Hampshire · London and the South East
Marchwood Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Marchwood from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us across London and South East England.
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- A ridge or slope that dips
FAQs for Marchwood
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Marchwood, take more of a battering?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Is my home in Marchwood listed or in a conservation area?
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.
How long will you be at the property?
On site, it typically 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.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling aren’t something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Is Marchwood in your area?
Yes, we do. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Marchwood, and the service is the same as everywhere else we work.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Someone needs to let us in if we are looking inside or in the loft. Access is agreed with you as you book.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, if the building owner or managing agent agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Marchwood
Older homes frequently have roofs that have been patched over the years. Corroded nails let slates slide, valley linings wear thin and chimney mortar erodes. Little of that is easy to judge from the pavement on a viewing. Our survey picks it out, with photos so you can see it for yourself. We explain each finding in plain English, so you know what it means for the house you are buying. If you are worried about blistered or split felt on a flat roof and loose pots and cracked flaunching, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
In a smaller place like Marchwood, some houses face open ground, so their roofs may take more wind and driving rain. Ridges, verges and flashings are where that weather normally shows first. For a purchase or a new roof, those exposed edges are looked at 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, each with a short note and a photograph. You’ll see the good as well as the bad.
- Location
- Marchwood (SO40)
- Wider area
- Hampshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near Marchwood
More services for Marchwood
DIY checks: what’s safe
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Marchwood
Marchwood is within about 1 mile of the coast, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Corroded clips and nails and lifted ridge pieces are typical of exposed roofs near the sea, so exposed details get a careful look whether you are buying or signing off new work. Southampton Tudor House and Garden, about 2 miles east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Marchwood. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you own a rental within reach of Millbrook (Hants) station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Marchwood is about 3 miles south-east of Totton, in Hampshire. Wherever you are in Marchwood, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. We cover towns and villages across Hampshire, large and small.
Every address in SO40 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Whether your property is on Cranberry Close, Melick Close and The Rowans or anywhere close by, we can survey it. You’ll find Marchwood on the A326, which makes it straightforward to reach. If you’re just outside Marchwood, we cover Dibden (2 miles south-east), Dibden Purlieu (3 miles south-east), Hythe (3 miles south-east), Beaulieu (5 miles south) and Furzey Lodge (5 miles south). Further out, we also cover Winchester (13 miles north-east), Gosport (14 miles south-east), Eastleigh (7 miles north-east), Fareham (11 miles east), Totton (3 miles north-west) and Chandler's Ford (7 miles north-east).
Near you in Marchwood
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to White Horse pub and Hounsdown School, among other places. The nearest railway station is Millbrook (Hants) station, roughly 1.6 miles north-east. Other landmarks nearby include Netley Castle (4.1 miles east) and Westquay (2.1 miles east). Not far away are Testwood Lakes.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Marchwood?
Chimneys take the worst of the weather and they’re often the least maintained part of a roof. Mortar erodes, the flaunching around the pots cracks and the flashings work loose. On terraced and semi-detached homes, a stack may be shared with next door, which matters if work is needed.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
Take an older house close to Church of St John the Apostle: a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Before booking anyone
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Will the report include photos?
- When you will get the report
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
What we look for on each type of roof
Natural slate
Many older homes in London and the South East have slate roofs. We check for slipped, cracked and missing slates, and for clips or tingles that show past repairs.
Gutters and parapets
A butterfly roof drains to a central valley gutter, normally to the back of the house. If yours does, we check that gutter and where it drains.
Practical tips
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, which makes quotes easier to compare.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, with the report sent to whoever needs it. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
What we do, step by step
The visit has one job: to look at the roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. The visit normally takes about one to two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. In a smaller place like Marchwood, parking is seldom the issue; lanes, gates and long drives are worth mentioning. Low roofs on bungalows can frequently be seen well from ground level, and the loft shows the rest, while taller roofs may need other vantage points or the drone where it applies.
- You book once your offer is accepted and let us know the address and your timetable.
- We agree a time and how we’ll get in, including the loft.
- We check the roof from ground level, from windows, from the loft space and from the roof where safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Let us know about parking near the property
Book a survey
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so call 07833 053749 or email us with the details.