Hampshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Hawkley, Hampshire
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you spend money on it. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Hawkley.
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Hawkley
Do you cover smaller places like Hawkley?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
How do I find out if my home in Hawkley is listed?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That way you can still act on what we find.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that in advance, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
How soon is the report ready?
Premium reports arrive the same day, Standard reports within 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed, with photographs.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You’ll have photos and a written description of each defect, which you can share with the seller or agent. How the seller responds is up to them.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Just say which days work for you.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Hawkley
A full home survey looks at the whole property, so the roof is one item among many. Our survey isn’t a RICS survey, and it doesn’t replace one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photographs of what we find and written recommendations. The two sit side by side if you want the fullest picture. If you’ve noticed old water stains in the roof space and blocked or leaking gutters, we can find out what’s behind it.
Somewhere as small as Hawkley, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings often sit beside a few newer homes. 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, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. 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 it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photograph where possible, and recommendations are put by urgency where it matters.
- Where
- Hawkley (GU33)
- Wider area
- Hampshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to Hawkley
More services for Hawkley
How the survey changes by roof type
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay and concrete tiles commonly last 50 years or more. We check for slipped, cracked and missing tiles, along with odd replacement tiles that hint at earlier leaks.
Lead flashings and valleys
Many older houses have lead in their valleys and hidden gutters. Splits in a lead valley send water inside, and missing lead is not unknown, as it’s a target for thieves.
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
Before you book, it’s worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll suggest the right survey. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
Local roofs and buyers in Hawkley
A number of Hampshire villages keep thatched roofs on their older buildings. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Landlords with a home close to Liss station may find that the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Hawkley is about 4 miles north of Petersfield, in Hampshire. In Hawkley, as across Hampshire, every roof gets the same careful survey. We cover towns and villages across Hampshire. There’s also a page for Portsmouth.
All of GU33 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Lower Green (1 mile north), Oakshott (1 mile south-west), Empshott (2 miles north), Steep Marsh (2 miles south) and Steep (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Havant (14 miles south), Horndean (11 miles south), Aldershot (15 miles north-east), Alton (7 miles north), Waterlooville (13 miles south) and Petersfield (4 miles south).
What’s near Hawkley
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Hawkley Inn. Hawkley’s nearest station is Liss station, roughly 2.1 miles south-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include The Romany Museum (2.7 miles north) and Petersfield Community Hospital (3.6 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Wheatham Hill and Liss Riverside Railway Walk South.
Useful tips for Hawkley property owners
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, which makes quotes easier to compare.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
How the survey works
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photographs as we go and record our findings for the written report. Most visits take between one and two 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 Hawkley, the journey is planned beforehand: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect what can safely be seen, inside and out.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- You get a report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Tell us about parking before the day
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Arrange a survey
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Related advice
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Hawkley
Slates and tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay that hold them. Natural slate can last 100 years or more, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. That kind of wear is common on older roofs.
We’re often asked to look at:
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Blocked or leaking gutters
Take an older house close to Church of St Peter and St Paul: the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What experience they bring
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Their insurance cover
What you can safely check yourself
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are frequently out of sight.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.