Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Headington Hill
An experienced roof surveyor for pre-purchase roof surveys in Headington Hill. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us across London and South East England.
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
Pre-purchase roof survey in Headington Hill: what you get
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, with the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check. Premium goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where it applies and a same-day report. Choose the level that suits the home you are buying. All three include a report with photographs and recommendations. We survey natural slate, clay and concrete tiles and the roof space, and common reasons people get in touch are roof slopes that look uneven or sagging and ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof.
In a smaller place like Headington Hill, some houses face open ground, so their roofs may take more wind and driving rain. Ridges, verges and flashings are where that weather usually shows first. Whether you are buying or signing off new work, those edges deserve a close look. Wind lifts anything already loose, so a small fault on an exposed roof does not stay small for long.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Place
- Headington Hill (OX3, OX4)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Useful tips for Headington Hill property owners
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, and the Premium Survey includes an in-person consultation. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
Keep the loft ventilated. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air can’t flow.
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
Our packages start from £150, inc. VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, from £400 with VAT included. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
What we need to know
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- The property’s address and postcode
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- When you need the report by
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will explain the options and the price.
What we can’t see
Before booking, it is worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
FAQs for Headington Hill
Do you cover Headington Hill?
Yes, Headington Hill is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Will you come out to Headington Hill?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We survey roofs across London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Where it is safe, yes. Much of the inspection is done from ground level, from windows and from the roof space. On Premium, a drone is used where it applies.
Are you insured?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and details are available on request.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We do not carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
Do you need to go inside the property?
If it can be arranged, yes. From the roof space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If access isn’t possible, we note it in the report.
What we look for on each type of roof
Clay and concrete tiles
Many post-war houses have concrete interlocking tiles. They wear slowly, but surfaces erode and edges crack.
Natural slate
Slate is common on Victorian and Edwardian houses. We look for slates that have slid, cracked or gone, plus the metal clips that show earlier patching.
How it works
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the roof space if there’s safe access. All told, expect about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Parking around Headington Hill is usually easier than in a town centre, but mention lanes, gates or long drives. On bungalows and lower roofs, much can be seen from ground level, with the loft showing the underside, while taller roofs may need other vantage points or the drone where it applies.
- 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.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from the ground and from vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations before you exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
Booking a survey
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form when you’re ready.
Related advice
Local roofs and buyers in Headington Hill
If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
If you live in an older home near All Saints' Church, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges. If you let a flat or house near Oxford station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. Holywell Manor, about 1 mile west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Headington Hill. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area.
Headington Hill is about 1 mile north-east of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. We survey roofs in Headington Hill and the rest of Oxfordshire, as part of our work across London and South East England. Headington Hill is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys.
All of OX3 and OX4 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys. Streets in the area include Gipsy Lane, Grays Road and Beech Road, all of which we cover. If you’re just outside Headington Hill, we cover Oxford (1 mile south-west), New Marston (1 mile north-west), St Clement's (1 mile south-west), Headington (1 mile north-east) and Northway (1 mile north). Within a short drive, we also cover Didcot (10 miles south), Bicester (11 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (6 miles south-west), Witney (12 miles west), Thame (11 miles east) and Wantage (14 miles south-west).
Near you in Headington Hill
In Headington Hill, that means homes and buildings near Headington Hill Park, White Horse pub and English Faculty Library, among other places. You’ll also find Headington Rye Oxford (under half a mile north-east), Holy Trinity Church (1.2 miles east) and St Michael's CofE Primary School (0.5 miles west). For rail, the closest station is Oxford station, about 1.9 miles west. Well-known places in the area include Clarendon Shopping Centre (1.5 miles west) and Oxford Castle (1.6 miles west). For a walk, there is CS Lewis Nature Reserve and Shotover.
What you can safely check yourself
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That is where a survey comes in.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.