West Berkshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Headley, West Berkshire
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you decide what to do next. Pre-purchase roof surveys in Headley, with photos and a clear written report.
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
Pre-purchase roof survey in Headley: what you get
If you’re buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. Depending on the lease, roof repairs may fall to the building owner or a management company, with costs often passed on through the service charge. We look at as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. Where the building has a flat roof, it’s checked as far as access allows. Typical surveys look at lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney and blistered or split felt on a flat roof, across lead flashings and valleys, the roof space and gutters and downpipes.
Being in a small place like Headley makes no difference to the inspection itself: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Whether you’re buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- Headley (RG19)
- Region
- West Berkshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the loft space if there’s safe access. In total, it takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Older rural homes like those around Headley can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- The roof is inspected from every safe vantage point, inside and out.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Getting a price
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To get started, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Read more
DIY checks: what’s safe
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. Don’t go up yourself.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Headley: local notes
Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. The wider area around Headley has a long history of building, with Shaw House about 4.4 miles north-west. 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 a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Peter, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Headley is about 3 miles south of Thatcham, in West Berkshire. Roofs in Headley get the same thorough look as anywhere else in West Berkshire. Across West Berkshire, we cover Headley. Reading is in our area too.
Here we cover the RG19 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We cover properties on Ashford Hill Road, Thornford Road and Harrow Drive and the roads around them. Other places close to Headley include Mill Green (1 mile east), Plastow Green (1 mile south-east), Heads Hill (1 mile north-west), Goose Hill (1 mile east) and Bishop's Green (1 mile west). Larger places within reach include Newbury (4 miles north-west), Thatcham (3 miles north), Burghfield Common (9 miles east), Speenhamland (4 miles north-west), Hungerford (12 miles west) and Spencers Wood (12 miles east).
Around Headley
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to New Greenham Park. For rail, the closest station is Thatcham station, roughly 2.3 miles north of the centre. Nearby you will also find West Berkshire Community Hospital (3.5 miles north-west) and Old Chapel Textile Centre (1.4 miles north-west). Not far away are Thatcham Reed Beds and Ladle Hill.
Places near Headley
Other services in Headley
Tips from our surveys
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Tell us your exchange date when you book
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, so each quote covers the same ground.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- A structural engineer’s report
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
Common roof problems in Headley
The fixings and underlay often fail before good slates or tiles do. Good slate can last well over a century, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. It’s a frequent finding on older houses and easy to miss from ground level.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- A ridge or slope that dips
If you let a flat or house near Thatcham station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Is VAT included in the price?
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- When you will get the report
Headley questions
Is Headley within the area you cover?
Yes, Headley is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Is Headley in the area you cover?
Yes, Headley is within the area we cover. Our area covers London and South East England. Just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the property.
How soon is the report ready?
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.
How long does the survey visit take?
Allow about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. We’ll give you an idea of timing when booking.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where applicable.
What’s the best way to book?
It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. Give us the address and some details about the roof, and we will take it from there. Surveys run on any day of the week.
Roof by roof
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, yet the nails that fix it frequently give out first. When slates start to slip, corroded nails are often the reason, and we note how widespread it looks.
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay and concrete tiles commonly last 50 years or more. We check for slipped, cracked and missing tiles, and for mismatched replacements that point to past repairs.