Reading · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Sonning Common, Reading
A careful look at the roof at your property in Sonning Common, with photos and a written report.
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Sonning Common
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where it applies and a same-day report. Choose the level that suits the home you are buying. All three include a report with photographs and recommendations. We’re frequently asked to look into bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and signs of past leaks inside the loft, on clay and concrete tiles, lead flashings and valleys and the roof space.
In a smaller place like Sonning Common, homes are mostly houses and bungalows, from older cottages to more recent builds. In older homes, the slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay holding them. For a purchase or a newly replaced roof, what’s under the coverings matters as much as what’s on top. Breathable membranes only appeared in the late 1990s, so older roofs frequently have bitumen felt or nothing at all.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Where
- Sonning Common (RG4, RG9)
- Wider area
- Reading
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
For a price for your roof in Sonning Common, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Getting in touch
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Common roof problems in Sonning Common
A chimney stack stands out in the wind and rain. Mortar erodes, the flaunching around the pots cracks and the flashings work loose. A stack may be shared with the neighbours, which matters if work is needed.
Most people get in touch after spotting one of these:
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- A ridge or slope that dips
If you let a flat or house near Henley-On-Thames station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Questions to ask before booking
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
Nearby places to Sonning Common
Other services in Sonning Common
Sonning Common questions
Do you cover smaller places like Sonning Common?
Yes, Sonning Common is covered. Our area covers London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
How do I find out if my home in Sonning Common is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Will you climb onto the roof?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the loft space.
How soon is the report ready?
That depends on which survey you choose: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your exchange date and we will help you choose.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We fly a sub-250g drone and we are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys.
How long does the survey visit take?
On site, it usually takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
Checking the roof from the ground
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date.
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roofs
Ponding, blistering, splits and worn upstands are the usual warning signs. We check outlets too, since a blocked one leaves water sitting on the roof.
Gutters and parapets
Some older terraces have a butterfly roof with a central valley gutter. If yours does, we check that gutter and where it drains.
Tips that help
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Ask for loft access on the day
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.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, particularly after autumn. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Sonning Common: local notes
Greys Court, about 2.2 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Sonning Common. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
For an older house near a landmark such as The Church of Christ the King, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Sonning Common is about 3 miles north of Caversham, in Reading. From houses to flats and shops in Sonning Common, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Our area takes in places right across Reading, large and small.
We work across the RG4 and RG9 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Wood Lane, Green Lane and Woodbury Close. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Peppard Hill (1 mile north-west), Rotherfield Peppard (1 mile north), Kidmore End (1 mile south-west), Kingwood Common (1 mile north-west) and Shepherd's Green (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Caversham (3 miles south), Norcot (4 miles south-west), West Reading (4 miles south), Tilehurst Within (5 miles south-west), Shinfield (8 miles south) and Arborfield Garrison (10 miles south). Sonning Common is one of the larger places we cover in Reading.
Around Sonning Common
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge, The Warwick School and Hare & Hounds pub and the streets around them. The closest station to Sonning Common is Henley-On-Thames station, about 3.7 miles east. Other landmarks nearby include Frazer Nash Archives (3.8 miles east) and Battle Hospital (4.1 miles south). The countryside around Sonning Common includes Sonning Hill and Warburg Nature Reserve.
What happens on the day
Photographs are taken throughout the visit, so you can see in the report what we found and where. We take close-ups from wherever is safe, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes about one to two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. A visit to a smaller place like Sonning Common is no different on the day: we look from the ground, from windows, from the loft and from the roof where it is safe. Point out any stains, cracks or loose pieces you’ve spotted.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re buying.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Before the survey
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
Booking a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from the ground or a window. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.