Hampshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Fareham, Hampshire
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Fareham, with photos and a written report.
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Fareham
Tall, steep or hidden roofs are hard to judge from the street. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, plus a drone inspection where it applies, and the report arrives the same day. Where a flight isn’t possible, because of airspace rules or the weather, we tell you and inspect from every other safe vantage point. Typical surveys look at slipped or missing slates and tiles and blistered or split felt on a flat roof, on natural slate, chimney stacks and the roof space.
In a town the size of Fareham, most homes are houses rather than flats, so the roof usually belongs to the property you are buying or paying for. That makes a roof defect a cost that falls on you: it’s better to know about it before exchange or before the final payment than afterwards. A written report with photos gives you specific points to raise with the seller or the roofer.
The report doesn’t just list problems. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend.
- Place
- Fareham (PO16, PO14, PO15, SO31)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
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.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
Nearby places to Fareham
Also in Fareham
What this survey can’t tell you
Before booking, it is worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will point you to the right survey. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- The roof space
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Fareham: local notes
Fareham is within about 2 miles of the coast, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, and loose ridges, slates and tiles are the first to lift in a gale. Some Hampshire villages still have thatched roofs. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
For an older house near a landmark such as St John The Evangelist, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Fareham is about 10 miles south-east of Southampton, in Hampshire. Surveys in Fareham work the same way as everywhere we cover: a proper look at what can safely be seen, photographs and a clear written report. Our area takes in places right across Hampshire, large and small. We also survey roofs in Portsmouth.
Surveys in PO16, PO14, PO15 and SO31 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Delme Square, High Street and Brookmeadow, and we cover them all. Fareham sits on or near the A27 and A32. Other places close to Fareham include Fareham Common (1 mile east), Wallington (1 mile east), North Fareham (1 mile north-east), Peel Common (2 miles south) and Welborne (2 miles north). Further out, we also cover Winchester (15 miles north), Gosport (4 miles south-east), Havant (9 miles east), Eastleigh (10 miles north-west), Horndean (9 miles north-east) and Totton (14 miles west). Fareham is among the bigger towns we cover in Hampshire.
Local landmarks in Fareham
We work in homes and buildings around Wykeham House School, The Lord Arthur Lee pub and Fareham Academy and the streets around them. There is a railway station in Fareham itself: Fareham station. Nearby you’ll also find Carron Row Farm Museum (1.7 miles west) and Knowle Hospital (2 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Portsdown Hill and West of the River Alver.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Fareham
How do I find out if my home in Fareham is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Fareham, take more of a battering?
It can do. Fareham is within about 2 miles of the sea, and coastal roofs tend to see faster wear on metal parts and more wind lifting loose pieces.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That gives you time to use the findings.
Do you go up on the roof?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys.
Can I use the report to negotiate on price?
Yes. Buyers use the findings to ask questions, ask for repairs before completion or ask for a price change. What the seller agrees to is their decision.
Does someone need to be in?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. Access is agreed with you when you book.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Fareham
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work with less disruption.
What happens on the day
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the loft space if there’s safe access. All told, expect about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. In Fareham, many roofs join a neighbour’s, so we check what can be seen of the shared parts from your side. It helps to know about previous repairs, leaks or recent work, so time on site goes where it is needed.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We check the roof from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- We email a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
Booking a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or send us an email whenever suits you.
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Common roof problems in Fareham
Rear extensions, dormers and garages frequently have flat roofs. Felt flat roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, and standing water, blisters and splits are typical signs of ageing. They’re easy to overlook on a viewing, particularly when they’re only visible from an upper floor.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Flashings that have lifted or split
For landlords with property near Fareham station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Questions to ask before booking
- How long the report takes to arrive
- What experience they bring
- Are they insured for the work?
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
Practical tips
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
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.
Check the roof from the garden and the street after a storm. Slipped slates, lifted ridge tiles and debris on the ground are signs to act on. Small repairs done quickly stop bigger problems later.