Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Great Holcombe
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Great Holcombe. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
The survey, step by step
The visit has one job: to see as much of the roof as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. The visit usually takes roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. For a village or hamlet like Great Holcombe, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect whatever is safely visible, inside and out.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- We look at the roof from ground level, from windows, from the loft space and from the roof where safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
How to prepare
- Find any records of previous roof work
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
Book a survey
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email, tell us about the property and we’ll suggest the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
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How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Great Holcombe
We survey roofs for buyers in Great Holcombe and across London and the South East. From terraced and semi-detached homes to detached houses and flats, we follow the same careful process. The report says what’s in good order, what is not and what to deal with first. We are insured for professional indemnity and public liability, with more than 20 years’ experience behind us. To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Common reasons to book are gaps where slates or tiles have come loose and damp timbers or stains in the loft, across lead flashings and valleys, natural slate and gutters and downpipes.
Some older homes in villages like Great Holcombe are listed or sit in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you’re buying or signing off new roofing, it’s worth knowing where you stand. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Where
- Great Holcombe (OX10)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Natural slate
Good slate is one of the longest-lasting roof coverings, but the nails holding it corrode long before that. When slates start to slip, corroded nails are often the reason.
Lead flashings and valleys
Many leaks start at a flashing, so we check each one closely. We photograph any that need work.
Great Holcombe: your questions answered
Is Great Holcombe in the area you cover?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Is Great Holcombe within the area you cover?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Will you need to get into the loft?
If it can be arranged, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If access is not possible, we note it in the report.
Do I need to be at home?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We will talk about access when you book.
What if it rains on the day?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. We’ll rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
What insurance do you have?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
On site, it usually takes an hour or two at a typical home, and longer for a large or complex roof. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Great Holcombe
If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. About 3.8 miles north-west lies Garsington Manor, a reminder of how long the area around Great Holcombe has been built on. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs.
The streets around a church like Church of St Giles are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Great Holcombe is about 3 miles north of Benson, in Oxfordshire. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Great Holcombe for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings, with a written report and photographs every time. Our Oxfordshire coverage includes Great Holcombe and the places around it. There’s also a page for Oxford.
All of OX10 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Newington (1 mile north), Drayton St Leonard (1 mile west), Brookhampton (1 mile north), Stadhampton (1 mile north) and Berrick Salome (1 mile south-east). Further out, we also cover Oxford (8 miles north-west), Didcot (7 miles south-west), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles west), Thame (9 miles north-east), Wantage (14 miles west) and Henley-on-Thames (13 miles south-east).
Around Great Holcombe
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Catherine Wheel pub and the streets around them. Nearby you will also find Brightwell Castle (4 miles south-west) and Littlemore Hospital (5.8 miles north-west). The countryside around Great Holcombe includes Wells Farm and Wittenham Clumps.
What a survey costs
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- The size of the roof
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Which survey package you book
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package you pick makes a difference too. The price is always agreed first.
What we need to know
Before you get in touch, it helps to have:
- What’s prompted the survey
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The kind of building and roof involved
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price before booking.
Towns and villages near Great Holcombe
What else we do in Great Holcombe
Tips that help
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Check we will be able to get into the loft space
- Request records of any re-roofing
If the report shows work is needed, you can raise it with the seller or agent. Some buyers ask for repairs before completion, others ask for a change to the price. What happens next is your decision and the seller’s.
Keep the loft ventilated. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents so air can move.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Great Holcombe
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf. Access is agreed with the tenant in advance.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the survey around it.
Can I check my roof myself?
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.