Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Godstow
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Godstow. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
Honest limits
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- A structural engineer’s report
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll point you to the right survey before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Godstow
With a written roof report, you can go back to the seller or agent with specifics. You might ask about past repairs, ask for work to be done before completion or think again about your offer. What the seller agrees to is up to them, but you will be asking from facts rather than guesses. It can also help you decide whether the purchase is still right for you. We are often asked to look into flashings that have lifted or split and slipped or missing slates and tiles, across clay and concrete tiles, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and the roof space.
In a village or hamlet like Godstow, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
The report is written in plain words, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Photographs show what each point refers to, and recommendations are put with the most urgent first where relevant.
- Location
- Godstow (OX2)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but the nails holding it corrode long before that. Slipped or missing slates are a sign of ‘nail fatigue’, and we note how widespread it looks.
Lead flashings and valleys
Many older houses have lead in their valleys and hidden gutters. Worn or cracked lead lets water straight into the roof, and missing lead is not unknown, as it’s a target for thieves.
Common questions in Godstow
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Godstow?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Is Godstow within the area you cover?
Yes, Godstow is covered. We work right across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That gives you time to use the findings, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Do you need to go inside the property?
Ideally, yes. We look in the roof space where there is safe access, and upstairs windows give useful views. Access is normally arranged through the agent or seller.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
They do different things. A home survey looks at the whole property, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Godstow: local notes
With Holywell Manor about 2.7 miles south-east, Godstow sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. 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.
The streets around a church such as Church of All Saints are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them. If you let a flat or house near Oxford Parkway station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Godstow is about 3 miles south of Kidlington, in Oxfordshire. If you’re in Godstow, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Our Oxfordshire coverage includes Godstow.
Surveys in OX2 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Other places close to Godstow include Wolvercote (1 mile north-east), Binsey (1 mile south), Sunnymead (1 mile east), Summertown (1 mile east) and North Oxford (1 mile east). Within a short drive, we also cover Oxford (4 miles south-east), Didcot (12 miles south), Bicester (10 miles north-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles south), Witney (8 miles west) and Carterton (13 miles west).
Near you in Godstow
In Godstow, that means homes and buildings near St Edward's School, Oxford Academy and St Hugh's College Main Building Including Library and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Oxford Parkway station, about 1.9 miles north-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Radcliffe Infirmary (2.1 miles south-east) and Clarendon Shopping Centre (2.6 miles south-east). Open spaces near Godstow include Hook Meadow and The Trap Grounds and Harcourt Hill.
What a survey costs
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. The main factors are:
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Roof area
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- The shape of the roof and its details
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, access and the package you choose.
Helping us price your survey
When you call or email, these details help:
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Anything about access we should know
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before you book.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Godstow
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed beforehand. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Letting agents and landlords in Godstow book surveys as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photographs, useful for planning maintenance.
Can I check my roof myself?
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That part is for a survey.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Nearby places to Godstow
Also in Godstow
How it works
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photos, emailed to you. As for time on site, most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours for a house, and more on a big or complicated roof. Older roofs in small places like Godstow can have low, tight loft spaces, so it is useful to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Before we arrive
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Book a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.