Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Goring Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Know where you stand with the roof before you decide what to do next. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Goring, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
What you can safely check yourself
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.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we check the roof.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Goring
A roof report gives you something solid to take back to the seller or the agent. 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 negotiating from a clear picture rather than a hunch. It can also help you decide whether the purchase is still right for you. Typical surveys look at bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and signs of past leaks inside the loft, across flat-roofed extensions and dormers, the roof space and natural slate.
Around Goring, you’ll mostly find houses and bungalows of different ages. In older homes, the slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay holding them. Whether you are buying or have just had the roof replaced, that hidden layer is worth knowing about. Older roofs often have bitumen felt under the coverings, as breathable membranes only arrived in the late 1990s.
What you get is a clear record of the roof on the day we saw it. It’s useful straight away, and a good reference for later.
- Where
- Goring (RG8)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. We take close-ups from wherever is safe, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. A visit to a smaller place like Goring is no different on the day: we look from the ground, from windows, from the loft and from the roof where it’s safe. Point out any stains, cracks or loose pieces you’ve spotted.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- Jot down any questions you want answered
How to book
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can ring 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
Related advice
Buying a home or a new roof in Goring
West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new. Basildon Park, about 1.8 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Goring. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you let a flat or house near Goring & Streatley station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Goring is about 8 miles south-east of Didcot, in Oxfordshire. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Goring and the surrounding area. Goring is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. Reading is in our area too.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: RG8. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on High Street, Station Road and Upper Red Cross Road and the roads around them. Close by, we survey roofs in Streatley (1 mile west), Elvendon (1 mile east), Lower Basildon (2 miles south), South Stoke (2 miles north) and Moulsford (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Didcot (8 miles north-west), Abingdon-on-Thames (12 miles north-west), Wantage (13 miles west), Henley-on-Thames (10 miles east), Grove (14 miles north-west) and Benson (7 miles north).
Around Goring
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Queens Arms, among other places. Goring has its own railway station: Goring & Streatley station. The countryside around Goring includes Withymead Nature Reserve.
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roofs
Repeated coatings on a flat roof can mask what’s underneath. We record what we can see and say where a closer look is needed.
Natural slate
Older slate roofs often have bitumen felt under them, and very old ones may have none. From inside the loft space, we report what we can see of it.
Goring questions
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Goring?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Is Goring within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We work right across London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there as you book.
Do you need access inside the house?
Ideally, yes. We look in the roof space where there is safe access, and upstairs windows give useful views. Access is typically arranged through the agent or seller.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. It is a dedicated roof survey, with a written report and photographs. It isn’t a RICS survey and doesn’t cover the rest of the house.
What insurance do you have?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it is applicable. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
When will the report arrive?
Premium reports arrive the same day, Standard reports within 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email with photos included.
Tips from our surveys
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
It’s worth sharing the report with your solicitor so questions can go to the seller’s solicitor. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it.
After strong winds, look at the roof from the ground. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Small repairs done quickly stop bigger problems later.
When you need someone else
It is a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will point you to the right survey. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Goring
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- How big the roof is
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Building height and the viewpoints available
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
Helping us price your survey
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Goring, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. Some details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.