Southampton · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in St Denys, Southampton
Pre-purchase roof surveys around St Denys, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Old water stains in the roof space
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in St Denys
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- Roof area
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT.
What we need to know
Getting the details right at the start saves time. Please include:
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- When you need the report by
- The property’s address and postcode
- What kind of property and roof it is
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form, let us know about the property and we will explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
Pre-purchase roof survey in St Denys
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, including VAT. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where applicable and a same-day report. Choose the level that suits the home you’re buying. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. If you’re worried about loose pots and cracked flaunching and blocked or leaking gutters, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on lead flashings and valleys, the roof space and gutters and downpipes alike.
Around St Denys, you’ll mostly find houses and bungalows of different ages. 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 often have bitumen felt or nothing at all.
We write the report in plain English, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Each point is backed by a photo where possible, with the urgent items made clear.
- Location
- St Denys (SO17, SO18, SO14)
- Region
- Southampton
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
Getting the most from a pre-purchase roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Let us know your exchange date as you book
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
After you move in, keep the report somewhere safe. Deal with the urgent items first, and keep the photos to compare against later. The Premium Survey includes a 12-month follow-up to see how things have changed.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, especially after autumn. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in St Denys: local notes
The coast is about 3 miles or less from St Denys, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Corroded clips and nails and lifted ridge pieces are typical of exposed roofs near the sea, which is worth knowing before you buy or pay for new work. Some Hampshire villages still have thatched roofs. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Denys, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them. With South Stoneham House about 1 mile north-east, the area around St Denys has a long history. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later.
St Denys is about 1 mile north-east of Southampton, in Southampton. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in St Denys and the surrounding area. Our area takes in places right across Southampton, from the larger towns to small villages.
All of SO17, SO18 and SO14 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on Ivy Road, Lawn Road and Kent Road. St Denys sits on or near the A335 and A3035. Other places close to St Denys include Portswood (1 mile north-west), Bitterne Manor (1 mile south-east), Southampton (1 mile south-west), Bitterne Park (1 mile east) and Inner Avenue (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include Maybush (3 miles west), Coxford (3 miles west), Eling (4 miles west), Rownhams (3 miles north-west), Millbrook (3 miles west) and Weston (3 miles south).
Near you in St Denys
Typical jobs here are in homes near South Western Arms, Riverside Park and St Mary's Independent School, among other places. St Denys has its own railway station: St Denys station. Other landmarks nearby include Royal South Hants Hospital (0.9 miles south-west) and Marlands Shopping Centre (1.5 miles south-west). Open spaces near St Denys include Netley Common.
Honest limits
No survey can tell you everything, and we’d rather be clear about that before booking. Keep these in mind:
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer before booking. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
Towns and villages near St Denys
Other services in St Denys
Different roofs, different checks
Flat roofs
Flat roofs on extensions, dormers and garages are easy to forget about. Felt roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, rubber longer and GRP up to about 30. We look for signs of age and failure.
Lead flashings and valleys
Many older houses have lead in their valleys and hidden gutters. Worn or cracked lead lets water straight into the roof, and lead is also a target for theft.
St Denys questions
Is drone flying allowed in St Denys?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. The flight restriction zone around Southampton Airport covers St Denys, or comes right up to its edge. We ask the airport for permission before flying there, and only fly if it’s given. Strong wind or a downpour also stops a small drone flying, and the rest of the survey does not depend on the drone.
Is the coastal weather around St Denys hard on roofs?
It can do. St Denys is within about 3 miles of the sea, and coastal roofs tend to see faster wear on metal parts and more wind lifting loose pieces.
Can I use the report to negotiate on price?
Yes. Buyers use the findings to ask questions, ask for repairs before completion or ask for a price change. What the seller agrees to is their decision.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It is not a replacement for a RICS survey.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings.
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 roof space, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where applicable.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in St Denys?
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know the address and what you need to know. We will confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in St Denys
Chimneys take the worst of the weather and they’re often the least maintained part of a roof. Pointing crumbles, flaunching cracks and flashings lift. On terraced and semi-detached homes, a stack may be shared with next door, which matters if work is needed.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
For landlords with property near St Denys station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Before you book anyone
- What insurance they carry
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
How the survey works
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. The whole visit normally takes roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. With a bit of garden around a house, as there often is around St Denys, the roof can be viewed from several angles. Let us know if any side is fenced off or hard to reach. The loft, where there is safe access, completes the picture.
- You book once your offer is accepted and let us know the address and your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We look at the roof from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- We email a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Leave side gates unlocked
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
How to book
When you’re ready to go ahead, call 07833 053749 or send us an email. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.