Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Mapledurham Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Know where you stand with the roof before you spend money on it. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Mapledurham, with photos and a clear written report.
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
Mapledurham: your questions answered
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Mapledurham?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is Mapledurham in the area you cover?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Mapledurham as anywhere else.
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.
How experienced are you?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years, across London and South East England.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Ideally, yes. We look in the roof space where there is safe access, and views from upper windows help too. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
How long does the survey visit take?
It normally takes about 1–2 hours for a house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
How soon is the report ready?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Let us know your exchange date and we’ll help you choose.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Mapledurham
Some roofs can’t be seen well from ground level or from windows. Our Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and, where it applies, a drone inspection, and the report arrives the same day. If airspace rules or the weather rule out a flight, we’ll say so and look from the ground, windows and the loft instead. If you’ve noticed roof slopes that look uneven or sagging and slipped or missing slates and tiles, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
In a village or hamlet like Mapledurham, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- Mapledurham (RG8, RG4, RG31)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Check we’ll be able to get into the roof space
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, so each quote covers the same ground.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
To price your survey, we look at:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- The size of the roof
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
For a price for your roof in Mapledurham, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Helping us price your survey
Some details help us recommend the right survey and price. When you get in touch, it helps to mention:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
Booking is simple: just call 07833 053749 or email us, tell us about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
How it works
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take an hour or two at most homes, and more on a big or complicated roof. Rural addresses near Mapledurham can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
Booking a survey
A quick phone call is typically the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Advice
Surveys for landlords and agents in Mapledurham
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed in advance. Surveys run seven days a week, which can make access easier.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out with the most urgent first where relevant, which helps with budgets and planning.
When to book a survey in Mapledurham
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. It’s frequently found in cement sheets, soffits and flue pipes. We do not carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Old water stains in the roof space
If you own a rental within reach of Tilehurst station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
Towns and villages near Mapledurham
Also in Mapledurham
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Mapledurham
If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Mapledurham House, about 0.1 miles east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Mapledurham. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Take an older house close to Church of St Margaret and Bardolf Aisle: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Mapledurham is about 3 miles west of Caversham, in Oxfordshire. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Mapledurham can all book pre-purchase roof surveys. Mapledurham is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire we cover.
We cover every part of RG8, RG4 and RG31 for pre-purchase roof surveys. Local streets include St Mary's Avenue, Park Walk and The Short, and we cover them all. If you are just outside Mapledurham, we cover Purley on Thames (1 mile south-west), Trench Green (1 mile north-east), Tilehurst (2 miles south), Chazey Heath (2 miles east) and Norcot (2 miles south). We also work in nearby towns like Didcot (12 miles north-west), Henley-on-Thames (7 miles north-east), Benson (10 miles north), Wallingford (9 miles north-west), Great Western Park (13 miles north-west) and Watlington (11 miles north).
Landmarks near Mapledurham
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Roebuck pub, Round Copse and Denefield School. For rail, the closest station is Tilehurst station, about 1 mile south of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Royal Berkshire Regiment Museum (2.4 miles south-east) and Battle Hospital (2.5 miles south-east). For a walk, there is South Lake and Moor Copse Nature Reserve.
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
We only report everything that’s safely in view on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
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. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Mapledurham
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers