Buckinghamshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Ilmer
Get a clear view of the roof at a property in Ilmer. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Flashings that have lifted or split
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Ilmer
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. At that point you can still ask questions, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when the chain is moving fast. The report comes within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. We survey the roof space, chimney stacks and flat-roofed extensions and dormers, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are quick fixes on flashings and valleys and roof slopes that look uneven or sagging.
For a small place like Ilmer, the visit is planned like any other: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed ahead of time. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when booking, so the visit can be planned around them. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Visits can be booked on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
We keep jargon out of it: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, along with how urgent it is.
- Place
- Ilmer (HP27)
- Wider area
- Buckinghamshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Useful tips for Ilmer property owners
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Check we’ll be able to get into the loft space
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Request records of any re-roofing
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. The photos show the defects and where they are, so each quote covers the same ground.
After strong winds, look at the roof from the ground. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Dealing with them early keeps water out.
Places near Ilmer
Other services in Ilmer
FAQs for Ilmer
Is Ilmer in the area you cover?
Yes, Ilmer is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Ilmer as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
How do I find out if my home in Ilmer is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
What’s the best way to book?
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price and agree a day with you.
How soon is the report ready?
Premium reports arrive the same day, Standard reports within 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed with photos included.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It does not stand in for a RICS survey.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That gives you time to use the findings, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where possible, yes. We look in the loft space where there is safe access, and views from upper windows help too. Access is typically arranged through the agent or seller.
How the survey works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes between one and two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. You are welcome to ask questions while we’re there. Older roofs in small places like Ilmer can have low, tight loft spaces, so it is useful to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- 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 inspect the roof from the ground, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Preparing for the visit
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Keep pets in another room
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Getting a price
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Related advice
What we cannot see
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Ilmer
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Ilmer: local notes
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. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
Landlords with a home close to Monks Risborough station may find that a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Ilmer is about 4 miles east of Thame, in Buckinghamshire. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Ilmer for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings. Our area takes in places right across Buckinghamshire, large and small. You can also see our page for Oxford.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: HP27. If you’re just outside Ilmer, we cover Longwick (1 mile south-east), Holly Green (1 mile south), Forty Green (1 mile south), Owlswick (1 mile east) and Pitch Green (2 miles south). Further out, we also cover Aylesbury (6 miles north-east), High Wycombe (10 miles south-east), Chesham (12 miles east), Marlow (13 miles south), Amersham (13 miles east) and Beaconsfield (14 miles south-east).
What’s near Ilmer
For rail, the closest station is Monks Risborough station, about 2.5 miles east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Thame Community Hospital (3.6 miles west) and Great Kimble Dial Hill (3.4 miles east). The countryside around Ilmer includes Beacon Hill and Snakemoor.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Ilmer?
Chimneys take the worst of the weather and they’re often the least maintained part of a roof. Pointing crumbles, flaunching cracks and flashings lift. A stack may be shared with the neighbours, which matters if work is needed.
Look out for signs like these:
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Old water stains in the roof space
If you live in an older home near Church of St Peter, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Is VAT included in the price?
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Their insurance cover
Checking the roof from ground level
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
You can learn a lot from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Why get it checked now?
Without a survey, you’re relying on a glance from the pavement. That rarely shows the back slope, the valleys or the top of the chimney. We fill that gap before you are tied in, with photos of anything that needs attention. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Ilmer, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
We offer three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
What you get with us
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- A report with photographs
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
Take a look at our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.