. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months to see how things have changed.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Ewelme
Patch repairs are common on roofs of every age. Bitumen over flashings, mortar fillets in place of lead and odd replacement tiles can point to a problem that keeps coming back. We note what we see so you can ask about it.
We’re frequently asked to look at:
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of St Mary, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Before booking anyone
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- What follow-up you get after the report
Buying a home or a new roof in Ewelme
Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. Historic houses such as Brightwell Manor, about 4.2 miles west, show how far back building in the area around Ewelme goes. 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.
Ewelme is about 8 miles east of Didcot, in Oxfordshire. Wherever you are in Ewelme, we can come and survey your property. Our Oxfordshire coverage includes Ewelme. Our Oxford page covers surveys nearby.
Here we cover the OX10 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. That includes homes and businesses on High Street, Parson's Lane and Burrows Hill and the roads around them. Close by, we survey roofs in Roke (2 miles north-west), Britwell Salome (2 miles north-east), Brightwell Baldwin (2 miles north), Watlington (3 miles north-east) and Chalgrove (3 miles north). Further out, we also cover Oxford (11 miles north-west), Didcot (8 miles west), Abingdon-on-Thames (10 miles north-west), Thame (10 miles north-east), Wantage (15 miles west) and Henley-on-Thames (9 miles south-east).
What’s near Ewelme
Around Ewelme, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Greyhound At Ewelme Public House, among other places. A little further out are Wallingford Castle (2.5 miles south-west). For a walk, there is Ewelme Watercress Beds and Wittenham Clumps.