Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Shiplake Cross Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Shiplake Cross from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us across London and South East England.
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
For landlords and managing agents
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Shiplake Cross
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. It adds a focused look at the roof on its own, with photographs of what we find and written recommendations. The two sit side by side if you want the fullest picture. If you are worried about blistered or split felt on a flat roof and sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Older buildings in small places like Shiplake Cross may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials a new roof may use, so check with the council and Historic England’s list. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it’s worth knowing which applies, as well as what condition the roof is in. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
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.
- Location
- Shiplake Cross (RG9)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Shiplake Cross
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Shiplake Cross?
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.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Shiplake Cross?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Shiplake Cross as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where we can, yes. From the loft space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If we cannot get in, the report says so.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
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.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. The outcome is between you and the seller.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. The report is most useful before exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
When to book a survey in Shiplake Cross
Gutter problems often look minor from the street. Water spilling over a gutter soaks brickwork and can rot fascias and rafter ends. Hidden gutters behind parapets or in roof valleys can send water indoors. We check them as part of the survey.
Problems we come across often include:
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
Landlords with a home close to Shiplake station may find that a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Shiplake Cross
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. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest. Greys Court, about 3.8 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Shiplake Cross. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
The streets around a church like Church of St Peter and St Paul are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Shiplake Cross is about 3 miles north-east of Caversham, in Oxfordshire. Shiplake Cross is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Our area takes in places right across Oxfordshire, large and small.
We survey roofs across the RG9 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. Whether your property is on Memorial Avenue, Plowden Way and Orchard Close or anywhere close by, we can help. Other places close to Shiplake Cross include Binfield Heath (1 mile west), Harpsden (1 mile north), Harpsden Bottom (2 miles north-west), Henley-on-Thames (2 miles north) and Sonning Common (4 miles west). We also work in nearby towns such as Benson (12 miles north-west), Chinnor (14 miles north), Tilehurst (6 miles south-west), Wallingford (12 miles north-west), Little Heath (7 miles south-west) and Oakley (14 miles north).
Local landmarks in Shiplake Cross
In Shiplake Cross, that means homes and buildings near The Plough pub, The Piggott School and Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Shiplake station, about 1.1 miles north-east of the centre. Nearby you will also find Royal Berkshire Hospital (4.3 miles south-west) and Frazer Nash Archives (2 miles north). The countryside around Shiplake Cross includes Sonning Hill and South Lake.
Why it is worth a survey now in Shiplake Cross
It is tempting to skip the roof to keep a sale moving. Weekend visits are available as well as weekdays, and the Premium Survey report arrives the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. Older cottages and farmhouses around Shiplake Cross can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it is left.
Prices start from £150, inc. VAT, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both with VAT included. You will know the exact price before booking.
Why us?
- Surveys seven days a week
- 20+ years’ experience
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
Read how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
Towns and villages near Shiplake Cross
Also in Shiplake Cross
Practical tips
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Let us know your exchange date when booking
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
If the report shows work is needed, you can raise it with the seller or agent. You might ask for the work to be done before completion, or ask to adjust the price. What happens next is your decision and the seller’s, and we can’t promise any result.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
How it works
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. The inspection then takes roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, and more on a big or complicated roof. Older roofs in small places like Shiplake Cross can have low, tight loft spaces, so it’s useful to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. We only go where it is safe.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
How to prepare
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Let us know about parking near the property
How to book
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Related advice
Can I check my roof myself?
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Water spilling over the edge can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.