Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Little Heath, Oxfordshire
Find out the condition of the roof at your property in Little Heath. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Little Heath
If you are buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that’s frequently not the individual flat owner, with costs often passed on through the service charge. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. Typical surveys look at flashings that have lifted or split and cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing, on natural slate, chimney stacks and clay and concrete tiles.
Houses in smaller places like Little Heath can stand more in the open than those in a built-up town, which can mean more wind and rain on the roof. Loose ridge tiles, lifted coverings and tired flashings are the kind of things that show it. For a purchase or a new roof, those exposed edges are checked closely. 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, with a note and a photo for each point. It records what’s sound as well as what is not.
- Location
- Little Heath (RG31, RG30)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Questions from Little Heath
How do I find out if my home in Little Heath 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, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Little Heath?
Yes, Little Heath is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Little Heath as anywhere else.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Where it’s safe, yes. We inspect from ground level, from windows and vantage points, from the loft and from the roof itself where safe. The Premium Survey adds a drone inspection where it applies.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first, with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you get in touch and we will plan the survey around it.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You’ll have photos and a written description of each defect, which you can share with the seller or agent. We cannot promise how the seller will respond.
How long will you be at the property?
Allow about one to two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. We’ll confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones can’t fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. We’ll rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
Before and after the survey
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
With the findings in hand, you can talk to the seller or their agent. Some buyers ask for repairs before completion, others ask for a change to the price. The outcome is between you and the seller, and we can’t promise any result.
Check the roof from the garden and the street after a storm. Slipped slates, lifted ridge tiles and debris on the ground are signs to act on. Small repairs done quickly stop bigger problems later.
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’.
Gutters and parapets
Hidden gutters behind parapets send water indoors when they block. Where we can see them safely, we check the linings and outlets.
What happens on the day
We will ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. The inspection then 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. With a bit of garden around a house, as there often is around Little Heath, the roof can be viewed from several angles. Let us know if any side is fenced off or hard to reach. Inside, the loft is checked where it can be reached safely.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Preparing for the visit
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Arrange a survey
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Checking the roof from the ground
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.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Also near Little Heath
Also in Little Heath
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Landlords, agents and building managers in Little Heath and across Oxfordshire can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
We survey roofs for landlords and letting agents as well as householders. A written report with photos gives you a clear record of the roof.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Little Heath
West Oxfordshire’s older buildings frequently carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. The covering on a house you are buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest. Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
Mapledurham House lies about 2 miles north-east, so building around Little Heath goes back a long way. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area. Take an older house close to St Catherine of Siena: ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges. If you let a flat or house near Tilehurst station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Little Heath is about 3 miles west of Reading, in Oxfordshire. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Little Heath and nearby. Little Heath is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire we cover.
All of RG31 and RG30 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on City Road, Kiln Lane and Back Lane or anywhere close by, we can survey it. We also cover the places around Little Heath: Tilehurst (1 mile east), Sulham (1 mile north-west), Tilehurst Within (1 mile east), Calcot (1 mile south) and Norcot (1 mile east). We also work in nearby towns such as Didcot (13 miles north-west), Henley-on-Thames (8 miles north-east), Benson (11 miles north), Wallingford (10 miles north), Great Western Park (14 miles north-west) and Watlington (13 miles north).
Local landmarks in Little Heath
Around Little Heath, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Fox and Hounds pub, Calcot Park and Little Heath School. Little Heath’s nearest station is Tilehurst station, roughly 1.4 miles north-east. Other landmarks nearby include Broad Street Mall (3.4 miles east) and Battle Hospital (2.5 miles east). Not far away are Moor Copse Nature Reserve and Hosehill Lake.
Why get it checked now?
Sellers aren’t always aware of roof problems. The forms they complete only show what they’re aware of. Our survey shows you the roof as it is today, whatever anyone remembers. In a smaller place like Little Heath, wherever a roof is exposed, a loose ridge or flashing does not stay loose for long. Wind gets under it and lifts more.
For a price for your roof in Little Heath, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Little Heath
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- 20+ years’ experience
- Plain-English reports with photos