Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Kidlington, Oxfordshire
Need a pre-purchase roof survey in Kidlington? We can help, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
How the survey works
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings as a photo-illustrated written report, sent to you by email. As for time on site, most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, and more on a big or complicated roof. In a smaller place like Kidlington, as anywhere, the forecast plays a part: the parts that need calm, dry weather are planned around it.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Before the survey
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Keep pets in another room
Booking a survey
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Kidlington, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. A few details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Related advice
Pre-purchase roof survey in Kidlington: what you get
If you’re buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that is often not the individual flat owner. We look at as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. Where the building has a flat roof, it’s checked as far as access allows. If you’ve noticed old water stains in the roof space and chimney mortar that has eroded, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Houses in smaller places like Kidlington can stand more in the open than those in a built-up town, which can mean more wind and rain on the roof. Ridges, verges and flashings are where that weather normally shows first. Whether you are buying or signing off new work, those edges deserve a close look. On an exposed roof, a loose ridge or verge soon becomes a bigger job.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the coverings down to the gutters. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Where
- Kidlington (OX5)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Common roof problems in Kidlington
Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. We do not carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before work starts.
We’re often asked to look at:
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
Take an older house close to Church of St Mary: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Questions to ask before you book
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- How long the report takes to arrive
- What the survey will not cover
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
Common questions in Kidlington
Are there drone restrictions around Kidlington?
Normally it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. Oxford Airport is about 2 miles away, so we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before any flight. High wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Kidlington?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
How many surveys have you done?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that in advance, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Let us know your preferred days when booking.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling aren’t something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
What if it rains on the day?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. If the conditions aren’t right, we will talk to you about another date.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Kidlington
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Kidlington. For a price for a let property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photographs included.
Places near Kidlington
What else we do in Kidlington
Buying a home or a new roof in Kidlington
West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new. Oxford Airport is about 2 miles from Kidlington. Where the drone is part of the survey, the Drone Safety Map is checked for restrictions first.
For landlords with property near Oxford Parkway station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it. Blenheim Palace lies about 3.5 miles north-west, so building around Kidlington goes back a long way. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later.
Kidlington is about 5 miles north-west of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. Kidlington gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Kidlington is one of the places in Oxfordshire where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys.
Surveys in OX5 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on High Street, Sterling Road and Exeter Road. Being close to the A4260, Kidlington is simple for us to get to for pre-purchase roof surveys. Close by, we survey roofs in Gosford (1 mile south-east), Hampton Poyle (1 mile north-east), Islip (2 miles east), Bletchingdon (2 miles north) and Enslow (3 miles north). Larger places within reach include Oxford (5 miles south-east), Didcot (15 miles south), Bicester (8 miles north-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (10 miles south), Witney (9 miles west) and Carterton (14 miles west).
Landmarks near Kidlington
Around Kidlington, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Gosford Hill School and Red Lion pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Oxford Parkway station, roughly 1.3 miles south. Other landmarks nearby include Oxford Castle (4.9 miles south) and Acland Hospital (4.3 miles south). For a walk, there is Hook Meadow and The Trap Grounds.
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
Not every roof costs the same to survey, and it comes down to:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Roof area
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or email us and tell us about the roof. We will confirm the figure before booking.
Helping us price your survey
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. For a price or to book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
What we look for on each type of roof
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but the nails holding it corrode long before that. Slipped or missing slates are a sign of ‘nail fatigue’, and we note how widespread it looks.
Flat roofs
Many homes have a flat roof somewhere, frequently over an extension. Felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. We check how the covering is wearing.
When you need someone else
It is useful to know what a survey will not do before booking:
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in Kidlington
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes