Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Headington, Oxfordshire
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Headington, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Old water stains in the roof space
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
What we cannot see
To be straight with you, there are limits to any roof survey:
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Headington
With a written roof report, you can go back to the seller or agent with specifics. You can ask about the roof’s history, ask for repairs before completion or rethink the price. We can’t say how a seller will respond, but you’ll be negotiating from a clear picture rather than a hunch. It also helps you decide whether to go ahead at all. If you’re worried about damp timbers or stains in the loft and blocked or leaking gutters, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In a smaller place like Headington, homes are mostly houses and bungalows, from older cottages to more recent builds. Older roofs may still have their original slates or clay tiles, with fixings and underlay that have done a long stint. For a purchase or a newly replaced roof, what’s under the coverings matters as much as what’s on top. Older roofs frequently have bitumen felt under the coverings, as breathable membranes only arrived in the late 1990s.
The report does not just list problems. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Place
- Headington (OX3)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near Headington
What else we do in Headington
The survey, step by step
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you need to know. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen. The survey normally takes about one to two hours at a typical home; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Homes around Headington often have gardens on more than one side, which gives us room to step back and see the roof. Mention any side of the property we can’t get to. Inside, the loft is looked at where it can be reached safely.
- You book once your offer is accepted and tell us the address and your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We look at the roof from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Before we arrive
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Booking a survey
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Related advice
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Headington: local notes
Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Historic houses such as Holywell Manor, about 1.6 miles west, show how far back building in the area around Headington goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
The streets around a church such as St Andrew's Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Headington is about 1 mile north-east of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. Headington is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and the South East. Our Oxfordshire coverage includes Headington and the places around it.
Every address in OX3 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Whether your property is on Upway Road, Osler Road and Beech Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. Other places close to Headington include Northway (1 mile north-west), Headington Quarry (1 mile south-east), Headington Hill (1 mile south-west), New Marston (1 mile west) and Oxford (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cover Didcot (11 miles south), Bicester (10 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles south-west), Witney (12 miles west), Thame (10 miles east) and Wantage (15 miles south-west).
What’s near Headington
We work in homes and buildings around White Hart Inn, Bury Knowle Park and Cheney School, among other places. Other local landmarks include Headington Rye Oxford (0.7 miles south-west), English Faculty Library (1.6 miles west) and Holy Trinity Church (0.8 miles south-east). The closest station to Headington is Oxford station, about 2.6 miles west. A little further out are Rumble Museum (0.9 miles south-west) and Churchill Hospital (less than half a mile west). For a walk, there is CS Lewis Nature Reserve and Headington Hill.
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and which survey you book.
What we need to know
There’s no need for technical words. It is enough to let us know:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- What made you get in touch
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To get started, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Headington
Landlords and agents in Headington book surveys as well as householders. A written report with photos gives you a clear record of the roof, useful for planning maintenance.
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it as you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
When to book a survey in Headington
Gutter problems often look minor from the street. Overflowing water soaks walls and can rot the timber behind. Valley and parapet gutters can overflow inside the house. They’re part of what we check.
Common reasons to book include:
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
Landlords with a home close to Oxford station may find that a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
Headington questions
Is Headington within the area you cover?
Yes, Headington is covered. We work right across London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it’s useful to know about access.
Is Headington in the area you cover?
Yes, Headington is within the area we cover. We survey roofs across London and the South East. Just ring 07833 053749 or email us and let us know about the property.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs, with 98% customer satisfaction.
Does someone need to be in?
That depends on the survey. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
It is your choice, but the two do different jobs. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Our survey complements a RICS survey and doesn’t replace one.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We do not sample or test for asbestos. Where a material might contain it, like old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It is a roof survey by an experienced roof surveyor, with a written report and photos. It does not cover the rest of the property, which a RICS survey does.
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead-lined valleys and gutters are common on older homes in London and the South East. Worn or cracked lead lets water straight into the roof, and missing lead is not unknown, as it is a target for thieves.
Flat roofs
Flat roofs on extensions, dormers and garages are easy to forget about. Felt roofs frequently last around 15 to 20 years, rubber longer and GRP up to about 30. We look for signs of age and failure.