Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Sandford St Martin, Oxfordshire
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you spend money on it. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Sandford St Martin.
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Sandford St Martin
A roof report gives you something solid to take back to the seller or the agent. You can ask about the roof’s history, ask for repairs before completion or rethink the price. We cannot say how a seller will respond, but you will be negotiating from a clear picture rather than a hunch. It also helps you decide whether to go ahead at all. We’re often asked to look into blocked or leaking gutters and gaps where slates or tiles have come loose, across the roof space, clay and concrete tiles and flat-roofed extensions and dormers.
Being in a small place like Sandford St Martin makes no difference to the inspection itself: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Whether you’re buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the coverings down to the gutters. It records what’s sound as well as what isn’t.
- Place
- Sandford St Martin (OX7)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- 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
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it’s worth a survey now in Sandford St Martin
Once you exchange, the roof’s problems become yours. 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. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Sandford St Martin, driving rain gets into any weakness, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Sandford St Martin
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Plain-English reports with photos
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or two real surveys.
Tips from our surveys
Getting the most from a pre-purchase roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Let us know your timetable
- Check we’ll be able to get into the roof space
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. The photos show the defects and where they are, so each quote covers the same ground.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from ground level are enough for a first look.
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- Height and safe access
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- The roof’s overall size
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, including VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
What to let us know when you contact us
We will typically ask about:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- What’s prompted the survey
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
When you’re ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or email us. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Sandford St Martin
Landlords, agents and building managers in Sandford St Martin and across Oxfordshire can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
It is a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Asbestos testing of any kind
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
Also near Sandford St Martin
Also in Sandford St Martin
Local roofs and buyers in Sandford St Martin
If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so check with the council.
If you own a rental within reach of Heyford station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. If you live in an older home near Church of St Martin, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Sandford St Martin is about 9 miles south of Banbury, in Oxfordshire. Sandford St Martin is one of many places we visit across Oxfordshire, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Sandford St Martin and the places around it. Oxford is in our area too.
Surveys in OX7 are booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes homes and businesses on Mill Lane, Manor Road and Ledwell Road and the roads around them. Other places close to Sandford St Martin include Westcott Barton (1 mile south-east), Middle Barton (1 mile east), Nether Worton (2 miles north), Steeple Barton (2 miles south-east) and Duns Tew (3 miles north-east). We also work in nearby towns like Oxford (14 miles south-east), Banbury (9 miles north), Bicester (10 miles east), Witney (11 miles south-west), Carterton (15 miles south-west) and Kidlington (9 miles south-east).
Near you in Sandford St Martin
Around Sandford St Martin, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Fox Public House, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Heyford station, about 4.1 miles east. Other landmarks nearby include Deddington Castle (4.5 miles north-east) and Old Forge Museum (Great Tew) (2.3 miles north-west).
Sandford St Martin: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Sandford St Martin is listed?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Do you cover smaller places like Sandford St Martin?
Yes, Sandford St Martin is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where we can, yes. From the loft space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If access isn’t possible, we note it in the report.
Are you insured?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
What if it rains on the day?
A survey can typically go ahead in light rain. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so we’ll agree a new date if the weather is not suitable.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
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.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It does not stand in for a RICS survey.
How it works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photos, sent to you by email. As for time on site, most surveys take about 1–2 hours for most houses, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In a hamlet or village like Sandford St Martin, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- 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.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Preparing for the visit
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Tell us about parking before the day
Arrange a survey
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Sandford St Martin, phone 07833 053749 or email us. Some details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.