Buckinghamshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Ickford
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat around Ickford, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
What happens on the day
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the loft space if there’s safe access. In total, it takes about one to two hours for most houses; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Somewhere as small as Ickford, access is frequently the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Getting a price
We confirm the price for your roof before you book, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
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About our pre-purchase roof survey in Ickford
A full home survey looks at the whole property, so the roof is one item among many. We don’t offer a RICS home survey, and ours isn’t a substitute for one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. You can have both. Common reasons to book are worn or lifted lead flashings and chimney mortar that has eroded, across gutters and downpipes, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and clay and concrete tiles.
Somewhere as small as Ickford, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings often sit beside a few newer homes. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Location
- Ickford (HP18)
- Region
- Buckinghamshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- 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
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Ickford
Is my home in Ickford listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you cover smaller places like Ickford?
Yes, we do. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Do you need to go inside the property?
Where we can, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If access isn’t possible, we note it in the report.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with 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.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. We will rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
How do I book a survey in Ickford?
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us the address and what you’d like to know. We will confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Buying a home or a new roof in Ickford
If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. Thatch survives on some older buildings in Buckinghamshire’s villages. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones 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.
Boarstall Tower, about 4.5 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Ickford. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later.
Ickford is about 4 miles west of Thame, in Buckinghamshire. Anywhere in Ickford, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our area takes in places right across Buckinghamshire, large and small. We also survey roofs in Oxford.
Here we cover the HP18 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on Church Road, Golder's Close and Sheldon Road or a nearby road, we can help. Close by, we survey roofs in Little Ickford (1 mile south-east), Worminghall (1 mile north-west), Draycott (1 mile south), Shabbington (1 mile east) and Tiddington (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover Aylesbury (11 miles east), Elmhurst (12 miles north-east), Southcourt (11 miles east), Princes Risborough (10 miles east), Haydon Hill (10 miles north-east) and Turnfurlong (12 miles east).
Local landmarks in Ickford
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Royal Oak pub, among other places. Other landmarks nearby include Thame Community Hospital (4 miles east) and Waterperry Gardens Rural Museum (1.4 miles south-west). Open spaces near Ickford include Bernwood Meadows.
Useful tips for Ickford property owners
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
- Ask for loft access on the day
You may want to pass the report to your solicitor or conveyancer so they can raise enquiries with the seller’s side. Past repairs, re-roofing and any records of that work are all fair questions, particularly where we’ve found patch repairs.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
What we can’t see
Our survey isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will point you to the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
When to book a survey in Ickford
Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999. It’s frequently found in cement sheets, soffits and flue pipes. We do not carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
Look out for signs like these:
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
If you live in an older home near Parish Church of St Nicholas, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Will the report include photos?
Different roofs, different checks
Natural slate
Many older homes in London and South East England have slate roofs. We check for slipped, cracked and missing slates, and for clips or tingles that show past repairs.
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks, loose pots and eroded mortar are common findings. We note them with photos so you can ask about them.
Leave it or get it looked at?
A slow leak can go unnoticed for months. By the time a stain shows, timber or plaster may already be damp. Spotting it before you buy lets you deal with it as soon as you move in. Around Ickford, older homes often have old roof timbers, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it’s left.
Price depends partly on the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all with VAT included. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
Why us?
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Surveys seven days a week
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Photos and a written report every time
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or two real surveys.