Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Shiplake Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Shiplake, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photos.
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- A ridge or slope that dips
Local roofs and buyers in Shiplake
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. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new. With Greys Court about 4.1 miles north-west, Shiplake sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Church of St Peter and St Paul, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them. Landlords with a home close to Wargrave station may find that it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Shiplake is about 3 miles north of Woodley, in Oxfordshire. Wherever you are in Shiplake, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Shiplake and the places around it.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: RG9. Other places close to Shiplake include Charvil (2 miles south), Twyford (2 miles south-east), Ruscombe (2 miles south-east), Hare Hatch (2 miles east) and The Holt (3 miles east). Larger places within reach include Benson (12 miles north-west), Chinnor (14 miles north), Tilehurst (7 miles south-west), Wallingford (12 miles north-west), Little Heath (7 miles west) and Oakley (14 miles north).
Around Shiplake
We work in homes and buildings around The Plough pub, Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School and Loddon Nature Reserve and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Wargrave station, about 0.9 miles east. Well-known places in the area include Royal Berkshire Hospital (4.2 miles south-west) and Frazer Nash Archives (2.1 miles north). Not far away are South Lake and Sonning Hill.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Shiplake
Some roofs cannot be seen well from the ground or from windows. Our Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and, where it applies, a drone inspection, and the report arrives the same day. If airspace rules or the weather rule out a flight, we will say so and look from the ground, windows and the loft instead. If you’ve noticed slipped or missing slates and tiles and lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney, we can find out what’s behind it, on clay and concrete tiles, chimney stacks and flat-roofed extensions and dormers alike.
In a village or hamlet like Shiplake, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. 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. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- Shiplake (RG9)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
Every visit follows the same pattern: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photographs as we go and make notes for the report. Most visits take about 1–2 hours at a typical home, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. In a hamlet or village like Shiplake, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. 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 ahead of time.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
Arrange a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. The price is agreed before a date is set.
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Common questions in Shiplake
Is Shiplake within the area you cover?
Yes, Shiplake is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Is Shiplake in the area you cover?
Yes, Shiplake is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
Will you need to get into the loft?
If it can be arranged, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If we cannot get in, the report says so.
How do I book a survey in Shiplake?
To book, call 07833 053749 or email us and let us know the address and what you want to find out. We’ll confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain is usually fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In high wind or heavy rain, a drone cannot fly and access may not be safe, and we’d agree another day.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and it’s safe, yes. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Checking the roof from the ground
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The roof’s overall size
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
Getting in touch
Getting the details right at the start saves time. Please include:
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Why it is worth a survey now in Shiplake
Leaving it means judging the roof from the street. That won’t show slipped slates on the rear slope, a worn valley or cracked flaunching. A survey fills that gap before you commit, with photos of anything that needs attention. For older village homes like those around Shiplake, the right replacement materials aren’t always easy to find quickly. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we can help you choose.
Why book us in Shiplake
- A report with photographs
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Packages from £150, including VAT
What we can’t see
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll recommend the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Shiplake
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
Before and after the survey
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Tell us your exchange date when booking
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
Your report arrives by email, with photos of what we found. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. 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. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Dealing with them early keeps water out.