Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Radley
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Radley, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Radley
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. At that point you can still ask questions, while you’re not yet committed. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when a sale is moving quickly. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. If you are worried about gutters that overflow or drip at the joints and damp timbers or stains in the loft, we can find out what’s behind it.
Somewhere as small as Radley, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings often sit beside a few newer homes. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
Where we cannot see part of the roof, the report says so. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Where
- Radley (OX14)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Roof area
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
Helping us price your survey
Getting the details right at the start saves time. Please include:
- The property’s address and postcode
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- The kind of building and roof involved
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Radley, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. A few details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Roof by roof
Chimney stacks
Chimney stacks take the brunt of the weather. We check the pots, the flaunching, the pointing and the flashings.
Gutters and parapets
Hidden gutters behind parapets send water indoors when they block. We check their linings and outlets from wherever is safe.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Radley?
Many roofs have had quick fixes over the years. Bitumen painted over a flashing, mortar where lead should be, or a few tiles that don’t match can point to a problem that keeps coming back. Our report records them so you can ask the seller what was done and when.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St James, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Their report turnaround times
- Their insurance cover
Tips from our surveys
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Each defect is explained in plain words, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
Check the roof from the garden and the street after a storm. Slipped slates, lifted ridge tiles and debris on the ground are signs to act on. Small repairs done quickly stop bigger problems later.
The survey, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we listen to what’s been worrying you, inspect the roof from each safe vantage point, photograph what we find and record our findings for the written report. Most visits take about one to two hours for most houses, and more on a big or complicated roof. Older rural homes like those around Radley 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, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- You book once your offer is accepted and let us know the address and your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We check the roof from ground level, from windows, from the loft space and from the roof where safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- We email a written report with photographs and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Keep pets in another room
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Check we can get to the back of the property
Booking a survey
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Places near Radley
Also in Radley
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Radley
If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Older buildings in west Oxfordshire often have Cotswold stone slate roofs, and some Oxfordshire villages still have thatch. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new.
Landlords with a home close to Radley station may find that the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. With Clifton Hampden Manor about 2.7 miles south-east, the area around Radley has a long history. If you’re buying an older home nearby, it’s worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
Radley is about 2 miles north-east of Abingdon-on-Thames, in Oxfordshire. We survey roofs in Radley across London and South East England. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Radley.
Surveys in OX14 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. You will find streets such as Church Road, Selwyn Crescent and Ferny Close, and we cover them all. We also cover Abingdon-on-Thames (2 miles south-west), Nuneham Courtenay (2 miles east), Culham (2 miles south), Clifton Hampden (3 miles south-east) and Caldecott (3 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Oxford (4 miles north), Didcot (5 miles south), Bicester (15 miles north), Witney (13 miles north-west), Thame (12 miles east) and Wantage (10 miles south-west).
Around Radley
Around Radley, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Nuneham Courtenay, Fitzharrys School and Bowyer Arms. There’s a railway station in Radley itself: Radley station. A little further out are Littlemore Hospital (2.3 miles north) and FitzHarris Castle (1.8 miles south-west). Open spaces near Radley include Harcourt Hill and Dry Sandford Pit.
Why act early in Radley
A slow leak can go unnoticed for months. By the time a stain shows, timber or plaster may already be damp. Finding the cause at the survey stage lets you deal with it as soon as you move in. In a place like Radley, 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.
Every price we give includes VAT. Prices start from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for your survey before booking.
Why book with us
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- An independent view of the roof
- Surveys on weekdays and at weekends
- A written report with photographs
FAQs for Radley
Do you cover smaller places like Radley?
Yes. Radley is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
How do I find out if my home in Radley is listed?
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.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We check the parts we are given access to, and the report makes that clear.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That gives you time to use the findings, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If the conditions are not right, we will talk to you about another date.
Are you insured?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.