Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Islip
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Islip, with photographs and a written report.
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
When you need someone else
A survey is a proper look at the roof, but it can’t do everything. Its limits include:
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will recommend the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Islip
Buyers in Islip and right across London and South East England use our pre-purchase roof survey. Whether it’s a terrace, a semi, a detached house or a flat, we follow the same careful process. We tell you what’s sound, what needs attention and how urgent it is. We’re insured for professional indemnity and public liability, with more than 20 years’ experience behind us. To book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. Typical surveys look at bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and slates or tiles that have slipped or gone, across the roof space, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and clay and concrete tiles.
Some older homes in villages like Islip are listed or sit in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it is worth knowing which applies, as well as what condition the roof is in. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
The report records the roof as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, such as when you want to compare after future work.
- Location
- Islip (OX5)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What else we do in Islip
How the survey works
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey normally takes roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Cottages and farmhouses around Islip frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from the ground and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a written report with photographs and recommendations before you exchange.
How to prepare
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Find any records of previous roof work
Book a survey
For a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Islip, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. The address, the type of property and what you want to find out help us give you an accurate price.
Advice
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Islip
Is Islip within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Is my home in Islip listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where we can, yes. From the roof space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If access is not possible, we note it in the report.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain is typically fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In high wind or heavy rain, a drone cannot fly and access may not be safe, and we’d agree another day.
How soon is the report ready?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Tell us your exchange date and we’ll help you choose.
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. Finding the cause at the survey stage means you know about it from day one. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, access and which survey you book.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Islip
- Package prices that include VAT
- 98% customer satisfaction
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- An independent view of the roof
Take a look at our cost guide or two real surveys.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Islip
The wider area around Islip has a long history of building, with Holywell Manor about 4.6 miles south. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. Older houses in the South East often 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 yours is one of the older homes in the streets near St Nicholas' Church, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Islip is about 5 miles north of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in Islip and the surrounding area. Our Oxfordshire coverage includes Islip.
We cover every part of the OX5 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We cover properties on High Street, King's Head Lane and Middle Way and the roads around them. Close by, we survey roofs in Gosford (2 miles south-west), Hampton Poyle (2 miles north-west), Kidlington (2 miles west), Bletchingdon (3 miles north-west) and Weston-on-the-Green (3 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Oxford (5 miles south), Didcot (15 miles south), Bicester (6 miles north-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (10 miles south), Witney (11 miles west) and Thame (12 miles south-east).
Near you in Islip
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Red Lion Inn and Gosford Hill School. There is a railway station in Islip itself: Islip station. Well-known places in the area include Churchill Hospital (4.1 miles south). Open spaces near Islip include Otmoor RSPB reserve and Headington Hill.
Checking the roof from ground level
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
What we are asked to look at in Islip
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. It is often found in cement sheets, soffits and flue pipes. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys, but we flag materials that might and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before work starts.
People normally book a survey after spotting one of these:
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
Landlords with a home close to Islip station may find that a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Which limits apply to the survey
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- How soon the report will arrive
- What insurance they carry
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- The roof’s overall size
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, with VAT included.
Helping us price your survey
The more you tell us, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, it’s useful to mention:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
Unsure which package suits your roof? It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will explain the options and the price.