Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Shirburn Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Shirburn, and put it all in a photo-illustrated written report.
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roofs
Repeated coatings on a flat roof can mask what’s underneath. We record what we can see and say where a closer look is needed.
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay and concrete tiles commonly last 50 years or more. Cracked, slipped or missing tiles are noted, and for mismatched replacements that point to past repairs.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Shirburn
We survey roofs for buyers in Shirburn and across London and South East England. From terraced and semi-detached homes to detached houses and flats, we follow the same careful process. We tell you what’s sound, what needs attention and how urgent it is. We’re insured for professional indemnity and public liability, with more than 20 years’ experience behind us. To book, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We survey the roof space, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and gutters and downpipes, and people most often book us about gutters choked with leaves and moss and standing water on a flat extension roof.
Being in a small place like Shirburn 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. Whether you’re buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Visits can be booked on any day of the week.
What you get is a clear record of the roof on the day we saw it. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later.
- Location
- Shirburn (OX49)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
We check the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the roof space too. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey usually takes about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. In a hamlet or village like Shirburn, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from each safe vantage point, inside and out.
- 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.
Before the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Book a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Read more
Should I look at the roof myself first?
It’s useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when booking and it will help the survey.
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Why it’s worth a survey now in Shirburn
The lender’s valuation is done for the lender, not for you. Its job is to check the property’s value for the mortgage, and it won’t look closely at the roof. Our survey is done for you. For an older or listed building in a place like Shirburn, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, including VAT, and we can help you choose.
What you get with us
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
- An independent view of the roof
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Every finding written up with photos
See what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
Also near Shirburn
Also in Shirburn
Shirburn questions
Do you cover Shirburn?
Yes, Shirburn is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Shirburn?
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.
Does someone need to be in?
Someone needs to let us in if we are looking inside or in the loft. We’ll talk about access when you book.
Can you survey in bad weather?
A survey can typically go ahead in light rain, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so we will agree a new date if the weather is not suitable.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That way you can still act on what we find.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where applicable and safe. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys.
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
Before and after the survey
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Some pointers:
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Book once your offer is accepted
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. The photos show the defects and where they are, so each quote covers the same ground.
Do not block the vents at the eaves. Condensation in a roof space can look like a leak and can damage timbers over time. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air cannot flow.
Local roofs and buyers in Shirburn
Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about. Where the drone is part of the survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Take an older house close to All Saints Church: the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light. Historic houses such as Adwell House, about 2.4 miles north, show how far back building around Shirburn goes. Older homes in the area can come with listed status or conservation area rules, which affect re-roofing, so check with the council before you buy.
Shirburn is about 6 miles south of Thame, in Oxfordshire. We survey roofs in Shirburn and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Shirburn is one of the places in Oxfordshire where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. You can also see our page for Oxford.
All of OX49 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Watlington Road, Castle Road and Blenheim Road. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Lewknor (1 mile north-east), South Weston (2 miles north), Christmas Common (2 miles south-east), Postcombe (2 miles north) and Howe Hill (3 miles south). We also work in nearby towns such as Oxford (12 miles north-west), Didcot (11 miles west), Abingdon-on-Thames (13 miles west), Thame (6 miles north), Henley-on-Thames (9 miles south-east) and Benson (5 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Shirburn
Around Shirburn, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Watlington Primary School, St Mary's Church and The Chequers pub, among other places. The countryside around Shirburn includes Aston Rowant NNR and Bald Hill.