Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Shilton
A careful look at the roof at your property in Shilton, with photos and a written report.
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
DIY checks: what’s safe
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Shilton
Buying a home is a big commitment, and the roof is one of the costliest parts to put right. A pre-purchase roof survey looks at it closely before you are tied in. We check the coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, plus the loft where there’s safe access. You get a photo-illustrated written report. Common reasons to book are gaps where slates or tiles have come loose and gutters that overflow or drip at the joints, on natural slate, chimney stacks and lead flashings and valleys.
Being in a small place like Shilton makes no difference to the inspection itself: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed ahead of time. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Whether you are buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Visits can be booked on any day of the week.
We write the report in plain English, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Photos show what each point refers to, and recommendations are put by urgency where it matters.
- Where
- Shilton (OX18)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll recommend the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Shilton
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
Other services in Shilton
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Roof area
Every price we give includes VAT. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for your survey before booking.
Helping us price your survey
There is no need for technical words. It’s enough to tell us:
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Dates you’re working to, like exchange
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email, tell us about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Shilton
Minster Lovell Hall, about 4 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Shilton. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
Shilton is about 1 mile north-west of Carterton, in Oxfordshire. Bookings from Shilton are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Shilton. There’s also a page for Oxford.
Surveys in OX18 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We cover properties on The Hill, Church Lane and Ladburn Lane. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Bradwell (1 mile west), Kencot (2 miles south) and Alvescot (3 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Witney (5 miles east), Wantage (15 miles south-east), Grove (14 miles south-east), Faringdon (9 miles south), Kidlington (14 miles east) and Chipping Norton (12 miles north).
What’s near Shilton
Around Shilton, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Carterton Primary School and The Rose And Crown Inn. A little further out are Bronze Age Bowl Barrow (2.9 miles south-east) and Swinford Museum (3.2 miles south-west).
How it works
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. Most visits take about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Around Shilton, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it is safe.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a report with photographs and recommendations before you exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Book a survey
We confirm the price for your survey before booking, so you know where you stand. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Related advice
When to book a survey in Shilton
Viewings rarely include a proper look at the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates, and a quick glance from the street misses a lot. New paint on a ceiling can hide old water stains, which is why buyers book a closer look before committing.
People usually book a survey after spotting something like this:
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
For an older house near a landmark like Church of the Holy Rood, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Before booking anyone
- Will the report include photos?
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
FAQs for Shilton
Will you come out to Shilton?
Yes, we do. We cover the whole of London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Shilton?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. RAF Brize Norton is about 3 miles away, so we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before any flight. High wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. Buyers use the findings to ask questions, ask for repairs before completion or ask for a price change. The outcome is between you and the seller.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and that is where a roof survey helps. It does not stand in for a RICS survey.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That gives you time to use the findings, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, if the building owner or managing agent agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach.
Do you need access inside the house?
If it can be arranged, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If access isn’t possible, we note it in the report.
Before and after the survey
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, so each quote covers the same ground.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.