Oxfordshire · London and the South East
St Clement's Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Get a clear view of the roof at a property in St Clement's. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
Common roof problems in St Clement's
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. Felt flat roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, and standing water, blisters and splits are typical signs of ageing. A buyer can easily miss them, because many can only be seen from an upstairs window.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
The streets around a church like St Clement's Church are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Questions to ask before you book
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
Pre-purchase roof survey in St Clement's
If you are buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. Depending on the lease, roof repairs may fall to the building owner or a management company. We look at as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. If you’re worried about loose pots and cracked flaunching and flashings that have lifted or split, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Around St Clement's, you will mostly find houses and bungalows of different ages. In older homes, the slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay holding them. Whether you’re buying or have just had the roof replaced, that hidden layer is worth knowing about. Older roofs often have bitumen felt under the coverings, as breathable membranes only arrived in the late 1990s.
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.
- Place
- St Clement's (OX4, OX1, OX3)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Useful tips for St Clement's property owners
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Each defect is explained in plain words, and recommendations are ranked by urgency where that helps.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
Different roofs, different checks
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead-lined valleys and gutters are common on older homes in London and the South East. Splits in a lead valley send water inside, and missing lead is not unknown, as it’s a target for thieves.
Gutters and parapets
Gutters, downpipes and outlets carry water away from walls. We check for blockages, leaking joints and sagging runs, along with fascias and soffits.
How the survey works
Once we’ve finished looking, we write up our findings as a photo-illustrated written report. On timing, most surveys take about one to two hours for a house, and longer for a large or complex roof. Parking around St Clement's is normally easier than in a town centre, but mention lanes, gates or long drives. On bungalows and lower roofs, much can be seen from the ground, with the loft showing the underside.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Leave side gates unlocked
Getting a price
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or send us an email, let us know about the property and we will explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
Why act early in St Clement's
After exchange, any roof defect is yours to deal with. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. A survey after you’ve moved in tells you the same things, but too late to use them in the purchase. Around St Clement's, leaves and moss in gutters lead to overflowing water and damp walls, especially where trees overhang. Dealing with the cause is simple; drying out a wall is not.
Every price we give includes VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the price for your survey before you book.
Why book with us
- An independent look at the roof
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- 98% of clients satisfied
- Every finding written up with photos
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or our case studies.
Common questions in St Clement's
Is my home in St Clement's listed or in a conservation area?
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.
Do you cover St Clement's?
Yes, St Clement's is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in St Clement's as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
What insurance do you have?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It works alongside a home survey.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
How experienced are you?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Buying a home or a new roof in St Clement's
If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
For landlords with property near Oxford station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. Historic houses such as Holywell Manor, about 0.5 miles north-west, show how far back building around St Clement's goes. If you’re buying an older home nearby, it’s worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
St Clement's is about 1 mile west of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. St Clement's is one of many places we visit across Oxfordshire, for homes and businesses alike. Our area takes in places right across Oxfordshire.
We cover every part of the OX4, OX1 and OX3 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on Rose Lane, Alma Lane and Avenue Lane or anywhere close by, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Oxford (1 mile east), Headington Hill (1 mile north-east), St. Ebbes (1 mile west), New Marston (1 mile north) and Donnington (1 mile south). Larger places within reach include Didcot (10 miles south), Bicester (11 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (5 miles south), Witney (11 miles west), Carterton (15 miles west) and Thame (12 miles east).
Landmarks near St Clement's
We work in homes and buildings around Cheney School, Alexander Library of Ornithology and Oxford Media & Business School. Also close by are Headington Hill Park (within half a mile north-east) and Oxford Coach & Horses pub (within half a mile east). The closest station to St Clement's is Oxford station, about 1.3 miles west. Nearby you will also find Oxford Castle (0.9 miles west) and Frank Cooper Marmalade Museum (within half a mile west). For a walk, there is CS Lewis Nature Reserve and Headington Hill.
Towns and villages near St Clement's
More services for St Clement's
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in St Clement's
Our packages start from £150, inc. VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The size of the roof
- The shape of the roof and its details
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
For a price for your roof in St Clement's, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details. We’ll confirm the figure before booking.
Helping us price your survey
A few details help us point you to the right survey and price. When you contact us, tell us:
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- What made you get in touch
- The property’s address and postcode
- What kind of property and roof it is
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will explain the options and the price.