Hampshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Houghton, Hampshire
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Houghton, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Get in touch for a price.
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
For landlords and managing agents
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf, with the report sent to whoever needs it. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Letting agents and landlords in Houghton book surveys as well as homeowners. A photo-illustrated written report gives you a clear record of the roof, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Houghton: what you get
A Basic Survey starts from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, including VAT. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check. Premium adds thermal imaging, a drone inspection where applicable and an in-person consultation. Choose the level that suits the home you’re buying. All three include a written report with photos and recommendations. We are frequently asked to look into patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem and signs of past leaks inside the loft, across natural slate, clay and concrete tiles and gutters and downpipes.
Older buildings in small places like Houghton may be listed or 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 is worth knowing which applies. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Houghton (SO20)
- Wider area
- Hampshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Leave it or get it looked at?
Plenty of buyers go ahead anyway, but with their eyes open. You’ll know which jobs are urgent and which can wait, so you can plan work before small faults get bigger. Older and listed buildings around Houghton may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why book us in Houghton
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Surveys seven days a week
- Clear package prices, including VAT
Take a look at our cost guide and our case studies.
What we do, step by step
The visit has one job: to look at the roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photographs go into the written report. It usually takes about one to two hours at most homes, and more on a big or complicated roof. Somewhere like Houghton needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. 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.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed beforehand.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Getting a price
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email whenever suits you.
Read more
Local roofs and buyers in Houghton
A number of Hampshire villages keep thatched roofs on their older buildings. Older houses in the South East frequently have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Mottisfont Abbey, about 3.2 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Houghton. If you’re buying an older home nearby, it is worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing. For an older house near a landmark such as Church of All Saints, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Houghton is about 6 miles north of Romsey, in Hampshire. Bookings from Houghton are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Houghton is one of the towns and villages in Hampshire we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. Our Southampton page covers surveys nearby.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in SO20 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Kents Orchard, Houghton Farm Close and Stevens Drove, and we cover them all. Other places close to Houghton include Horsebridge (1 mile south-east), Broughton (2 miles west), Stonymarsh (3 miles south), Mottisfont (3 miles south) and Michelmersh (4 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Winchester (9 miles east), Eastleigh (11 miles south-east), Andover (9 miles north), Totton (12 miles south), Chandler's Ford (9 miles south-east) and Hedge End (15 miles south-east).
Near you in Houghton
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Boot Inn, among other places. The nearest railway station is Mottisfont & Dunbridge station, roughly 3.8 miles south of the centre.
Common roof problems in Houghton
Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. We don’t test for it or carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before work starts.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
Landlords with a home close to Mottisfont & Dunbridge station may find that a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Before booking anyone
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Their track record with similar roofs
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
What this survey cannot tell you
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- 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. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
What you can safely check yourself
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That is where a survey comes in.
Houghton: your questions answered
Will you come out to Houghton?
Yes, Houghton is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Houghton?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Houghton as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. What the seller agrees to is their decision, so we can’t promise any saving.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, if the freeholder or managing agent agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
What insurance do you have?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and details are available on request.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and it is safe, yes. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We are a CAA-registered drone operator.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a 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 our survey gives you that closer look. It isn’t a replacement for a RICS survey.