Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Little Frieth, Oxfordshire
Know where you stand with the roof before you decide what to do next. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Little Frieth.
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- A ridge or slope that dips
Pre-purchase roof survey in Little Frieth
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, so the roof is one item among many. We do not offer a RICS home survey, and ours isn’t a substitute for one. It adds a focused look at the roof on its own, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. The two sit side by side if you want the fullest picture. If you’ve noticed damp timbers or stains in the loft and patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Older buildings in small places like Little Frieth may be listed or in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you are buying or signing off new roofing, it is worth knowing where you stand. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. That way, it’s clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- Little Frieth (RG9)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
It’s worth sharing the report with your solicitor so they can raise enquiries with the seller’s side. Past repairs, re-roofing and any records of that work are all fair questions.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
The survey, step by step
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the roof space if there’s safe access. In total, it takes between one and two hours at most homes, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Older rural homes like those around Little Frieth can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Preparing for the visit
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
Getting a price
If you are buying, it’s useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form when you are ready.
Related advice
What we can’t see
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll point you to the right survey before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
Nearby places to Little Frieth
Other services in Little Frieth
What we are asked to look at in Little Frieth
Viewings rarely include a proper look at the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates, and a quick glance from the street misses a lot. Fresh decoration can also cover the marks an old leak left behind, so a closer look is worth having before you commit.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
Landlords with a home close to Marlow station may find that it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Questions to ask before you book
- Their insurance cover
- What experience they bring
- Their report turnaround times
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
DIY checks: what’s safe
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey.
Why it is worth a survey now in Little Frieth
Sellers are not always aware of roof problems. Their answers on the property forms only cover what they know about. Our survey shows you the roof as it is today. For an older or listed building in a place like Little Frieth, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it’s urgent leaves less time to plan.
One thing that affects the price is the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all inc. VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Why book with us
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
See what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Little Frieth
Is drone flying allowed in Little Frieth?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. Wycombe Air Park is about 3 miles away, so we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before any flight. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Little Frieth?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that in advance, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
How long does the survey visit take?
It normally takes about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days when booking.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
Little Frieth homes and their roofs
Older buildings in west Oxfordshire often have Cotswold stone slate roofs, and some Oxfordshire villages still have thatch. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. Stonor Park, about 3.1 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Little Frieth. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead.
Take an older house close to Church of St John the Evangelist: the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Little Frieth is about 4 miles north-west of Marlow, in Oxfordshire. We cover Little Frieth and the rest of Oxfordshire, as part of our work across London and South East England. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Little Frieth and the places around it. Our Reading page covers surveys nearby.
Every address in RG9 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Whether your property is on Innings Road and Spurgrove Lane or anywhere close by, we can help. We also cover the places around Little Frieth: Frieth (1 mile south-east), Fingest (1 mile north-west), Bolter End (1 mile north), Cadmore End (1 mile north) and Lane End (1 mile north-east). We also work in nearby towns like Thame (11 miles north-west), Henley-on-Thames (6 miles south), Benson (11 miles west), Chinnor (7 miles north), Tilehurst (13 miles south-west) and Wallingford (12 miles west).
What’s near Little Frieth
Typical jobs here are in homes near Yew Tree pub. Little Frieth’s nearest station is Marlow station, about 4.7 miles south-east of the centre. A little further out are High Wycombe Castle (5 miles east) and Marlow Community Hospital (4.4 miles south-east). For a walk, there’s Yoesden.