Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Kennington, Oxfordshire
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat around Kennington, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Kennington: what you get
Many older houses carry decades of roof repairs. Slates slip when their nails corrode, lead valleys and flashings wear, and chimney pointing crumbles. Little of that is easy to judge from the pavement on a viewing. We look closely and record what we see, with photos so you can see it for yourself. We explain each finding in plain English, so it is clear what it means for your purchase. We survey lead flashings and valleys, clay and concrete tiles and flat-roofed extensions and dormers, and common reasons people get in touch are cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing and old water stains in the roof space.
Around Kennington, you’ll mostly find houses and bungalows of different ages. In older homes, the slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay holding them. Whether you’re buying or have just had the roof replaced, that hidden layer is worth knowing about. Breathable membranes only appeared in the late 1990s, so older roofs often have bitumen felt or nothing at all.
The report records the roof as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Where
- Kennington (OX1, OX14)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Surveys for landlords and agents in Kennington
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, from shops and offices to industrial units. Bigger roofs take more time, and they’re priced for the size.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with the building owner or managing agent. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
What affects the price in Kennington
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
All our prices include VAT. Prices start from £150, including VAT. We confirm the exact price before booking.
Getting in touch
When you call or email, these details help:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Anything about access we should know
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- The property’s address and postcode
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details.
Can I check my roof myself?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Kennington
The wider area around Kennington has a long history of building, with Holywell Manor about 3.1 miles north. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead. West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
For landlords with property near Radley station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Kennington is about 3 miles south of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Kennington can all book pre-purchase roof surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Kennington is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys.
All of OX1 and OX14 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys. Streets in the area include Simpsons Way, The Avenue and Liddiard Close, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Sandford-on-Thames (1 mile east), Littlemore (1 mile north-east), Redbridge (1 mile north), Hinksey Hill (1 mile north-west) and Bayworth (1 mile west). Further out, we also cover Oxford (3 miles north), Didcot (7 miles south), Bicester (14 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (3 miles south-west), Witney (12 miles north-west) and Carterton (15 miles west).
Local landmarks in Kennington
In Kennington, that means homes and buildings near The Oxford Academy, Emmanuel Christian School and The Tandem pub, among other places. The closest station to Kennington is Radley station, roughly 1.8 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Templars Square (1.9 miles north-east) and Oxford Castle and earlier settlement remains (2.9 miles north). Not far away are Lashford Lane Fen and Harcourt Hill.
How the survey works
The aim of the visit is simple: to look at the roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photographs go into the written report. The visit normally takes between one and two hours at a typical home, and longer for a large or complex roof. Being in a smaller place like Kennington does not change how the visit works: we look from ground level, from windows, from the loft and from the roof where it is safe. Point out any stains, cracks or loose pieces you’ve spotted.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- 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 loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
Arrange a survey
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will explain the options and the price.
Related advice
Places near Kennington
Other services in Kennington
When to book a survey in Kennington
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. It’s frequently found in cement sheets, soffits and flue pipes. 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 makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near St Swithun's Church, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- What the survey won’t cover
- What happens after the report arrives
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Will the report include photos?
Before and after the survey
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Tell us your exchange date when you book
- Check we’ll be able to get into the loft space
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
Your report arrives by email, with photographs of what we found. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Findings are set out in plain English, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
Look in the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Kennington
Do you cover smaller places like Kennington?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Kennington?
Yes, Kennington is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. It is a dedicated roof survey, with a written report and photographs. It does not cover the rest of the property, which a RICS survey does.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It’s included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain does not normally stop a survey, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so if conditions aren’t right we’ll arrange another day with you.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
The visit usually takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. We will give you an idea of timing when you book.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.