Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Stanford in the Vale Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Find out the condition of the roof at your property in Stanford in the Vale from an independent roof surveyor. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Stanford in the Vale
With a written roof report, you can go back to the seller or agent with specifics. You can ask about the roof’s history, ask for repairs before completion or rethink the price. We can’t say how a seller will respond, but you’ll be asking from facts rather than guesses. It also helps you decide whether to go ahead at all. We’re often asked to look into chimney mortar that has eroded and gutters choked with leaves and moss, across the roof space, lead flashings and valleys and flat-roofed extensions and dormers.
In a smaller place like Stanford in the Vale, 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. Older roofs often have bitumen felt under the coverings, as breathable membranes only arrived in the late 1990s.
The report does not just list problems. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can decide what to do next.
- Where
- Stanford in the Vale (SN7)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
Every roof is different, but as a rough guide the survey takes about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. If you have questions on the day, just ask. A visit to a smaller place like Stanford in the Vale is no different on the day: we look from ground level, from windows, from the loft and from the roof where it is safe. It’s useful to show us anything you’ve already noticed.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Preparing for the visit
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Arrange a survey
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can phone 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
Related advice
Also in Stanford in the Vale
Before and after the survey
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Let us know your timetable
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, while Premium includes a consultation in person. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
Keep the loft ventilated. Condensation in a roof space can look like a leak and can damage timbers over time. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents so air can move.
What this survey can’t tell you
Our survey isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Stanford in the Vale
Is Stanford in the Vale within the area you cover?
Yes. Stanford in the Vale is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. Our area covers London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
Do you cover Stanford in the Vale?
Yes. We work right across London and South East England, and Stanford in the Vale is part of that. You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and some details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. The outcome is between you and the seller, so we cannot promise any saving.
How soon is the report ready?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed with photos included.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. Access is agreed with you when you book.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and details are available on request.
Do you go up on the roof?
Only where it is safe. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where applicable.
Can I check my roof myself?
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Stanford in the Vale: local notes
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. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about. With Longworth House about 4.7 miles north-east, Stanford in the Vale sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Stanford in the Vale is about 5 miles north-west of Wantage, in Oxfordshire. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in Stanford in the Vale. Our area takes in places right across Oxfordshire. Oxford is in our area too.
We work across the SN7 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. Streets in the area include High Street, Heigham Court and Fawkner Way, and we cover them all. Close by, we survey roofs in Bow (1 mile east), Hatford (1 mile north), Shellingford (1 mile west), Baulking (2 miles south-west) and Buckland (3 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Oxford (14 miles north-east), Didcot (12 miles east), Abingdon-on-Thames (10 miles east), Witney (10 miles north), Carterton (10 miles north) and Wantage (5 miles south-east).
What’s near Stanford in the Vale
Around Stanford in the Vale, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Horse & Jockey pub and The Old Church of St George, among other places. Nearby you’ll also find Faringdon Castle (3 miles north-west) and Faringdon Museum (3.4 miles north-west). Not far away are Dragon Hill.
Common roof problems in Stanford in the Vale
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before work starts.
Problems we come across frequently include:
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
The streets around a church such as Church of St Denys are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Which limits apply to the survey
- What experience they bring
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
What a survey costs
Not every roof costs the same to survey, for these reasons:
- House, block, shop or office
- Height and safe access
- Which survey package you book
- The roof’s overall size
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and which survey you book.
Helping us price your survey
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know where you stand. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.