Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Shellingford, Oxfordshire
Find out the condition of the roof at your property in Shellingford from an independent roof surveyor. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Shellingford
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, and the roof is only one part of it. Our survey isn’t a RICS survey, and it doesn’t replace one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. You can have both. Common reasons to book are old water stains in the roof space and quick fixes on flashings and valleys, on natural slate, the roof space and chimney stacks.
In a village or hamlet like Shellingford, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. 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.
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.
- Place
- Shellingford (SN7)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Why get it checked now?
It’s tempting to skip the roof to keep a sale moving. We visit seven days a week, and the Premium Survey report arrives the same day, so it can fit around a tight timetable. Matching old materials, like handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before you book.
Why book with us
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
- Every finding written up with photos
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
- Over 20 years’ experience
Read how roof surveys are priced and our case studies.
What else we do in Shellingford
Shellingford homes and their roofs
If your home is older, it is worth knowing whether it’s listed or in a conservation area before planning roof work. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area. Older buildings in west Oxfordshire often have Cotswold stone slate roofs, and some Oxfordshire villages still have thatch. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most.
Around Shellingford, as everywhere, small roof faults are simplest to sort before they let water in.
Shellingford is about 6 miles north-west of Wantage, in Oxfordshire. Shellingford is one of many places we visit across Oxfordshire. Shellingford is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. There’s also a page for Oxford.
Every address in SN7 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Church Street and Fernham Road. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Stanford in the Vale (1 mile east), Hatford (2 miles north-east), Baulking (2 miles south), Bow (2 miles east) and Fernham (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Oxford (15 miles north-east), Didcot (13 miles east), Abingdon-on-Thames (11 miles east), Witney (10 miles north), Carterton (9 miles north) and Wantage (6 miles south-east).
Near you in Shellingford
We work in homes and buildings around Faringdon Community College. Well-known places in the area include Faringdon Castle (1.9 miles north-west) and Faringdon Museum (2.2 miles north-west). Open spaces near Shellingford include Badbury Hill.
The survey, step by step
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey typically takes roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Rural addresses near Shellingford can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed beforehand.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
Booking a survey
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and give us a few details about the property and we’ll suggest the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Shellingford questions
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Shellingford?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Will you come out to Shellingford?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it’s useful to know about access.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days as you book.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and that’s where a roof survey helps. It doesn’t stand in for a RICS survey.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first, with the freeholder or managing agent. Mention it when you contact us and we’ll explain what’s needed.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, over more than 20 years.
When to book a survey in Shellingford
Rear extensions, dormers and garages often have flat roofs. Felt flat roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, and standing water, blisters and splits are typical signs of ageing. They’re easy to overlook on a viewing, because many can only be seen from an upstairs window.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Old water stains in the roof space
Take an older house close to Church of St Faith: the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Before booking anyone
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Which limits apply to the survey
What affects the price in Shellingford
Not every roof costs the same to survey, for these reasons:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Basic, Standard or Premium
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
What to tell us when you get in touch
Before you get in touch, it’s useful to have:
- When you need the report by
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- The kind of building and roof involved
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or send us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Tips from our surveys
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
You may want to pass the report to your solicitor or conveyancer so questions can go to the seller’s solicitor. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it, especially where we’ve found patch repairs.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
Different roofs, different checks
Natural slate
On a slate roof, the underlay may be old bitumen felt, or there may be none at all on very old roofs. From inside the loft space, we report what we can see of it.
Gutters and parapets
Hidden gutters behind parapets send water indoors when they block. Where we can see them safely, we check the linings and outlets.