Buckinghamshire · London and the South East
North Marston Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat around North Marston, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in North Marston
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 proper look at it before you’re committed. We check the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, plus the loft where there’s safe access. You get a report with photos. Common reasons to book are cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing and worn or lifted lead flashings, across chimney stacks, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and the roof space.
Somewhere as small as North Marston, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings often sit beside a few newer homes. 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. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- North Marston (MK18)
- Wider area
- Buckinghamshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we are asked to look at in North Marston
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. Felt flat roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, and standing water, blisters and splits are typical signs of ageing. A buyer can easily miss them, particularly when they’re only visible from an upper floor.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
If you let a flat or house near Aylesbury Vale Parkway station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
What to check before booking
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
What happens on the day
We will ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes about one to two hours for a house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. In a hamlet or village like North Marston, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re buying.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- 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 we arrive
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Booking a survey
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in North Marston
If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. With Claydon House about 3.8 miles north-west, North Marston 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.
Take an older house close to Church of St Mary: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
North Marston is about 6 miles north-west of Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire. North Marston gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Across Buckinghamshire, we cover North Marston. There is also a page for Milton Keynes.
We work across MK18 for pre-purchase roof surveys. You’ll find streets like High Street, Elmers Meadow and Dudley Close, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Oving (1 mile south-east), Pitchcott (1 mile south), Whitchurch (2 miles south-east), Hardwick (3 miles south-east) and Weedon (4 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Aylesbury (6 miles south-east), Buckingham (8 miles north-west), Elmhurst (6 miles south-east), Southcourt (7 miles south), Princes Risborough (12 miles south) and Haydon Hill (5 miles south).
Local landmarks in North Marston
We work in homes and buildings around The Pilgrim pub, among other places. North Marston’s nearest station is Aylesbury Vale Parkway station, roughly 4.7 miles south. Nearby you’ll also find Bolbec Castle (2 miles south-east) and Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital (5.9 miles south-east).
Practical tips
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. The photos show the defects and where they are, so each quote covers the same ground.
Look in the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
Different roofs, different checks
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay plain tiles are common on older South East homes, and some still have peg tiles. Rotten pegs let tiles slide, so we look for gaps along the courses.
Natural slate
Older slate roofs often have bitumen felt under them, and very old ones may have none. Where we can see it from the loft, we say what condition it’s in.
Places near North Marston
What else we do in North Marston
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in North Marston
Is North Marston in the area you cover?
We do. The survey and report are the same in North Marston as anywhere else.
Is North Marston within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where possible, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and views from upper windows help too. Access is normally arranged through the agent or seller.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys run seven days a week. To arrange a date, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
What this survey can’t tell you
Every survey has limits, and it’s better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in North Marston
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
Why get it checked now?
Plenty of buyers go ahead anyway, but with their eyes open. You will know which jobs are urgent and which can wait, and you can line up a roofer before small faults grow. In a place like North Marston, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. It’s worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
One thing that affects the price is the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, with VAT included. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
Why book us in North Marston
- A report with photos
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Surveys on weekdays and at weekends
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Take a look at our cost guide and two real surveys.