Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Long Hanborough Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys across Long Hanborough, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Blocked or leaking gutters
What we can’t see
It’s a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- Whether timbers meet design loads
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Long Hanborough
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- The roof space
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Long Hanborough
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, with the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium adds thermal imaging, a drone inspection where it applies and an in-person consultation. Choose the level that suits the home you are buying. All three include a written report with photos and recommendations. If you’ve noticed gutters that overflow or drip at the joints and flashings that have lifted or split, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on clay and concrete tiles, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and the roof space alike.
In a smaller place like Long Hanborough, homes are mostly houses and bungalows, from older cottages to more recent builds. Older roofs may still have their original slates or clay tiles, with fixings and underlay that have done a long stint. Whether you are buying or have just had the roof replaced, that hidden layer is worth knowing about. Older roofs often have bitumen felt under the coverings, as breathable membranes only arrived in the late 1990s.
The report is written in plain words, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Photos show what each point refers to, with the urgent items made clear.
- Place
- Long Hanborough (OX29)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it is worth a survey now in Long Hanborough
The lender’s valuation is done for the lender, not for you. 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. Around Long Hanborough, leaves and moss in gutters lead to overflowing water and damp walls, particularly where trees overhang. It’s easy to sort the cause early and slow to dry a damp wall.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. You will know the figure before booking.
Why us?
- An independent look at the roof
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- 20+ years’ experience
- Visits on any day of the week
See what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
What else we do in Long Hanborough
Buying a home or a new roof in Long Hanborough
Older buildings in west Oxfordshire frequently 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. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about. If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
With Blenheim Palace about 1.9 miles north-east, the area around Long Hanborough has a long history. Older homes in the area can come with listed status or conservation area rules, which affect re-roofing, so check with the council before you buy. For landlords with property near Combe station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Long Hanborough is about 5 miles north-east of Witney, in Oxfordshire. Long Hanborough is one of many places we visit across Oxfordshire, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Our area takes in places right across Oxfordshire, large and small. There is also a page for Oxford.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: OX29. Whether your property is on Church Road, New Road and Churchill Way or anywhere close by, we can help. If you’re just outside Long Hanborough, we cover Church Hanborough (1 mile south-east), Bladon (2 miles east), Woodstock (3 miles north-east), Worton (3 miles south-east) and Begbroke (3 miles east). Further out, we also cover Oxford (9 miles south-east), Bicester (12 miles north-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (11 miles south-east), Witney (5 miles south-west), Carterton (9 miles south-west) and Grove (15 miles south).
Local landmarks in Long Hanborough
We work in homes and buildings around Three Horseshoes pub, among other places. Long Hanborough’s nearest station is Combe station, about 0.6 miles north of the centre. Nearby you will also find Morris Motors Museum (1 mile east). For a walk, there’s Blenheim Farm.
FAQs for Long Hanborough
Is my home in Long Hanborough listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Long Hanborough?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Long Hanborough as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
How experienced are you?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years, across London and South East England.
How quickly will I get the report?
That depends on which survey you choose: Basic within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Tell us your exchange date and we’ll help you choose.
Do I need to be at home?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Long Hanborough?
It is easiest to ring 07833 053749 or email us. Give us the address and a few details about the roof, and we’ll take it from there. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft.
When to book a survey in Long Hanborough
Viewings rarely include a proper look at the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates. New paint on a ceiling can hide old water stains, so a closer look is worth having before you commit.
People usually book a survey when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Flashings that have lifted or split
The streets around a church like Christ Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Questions to ask before you book
- What exactly goes into their report
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
How the survey works
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, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Parking around Long Hanborough is usually easier than in a town centre, but mention lanes, gates or long drives. On bungalows and lower roofs, much can be seen from ground level, with the loft showing the underside, while taller roofs may need other vantage points or the drone where it applies.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- We look at the roof from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
Arrange a survey
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before you book.
Related advice
DIY checks: what’s safe
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when you book and it will help the survey.
Different roofs, different checks
Flat roofs
Many homes have a flat roof somewhere, often over an extension. Felt roofs frequently last around 15 to 20 years, rubber longer and GRP up to about 30. We check how the covering is wearing.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings close the gaps at chimneys, walls and abutments. We look for lead that has lifted, split or been patched over.