Isle of Wight · London and the South East
Hillway Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Not sure what state the roof is in? We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Hillway and across the Isle of Wight, with plain-English findings.
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
Before and after the survey
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
With Standard, you get a follow-up consultation, while Premium includes a consultation in person. 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. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents so air can move.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Hillway
Many older houses carry decades of roof repairs. Corroded nails let slates slide, valley linings wear thin and chimney mortar erodes. Most of it cannot be seen from the street. We look closely and record what we see, with photos so you can see it for yourself. Each finding is explained in plain words, so you know what it means for the house you’re buying. We are often asked to look into chimney mortar that has eroded and flashings that have lifted or split, across the roof space, gutters and downpipes and natural slate.
Some older homes in villages like Hillway are listed or sit in a conservation area. That can affect what materials a new roof may use, so check with the council and Historic England’s list. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it’s worth knowing which applies. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t.
- Where
- Hillway (PO35)
- Region
- Isle of Wight
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- A structural engineer’s report
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or email us and we will suggest the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
Why get it checked now?
After exchange, any roof defect is yours to deal with. Before it, you still have choices. A survey after you’ve moved in tells you the same things, but too late to use them in the purchase. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. That’s one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
To find out what your survey will cost, ring 07833 053749 or email us and let us know about the roof. We’ll confirm the figure before booking.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Hillway
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Surveys seven days a week
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
Read our cost guide or two real surveys.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Hillway
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too. Larger roofs take longer, and they’re priced for the size.
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf. Access is agreed with the tenant beforehand.
The survey, step by step
Before we start, tell us why you’ve booked: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. Most visits take about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Somewhere like Hillway needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Getting ready for the survey
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Keep pets in another room
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
How to book
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Read more
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Hillway
Is the coastal weather around Hillway hard on roofs?
Places near the sea get more wind and more salt in the air than inland, and both are hard on roofs. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, while strong wind lifts anything already loose.
Is Hillway within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Does someone need to be in?
Someone needs to let us in if we’re looking inside or in the loft. Access is agreed with you when booking.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
Do you need access inside the house?
Ideally, yes. We look in the loft space where there is safe access, and views from upper windows help too. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. You need the report before you exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and that’s where a roof survey helps. It doesn’t stand in for a RICS survey.
Also in Hillway
What we are asked to look at in Hillway
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. We do not test for it or carry out asbestos surveys, but we flag materials that might and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before work starts.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
If you live in an older home near Bembridge Methodist Church, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Questions to ask before you book
- Their report turnaround times
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Whether the price includes VAT
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Buying a home or a new roof in Hillway
Hillway is within about 1 mile of the coast, where wind off the sea can be strong. The weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead, as a small drone can’t fly safely in high wind or heavy rain. About 1.6 miles west lies Yaverland Manor, a reminder of how long the area around Hillway has been built on. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead.
If you own a rental within reach of Brading station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Hillway is about 4 miles south-east of Ryde, in the Isle of Wight. Roofs in Hillway get the same thorough look as anywhere else in the Isle of Wight. Hillway is one of the places in the Isle of Wight where we work. Our Portsmouth page covers surveys nearby.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: PO35. Whether your property is on Hillway Road and Jenny Streets Lane or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Bembridge (1 mile north-east), Foreland Fields (1 mile north-east), St Helens (2 miles north-west), Gaskins (2 miles north-west) and Yaverland (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Newport (9 miles west), Ryde (4 miles north-west), Cowes (11 miles north-west), Sandown (3 miles south-west), Shanklin (5 miles south-west) and Ventnor (7 miles south-west). For harder-to-reach addresses, the survey takes a little more planning, so let us know when you get in touch.
Landmarks near Hillway
Around Hillway, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Propeller Inn and Bembridge School. The nearest railway station is Brading station, roughly 1.8 miles west of the centre. A little further out are Sandown Castle (2.6 miles south-west) and Arthur Webster Memorial Hospital for Children (4.7 miles south-west). Open spaces near Hillway include Bembridge Down and Brading Marshes RSPB reserve.