Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Poffley End
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you spend money on it. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Poffley End, with photos and a clear written report.
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings are a common source of leaks, so they get close attention in a pre-purchase survey. We photograph any that need work.
Chimney stacks
Our chimney check is a visual one, and it is not a flue or gas safety check. If a flue needs testing, we will suggest who to ask.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Poffley End
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. At that point you can still ask questions, while you are not yet committed. We survey on any day of the week, which helps when a sale is moving quickly. The report comes within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. If you’ve noticed gaps where slates or tiles have come loose and worn or lifted lead flashings, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Being in a small place like Poffley End makes no difference to the inspection itself: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Visits can be booked on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Location
- Poffley End (OX29)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
After you move in, keep the report somewhere safe. Deal with the urgent items first, and keep the photographs to compare against later. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
What we do, step by step
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you’d like to know. We then inspect everything that can be seen safely, from the ground, from windows, in the loft space and by drone where applicable. The survey usually takes about 1–2 hours for most houses, and longer for a large or complex roof. In a hamlet or village like Poffley End, 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 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 inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- We email a report with photographs and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Before the survey
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
Booking a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To get started, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Advice
Leave it or get it looked at?
It’s tempting to skip the roof to keep a sale moving. Weekend visits are available as well as weekdays, and a Premium report comes the same day, so it can fit around a tight timetable. Around Poffley End, older homes frequently have old roof timbers, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it is left.
Price depends partly on the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all including VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Why book us in Poffley End
- Photographs and a written report every time
- Prices that include VAT
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
What we’re asked to look at in Poffley End
Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. 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.
People normally book a survey when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
If you own a rental within reach of Finstock station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Questions to ask before you book
- How long the report takes to arrive
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Will the report include photos?
Poffley End questions
Is Poffley End within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We work right across London and the South East. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Is my home in Poffley End listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Ideally, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and upstairs windows give useful views. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. The outcome is between you and the seller.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That way you can still act on what we find, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Poffley End
Minster Lovell Hall, about 2.2 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Poffley End. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
If you live in an older home near Church of St John the Evangelist, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Poffley End is about 2 miles north of Witney, in Oxfordshire. Roofs in Poffley End get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Oxfordshire. Poffley End is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. Our Oxford page covers surveys nearby.
Surveys in OX29 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Whether your property is on Poffley End Lane and Swanhall Lane or anywhere close by, we can help. Other places close to Poffley End include Hailey (1 mile north-west), Delly End (1 mile north-west), New Yatt (1 mile east), North Leigh (2 miles east) and Ramsden (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Oxford (11 miles east), Bicester (15 miles north-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (13 miles south-east), Carterton (6 miles south-west), Wantage (15 miles south) and Grove (14 miles south).
Near you in Poffley End
Around Poffley End, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Wood Green School, The King's School and The Lamb And Flag Public House and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Finstock station, roughly 3 miles north of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Cogges Manor Farm Museum (1.8 miles south). Not far away are Blenheim Farm.
Other services in Poffley End
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
Not every roof costs the same to survey, for these reasons:
- Height and safe access
- The size of the roof
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
Getting in touch
A little information up front helps. It’s useful to include:
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
A quick phone call is typically the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.