Buckinghamshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Longwick, Buckinghamshire
Pre-purchase roof surveys across Longwick, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Longwick
Buying a home is a big commitment, and the roof is one of the costliest parts to put right. Our pre-purchase roof survey gives you a careful look at it before you’re committed. We look at the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, and the loft space where it is safe to get in. The findings come in a written report with photos. If you are worried about old water stains in the roof space and chimney mortar that has eroded, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Bungalows, chalet bungalows and older cottages are common in smaller places like Longwick, many of them extended or given dormers over the years. Even on a low roof, dormers, valleys and flat-roofed additions need a careful look. That applies whether you are buying in Longwick or checking a new roof there. Snags and wear both tend to show at dormer lead work and along flat-roof edges.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Where
- Longwick (HP27)
- Wider area
- Buckinghamshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips that help
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Share the report with your solicitor
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. The photos show the defects and where they are, so each quote covers the same ground.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Longwick
Our packages start from £150, inc. VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Roof area
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT.
What we need to know
Before you get in touch, it is useful to have:
- When you need the report by
- Anything about access we should know
- The address and postcode of the property
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
Unsure which package suits your roof? It is easiest to phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
What you can safely check yourself
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
It’s useful to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Longwick
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Longwick
Rear extensions, dormers and garages frequently have flat roofs. Felt flat roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, and ponding, blisters and splits are common signs of age. They’re easy to overlook on a viewing, because many can only be seen from an upstairs window.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
For an older house near a landmark such as Owlswick Chapel, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- How soon the report will arrive
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
How the survey works
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. Most visits take an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. A visit to Longwick is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed in advance. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. If there are outbuildings or garages you want looked at, mention them.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- 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.
Before the survey
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Let us know about parking before the day
How to book
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will ask a few questions about the roof. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Related advice
Also near Longwick
What else we do in Longwick
Longwick homes and their roofs
There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so check with the council. Where the drone is part of the survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Landlords with a home close to Monks Risborough station may find that a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Longwick is about 5 miles east of Thame, in Buckinghamshire. Whether the building in Longwick is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. Our Buckinghamshire coverage includes Longwick and the places around it. There’s also a page for Oxford.
We work across HP27 for pre-purchase roof surveys. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Headland End, Wickfields and Furrow Drive or a nearby road, we can help. If you are just outside Longwick, we cover Owlswick (1 mile north), Alscot (1 mile east), Pitch Green (1 mile south-west), Ilmer (1 mile north-west) and Horsenden (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover Aylesbury (6 miles north), High Wycombe (9 miles south-east), Chesham (11 miles east), Marlow (12 miles south), Amersham (12 miles east) and Beaconsfield (13 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Longwick
Typical jobs here are in homes near Princes Risborough School and The Red Lion Public House and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Monks Risborough station, about 1.3 miles east. Nearby you will also find Great Kimble Dial Hill (2.4 miles east) and St John's Hospital (4.6 miles north). Open spaces near Longwick include Brush Hill Local Nature Reserve and Beacon Hill.
Longwick: your questions answered
Is Longwick within the area you cover?
Yes, Longwick is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Is my home in Longwick listed or in a conservation area?
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 use drones?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It works alongside a home survey.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones can’t fly safely in high wind or heavy rain, 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.
How long will you be at the property?
It normally takes roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you as you book.