Buckinghamshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Long Crendon and the rest of Buckinghamshire. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
How the survey changes by roof type
Clay and concrete tiles
Older homes in the South East often have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles on some. Rotten pegs let tiles slide, so we look for gaps along the courses.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings are a common source of leaks, so we look at each one closely. Any that need attention are photographed and explained.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Long Crendon
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. That’s when the findings are most useful, while you’re not yet committed. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when the chain is moving fast. The report comes within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. We are often asked to look into gutters choked with leaves and moss and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs, across lead flashings and valleys, the roof space and chimney stacks.
In a smaller place like Long Crendon, some houses face open ground, so their roofs may take more wind and driving rain. Loose ridge tiles, lifted coverings and tired flashings are the kind of things that show it. Whether you are buying or signing off new work, those edges deserve a proper look. On an exposed roof, a loose ridge or verge soon becomes a bigger job.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Where
- Long Crendon (HP18)
- Wider area
- Buckinghamshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in Long Crendon
Is my home in Long Crendon listed or in a conservation area?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Will you come out to Long Crendon?
Yes, Long Crendon is covered. We work right across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
Does the weather affect the survey?
A survey can usually go ahead in light rain, 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 we’ll agree a new date if the weather isn’t suitable.
How long does the survey visit take?
It usually 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. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Do I need to be at home?
It depends on what we need to see. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
They do different things. A home survey looks at the whole property, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
DIY checks: what’s safe
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.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are frequently out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Long Crendon
Before planning roof work on an older home, find out whether it is listed or in a conservation area. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area. Where the drone is part of the survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
The streets around a church like Church of St Mary are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Long Crendon is about 2 miles north-west of Thame, in Buckinghamshire. Long Crendon gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Long Crendon is one of the towns and villages in Buckinghamshire where we work. There’s also a page for Oxford.
Surveys in HP18 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on High Street, The Square and Giffard Way or anywhere close by, we can help. If you’re just outside Long Crendon, we cover Chearsley (2 miles north-east), Thame (2 miles south-east), Moreton (3 miles south), Haddenham (3 miles east) and Cuddington (3 miles north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Aylesbury (8 miles east), High Wycombe (15 miles south-east), Buckingham (15 miles north), Elmhurst (9 miles north-east), Southcourt (8 miles east) and Princes Risborough (8 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Long Crendon
In Long Crendon, that means homes and buildings near Lord Williams's School and The Eight Bells Public House. The closest station to Long Crendon is Haddenham & Thame Parkway station, roughly 2.3 miles east. Other landmarks nearby include Dinton Castle (4.7 miles east) and Thame Community Hospital (2.4 miles south-east). Not far away are Snakemoor.
Why act early in Long Crendon
A mortgage valuation isn’t a roof survey. It looks at whether the property is suitable security for the loan, not at the condition of each slate and flashing. A roof survey is carried out for the buyer. Blocked gutters on homes around Long Crendon overflow and soak walls. Dealing with the cause is simple; drying out a wall is not.
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, including VAT, and we’ll tell you which fits.
Why book us in Long Crendon
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- 20+ years’ experience
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Other services in Long Crendon
Tips that help
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Tell us your exchange date when booking
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
It is worth sharing the report with your solicitor so questions can go to the seller’s solicitor. Past repairs, re-roofing and any records of that work are all fair questions.
After strong winds, look at the roof from ground level. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Dealing with them early keeps water out.
The survey, step by step
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, like when any problem began and what work has been done before. The inspection then takes roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. A visit to Long Crendon is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed ahead of time. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. Let us know about any garages, outbuildings or extensions you want included.
- 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
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
Book a survey
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
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When to book a survey in Long Crendon
Rear extensions, dormers and garages frequently have flat roofs. A felt roof often lasts around 15 to 20 years, and ponding, blisters and splits are common signs of age. A buyer can easily miss them, because many can only be seen from an upstairs window.
Most people get in touch after spotting one of these:
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Flashings that have lifted or split
Landlords with a home close to Haddenham & Thame Parkway station may find that a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Before you book anyone
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance