Buckinghamshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Monks Risborough
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Monks Risborough and the rest of Buckinghamshire. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
Pre-purchase roof survey in Monks Risborough: what you get
Older homes often have roofs that have been patched over the years. Corroded nails let slates slide, valley linings wear thin and chimney mortar erodes. Most of it cannot be seen from the street. We look closely and record what we see, with photos that show you exactly where. We explain each finding in plain English, so it is clear what it means for your purchase. If you’ve noticed gutters choked with leaves and moss and signs of past leaks inside the loft, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on clay and concrete tiles, the roof space and gutters and downpipes alike.
Somewhere as small as Monks Risborough, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings frequently sit beside a few newer homes. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Whether you are buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
Where we can’t see part of the roof, the report says so. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Where
- Monks Risborough (HP27)
- Wider area
- Buckinghamshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Monks Risborough
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Monks Risborough?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Do you cover Monks Risborough?
Yes, Monks Risborough is within the area we cover. Our area covers London and the South East. You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and a few details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. The report is most useful before exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. The report sets out what we found, with photos, which you can share with the seller or agent. How the seller responds is up to them.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and that is where a roof survey helps. It isn’t a replacement for a RICS survey.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and it’s safe, yes. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photos included.
Honest limits
A survey is a careful look at the roof, but it can’t do everything. The main limits are:
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- A structural engineer’s report
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Monks Risborough
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
Local roofs and buyers in Monks Risborough
Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list. Thatch survives on some older buildings in Buckinghamshire’s villages. Older houses in the South East frequently 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.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Dunstan, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Monks Risborough is about 1 mile north of Princes Risborough, in Buckinghamshire. Anywhere in Monks Risborough, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Across Buckinghamshire, we cover Monks Risborough and the places around it. We also survey roofs in Oxford.
Surveys in HP27 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Mill Lane, Alscot Lane and Burton Lane, all of which we cover. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Alscot (1 mile west), Askett (1 mile north-east), Princes Risborough (1 mile south), Whiteleaf (1 mile east) and Meadle (1 mile north). We also work in nearby towns like Aylesbury (6 miles north), High Wycombe (8 miles south-east), Chesham (9 miles east), Marlow (11 miles south), Amersham (11 miles east) and Beaconsfield (12 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Monks Risborough
In Monks Risborough, that means homes and buildings near The White Cross pub and Princes Risborough School and the streets around them. Monks Risborough has its own railway station: Monks Risborough station. Other landmarks nearby include Stoke Mandeville Hospital (4.6 miles north) and Great Kimble Dial Hill (1.3 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s Brush Hill Local Nature Reserve and Beacon Hill.
Places near Monks Risborough
Also in Monks Risborough
Useful tips for Monks Risborough property owners
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, while Premium includes a consultation in person. If anything in the report isn’t clear, ask us.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
Checking the roof from ground level
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Monks Risborough
Slates and tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay that hold them. Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but corroded nails let slates slip. It’s a frequent finding on older houses.
People typically book a survey when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
For landlords with property near Monks Risborough station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
What to check before booking
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- Whether you get a written report with photos
How it works
We look at the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the loft space too. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey usually takes between one and two hours on an ordinary house, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Older rural homes like those around Monks Risborough can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen.
- 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.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Before the survey
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Arrange a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from the ground or a window; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.