Hampshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Portchester
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Portchester, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Flashings that have lifted or split
Pre-purchase roof survey in Portchester
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. At that point you can still ask questions, while you’re not yet committed. We survey seven days a 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. Typical surveys look at a ridge or slope that dips and patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem, across chimney stacks, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and gutters and downpipes.
In a smaller place like Portchester, homes are mostly houses and bungalows, from older cottages to more recent builds. In older homes, the slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay holding them. For a purchase or a newly replaced roof, what’s under the coverings matters as much as what’s on top. Older roofs often have bitumen felt under the coverings, as breathable membranes only arrived in the late 1990s.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Location
- Portchester (PO16, PO6, PO17)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Why act early in Portchester
After exchange, any roof defect is yours to deal with. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. Finding out later gives you the same facts, but with far less room to act on them. Tradespeople may need to travel further to a smaller place like Portchester, so it helps to plan roof work rather than call someone out in a hurry. A survey gives you that notice.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Why us?
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Weekday and weekend surveys
Honest limits
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Portchester
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Portchester. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, with the report sent to whoever needs it. Access is agreed with the tenant in advance.
Local roofs and buyers in Portchester
Portchester is within about 1 mile of the coast, so there is 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. A number of Hampshire villages keep thatched roofs on their older buildings. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Mary, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming. For landlords with property near Portchester station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Portchester is about 3 miles north-east of Gosport, in Hampshire. Portchester is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Portchester is one of the towns and villages in Hampshire where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys.
Here we cover the PO16, PO6 and PO17 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Cow Lane, Hill Road and Ralph Road and the roads around them. Other places close to Portchester include Boarhunt (2 miles north-west), Southwick (2 miles north), Elson (2 miles south-west), Wallington (2 miles west) and Priddy's Hard (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Gosport (3 miles south-west), Havant (6 miles east), Eastleigh (13 miles north-west), Fareham (3 miles west), Horndean (7 miles north-east) and Chandler's Ford (15 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Portchester
Typical jobs here are in homes near Portchester Community School and The Cormorant pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Portchester station, roughly 0.5 miles north-west. A little further out are Portchester Castle (less than half a mile south-east) and Queen Alexandra Hospital (2.3 miles east). Not far away are West of the River Alver and Portsdown Hill.
How it works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs. As for time on site, most surveys take between one and two hours at a typical home, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Parking around Portchester is usually easier than in a town centre, but mention lanes, gates or long drives. 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 applicable.
- 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 the ground, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- We email a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Getting a price
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Read more
What you can safely check yourself
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Don’t go up yourself.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Portchester
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Portchester?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Portchester, take more of a battering?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Exposed details such as ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
They do different things. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Our survey complements a RICS survey and does not replace one.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Ideally, yes. We look in the loft space where there’s safe access, and upstairs windows give useful views. Access is normally arranged through the agent or seller.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Where it is safe, yes. We inspect from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the loft and from the roof itself where safe. On Premium, a drone is used where applicable.
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. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
What’s the best way to book?
It’s easiest to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. Give us the address and a few details about the roof. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends.
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- The size of the roof
Prices start from £150, with VAT included, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both including VAT. You will know the price for your survey before booking.
What we need to know
The more you let us know, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, it helps to mention:
- What’s prompted the survey
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- The address and postcode of the property
- What kind of property and roof it is
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or email us.