Isle of Wight · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Southford
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Southford from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Southford
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, so the roof is one item among many. We don’t offer a RICS home survey, and ours isn’t a substitute for one. It adds a focused look at the roof on its own, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. You can have both. Common reasons to book are blocked or leaking gutters and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs, on gutters and downpipes, lead flashings and valleys and chimney stacks.
In a village or hamlet like Southford, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. 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. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Southford (PO38)
- Wider area
- Isle of Wight
- 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
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Southford
To price your survey, we look at:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
What we need to know
The more you tell us, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, tell us:
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Dates you are working to, like exchange
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
Once you know what you need, ring 07833 053749 or email us. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Southford questions
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Southford?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Will you come out to Southford?
Yes, Southford is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the survey around it.
What insurance do you have?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Do you go up on 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. On Premium, a drone is used where applicable.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Ideally, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and views from upper windows help too. Access is usually arranged through the agent or seller.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
It depends on what we need to see. For inside areas and the loft space, someone has to give us access; we will agree the details when booking.
The survey, step by step
There isn’t much for you to do on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Around Southford, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- The roof is inspected from every safe vantage point, inside and out.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Book a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from ground level or a window, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Read more
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Tell us your exchange date when booking
- Check we’ll be able to get into the roof space
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Share the report with your solicitor
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, which makes quotes easier to compare.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
Roof by roof
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings are a common source of leaks, so we look at each one closely. We photograph any that need work.
Chimney stacks
A stack stands exposed above the roof line. The pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings are all checked.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed beforehand. Surveys run seven days a week, which can make access easier.
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as householders. A written report with photos gives you a clear record of the roof, useful for planning maintenance.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Without a survey, you’re relying on a glance from the pavement. That won’t show slipped slates on the rear slope, a worn valley or cracked flaunching. A survey fills that gap before you commit. For older village homes like those around Southford, the right replacement materials are not always easy to find quickly. That’s one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
All our prices include VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the price for the job before booking.
Why book with us
- Package prices that include VAT
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- An independent view of the roof
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Nearby places to Southford
Also in Southford
Local roofs and buyers in Southford
Southford lies within about 2 miles of the sea, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, and loose ridges, slates and tiles are the first to lift in a gale, so exposed details get a close look whether you are buying or signing off new work. If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
Sheat Manor, about 3.7 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Southford. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area. For landlords with property near Shanklin station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in. Take an older house close to Church of St. Mary and St. Radegund: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Southford is about 6 miles south of Newport, in the Isle of Wight. We cover Southford and the rest of the Isle of Wight, as part of our work across London and South East England. Across the Isle of Wight, we cover Southford and the places around it. We also survey roofs in Portsmouth.
Surveys in PO38 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Bierley (1 mile south-west), Nettlecombe (1 mile south-east), Godshill (2 miles north), Wroxall (2 miles east) and Sandford (2 miles north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Newport (6 miles north), Ryde (9 miles north-east), Cowes (10 miles north), Sandown (6 miles north-east), Shanklin (4 miles east) and Ventnor (3 miles east). If you are somewhere remote, the survey takes a little more planning, so mention it as you book.
Landmarks near Southford
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The White Horse Inn, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Shanklin station, roughly 4.5 miles north-east. Other landmarks nearby include Blackgang Sawmill Museum (2.2 miles south-west) and Arthur Webster Memorial Hospital for Children (4.5 miles north-east). Not far away are Stenbury Down.