Surrey · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Shortfield Common, Surrey
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Shortfield Common, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
Pre-purchase roof survey in Shortfield Common: what you get
Older homes often have roofs that have been patched over the years. Corroded nails let slates slide, valley linings wear thin and chimney mortar erodes. Little of that is easy to judge from the pavement on a viewing. We look closely and record what we see, with photos so you can see it for yourself. Each finding is explained in plain words, so you know what it means for the house you’re buying. If you are worried about worn or lifted lead flashings and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Somewhere as small as Shortfield Common, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings frequently sit beside a few newer homes. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Whether you’re buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
After the visit, you get a written report with photographs, sent by email. It explains the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- Shortfield Common (GU10)
- Wider area
- Surrey
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What you can safely check yourself
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
Shortfield Common questions
How do I find out if my home in Shortfield Common is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Do you cover smaller places like Shortfield Common?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
How quickly will I get the report?
Premium reports arrive the same day, Standard reports within 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed with photos included.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it’s safe to do so. We inspect from ground level, from windows and vantage points, from the loft and from the roof itself where safe. The Premium Survey adds a drone inspection where applicable.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Shortfield Common?
To book, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We do not sample or test for asbestos. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That gives you time to use the findings.
Why it’s worth a survey now in Shortfield Common
A mortgage valuation is not a roof survey. Its job is to check the property’s value for the mortgage, not at the condition of each slate and flashing. A roof survey is carried out for the buyer, and the report is written for you to use. In a small place like Shortfield Common, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
We offer three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why us?
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
Honest limits
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Whether timbers meet design loads
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
The survey, step by step
We work from the outside in: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. In total, it takes about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Somewhere like Shortfield Common needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof 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 check the roof from ground level, from windows, from the loft space and from the roof where 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.
Before we arrive
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Keep pets in another room
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Getting a price
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Read more
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Shortfield Common
If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. The wider area around Shortfield Common has a long history of building, with Farnham Castle about 3 miles north. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs.
If you let a flat or house near Farnham station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Mary the Virgin, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Shortfield Common is about 2 miles south of Farnham, in Surrey. Shortfield Common is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and the South East. Across Surrey, we cover Shortfield Common and the places around it. There is also a page for Guildford.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: GU10. That includes homes and businesses on Hamlash Lane, West End Lane and Moons Hill and the roads around them. Other places close to Shortfield Common include Millbridge (1 mile east), Frensham (1 mile south), Lower Bourne (1 mile north), Tilford Reeds (2 miles east) and Crosswater (2 miles south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Guildford (11 miles north-east), Woking (14 miles north-east), Camberley (11 miles north), Frimley (10 miles north), Haslemere (7 miles south-east) and Cranleigh (14 miles east).
What’s near Shortfield Common
Typical jobs here are in homes near Underdown nature reserve, Weydon School and St Mary's CofE Aided Infant School and the streets around them. The closest station to Shortfield Common is Farnham station, roughly 2.5 miles north. Well-known places in the area include Museum of Farnham (2.6 miles north) and Chase Community Hospital (5.5 miles south-west). The countryside around Shortfield Common includes Culverswell Hill and Farnham Heath.
What a survey costs
Survey packages start from £150, inc. VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- How big the roof is
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- House, block, shop or office
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, from £400 inc. VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Getting in touch
Getting the details right at the start saves time. It helps to include:
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- What’s prompted the survey
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Shortfield Common, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Some details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
The rainwater system keeps water off the walls. We check for blockages, leaking joints and sagging runs.
Flat roofs
Many homes have a flat roof somewhere, often over an extension. Felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. We look for signs of age and failure.