Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Minster Lovell, Oxfordshire
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat around Minster Lovell, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
Pre-purchase roof survey in Minster Lovell: what you get
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. Depending on the lease, roof repairs may fall to the building owner or a management company, with costs frequently passed on through the service charge. We check as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. Where the building has a flat roof, it’s checked as far as access allows. We survey chimney stacks, the roof space and clay and concrete tiles, and common reasons people get in touch are damp timbers or stains in the loft and lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney.
For a small place like Minster Lovell, the visit is planned like any other: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when booking. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Visits can be booked on weekdays and at weekends.
You receive the findings by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Place
- Minster Lovell (OX29)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What you can safely check yourself
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Honest limits
We only report what can be seen safely on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will recommend the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
Minster Lovell questions
Is Minster Lovell within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
How do I find out if my home in Minster Lovell is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where possible, yes. We look in the loft space where there is safe access, and upstairs windows give useful views. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
How long will you be at the property?
Allow an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. We’ll confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
How many surveys have you done?
We have been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain is usually fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In strong wind or a downpour, a drone cannot fly and access may not be safe, so we’d move the date with you.
Do I need to be at home?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We will talk about access when booking.
Also near Minster Lovell
Other services in Minster Lovell
When to book a survey in Minster Lovell
Many roofs have had quick fixes over the years. Bitumen over flashings, mortar fillets in place of lead and odd replacement tiles can point to a problem that keeps coming back. Our report records them so you can ask the seller what was done and when.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Blocked or leaking gutters
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of Saint Kenelm, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
What to check before booking
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Their report turnaround times
- Their insurance cover
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
What we do, step by step
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photographs. As for time on site, most surveys take about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. In a hamlet or village like Minster Lovell, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Before the survey
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
Getting a price
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Read more
Why get it checked now?
It’s tempting to skip the roof to keep a sale moving. We visit on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and a Premium report comes the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. Around Minster Lovell, older homes often have old roof timbers, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it’s left.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. You will know the price for the job before booking.
Why book us in Minster Lovell
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Weekday and weekend surveys
Take a look at our cost guide or what we found on two real jobs.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed ahead of time. Surveys run on any day of the week, which can make access easier.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Minster Lovell and across Oxfordshire can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Buying a home or a new roof in Minster Lovell
West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. With Minster Lovell Hall about 0.8 miles north-east, Minster Lovell sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs often 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.
Minster Lovell is about 3 miles west of Witney, in Oxfordshire. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Minster Lovell. Minster Lovell is one of the places in Oxfordshire where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. You can also see our page for Oxford.
All of OX29 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Whether your property is on Charterville Close, Upper Crescent and St Kenelm's Close or a nearby road, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Curbridge (2 miles south-east), Brize Norton (2 miles south), Carterton (3 miles south-west), Black Bourton (4 miles south) and Bampton (5 miles south). Further out, we also cover Oxford (14 miles east), Abingdon-on-Thames (14 miles south-east), Witney (3 miles east), Wantage (15 miles south), Grove (14 miles south) and Faringdon (10 miles south).
Landmarks near Minster Lovell
In Minster Lovell, that means homes and buildings near The White Hart Public House, among other places. Well-known places in the area include Cogges Manor Farm Museum (3.1 miles east) and Bronze Age Bowl Barrow (4.4 miles south).