Hampshire · London and the South East
Southwood Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Southwood, using drones and thermal imaging where it applies. Call or email for a price.
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
Southwood questions
Do you cover smaller places like Southwood?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Southwood?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. Farnborough Airport is about 2 miles away, so we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before any flight. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and the rest of the survey does not depend on the drone.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. Where a material might contain it, such as old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That way you can still act on what we find, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Do I need to be at home?
Not necessarily. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so whoever owns or manages the building needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Southwood
Tall, steep or hidden roofs are hard to judge from the street. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, plus a drone inspection where applicable, along with a same-day report. Where a flight is not possible, because of airspace rules or the weather, we tell you and inspect from every other safe vantage point. We survey natural slate, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and chimney stacks, and people most often book us about roof slopes that look uneven or sagging and slates or tiles that have slipped or gone.
Bungalows, chalet bungalows and older cottages are common in smaller places like Southwood, many of them extended or given dormers over the years. Low roofs are easier to see from ground level, but dormer cheeks, valleys and flat-roofed additions still need close attention. The same goes for a purchase or a new roof around Southwood. Snags and wear both tend to show at dormer lead work and along flat-roof edges.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Location
- Southwood (GU14, GU51)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips from our surveys
You do not need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Share the report with your solicitor
You may want to pass the report to your solicitor or conveyancer so they can raise enquiries with the seller’s side. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it.
Keep the loft ventilated. 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.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Southwood
Rear extensions, dormers and garages often have flat roofs. Felt flat roofs frequently last around 15 to 20 years, and ponding, blisters and splits are common signs of age. A buyer can easily miss them, especially when they’re only visible from an upper floor.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- A ridge or slope that dips
If you let a flat or house near Fleet station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Before you book anyone
- What the survey won’t cover
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- How soon the report will arrive
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
How it works
The aim of the visit is simple: to look at the roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. The visit typically takes roughly 1–2 hours for a house, and more on a big or complicated roof. Homes around Southwood often have gardens on more than one side, which gives us room to step back and see the roof. Let us know if any side is fenced off or hard to reach. The loft, where there’s safe access, completes the picture.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from every safe vantage point, inside and out.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Preparing for the visit
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
Book a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you’re ready.
Read more
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, from shops and offices to industrial units. Bigger roofs take more time.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Southwood and across Hampshire can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
Also near Southwood
Also in Southwood
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Southwood: local notes
Some Hampshire villages still have thatched roofs. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about. Southwood is about 2 miles from Farnborough Airport. Where the drone is part of the survey, the Drone Safety Map is checked for restrictions first.
For an older house near a landmark like St John the Baptist, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Southwood is about 1 mile west of Farnborough, in Hampshire. We survey roofs in Southwood and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and the South East. Southwood is one of the towns and villages in Hampshire where we work. For surveys nearby, see our Guildford page.
Every address in GU14 and GU51 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Fleet Road, Kennels Lane and Summit Avenue and the roads around them. If you are just outside Southwood, we cover Cove (1 mile north), Farnborough (1 mile east), North Camp (2 miles east), Mytchett (3 miles east) and Aldershot (3 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns like Basingstoke (13 miles west), Alton (12 miles south-west), Yateley (4 miles north-west), Bordon (13 miles south), Hook (7 miles west) and Popley (12 miles west).
Landmarks near Southwood
In Southwood, that means homes and buildings near National Aerospace Library, Ancells Farm Park and Cove School and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Fleet station, about 1.5 miles west. Other landmarks nearby include Hart Shopping Centre (2.1 miles west) and Royal Army Dental Corps Historical Museum (2.6 miles south-east). Open spaces near Southwood include Aunt's Pool and Ball Hill.