Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Swerford Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Swerford and the rest of Oxfordshire. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends.
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
Pre-purchase roof survey in Swerford
The roof is one of the most expensive parts of a home to repair, and one of the hardest for a buyer to see. Our pre-purchase roof survey gives you a close look at it before you’re committed. We check the coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, plus the loft where there is safe access. You get a written report with photographs. We are often asked to look into blistered or split felt on a flat roof and slates or tiles that have slipped or gone, across natural slate, lead flashings and valleys and flat-roofed extensions and dormers.
Older buildings in small places like Swerford may be listed or in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it’s worth knowing which applies. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Place
- Swerford (OX7)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Different roofs, different checks
Natural slate
Slate is common on Victorian and Edwardian houses. We look for slates that have slid, cracked or gone, and for clips or tingles that show past repairs.
Flat roofs
Ponding, blistering, splits and worn upstands are the usual warning signs. Blocked outlets are checked as well.
Local roofs and buyers in Swerford
Older buildings in west Oxfordshire often have Cotswold stone slate roofs, and some Oxfordshire villages still have thatch. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. Older buildings may be listed or sit in a conservation area. To find out, check Historic England’s list and ask the council about conservation areas. In either case, a change of roofing material may need consent.
Around Swerford, as everywhere, small roof faults are simplest to sort before they let water in.
Swerford is about 7 miles south-west of Banbury, in Oxfordshire. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Swerford and the surrounding area. Swerford is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. For surveys nearby, see our Oxford page.
Every address in OX7 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Streets in the area include Chapel Hill and St Mary's Lane, all of which we cover. Other places close to Swerford include Wigginton (1 mile north-east), Little Tew (2 miles south), Great Tew (2 miles south-east), Hook Norton (2 miles north-west) and South Newington (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Banbury (7 miles north-east), Bicester (14 miles south-east), Witney (13 miles south), Kidlington (13 miles south-east), Bure Park (13 miles east) and Chipping Norton (5 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Swerford
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Boxing Hare pub and the streets around them. A little further out are Old Forge Museum (Great Tew) (1.6 miles south-east). For a walk, there’s Woodford Bottom and Lamb's Pool.
What we are asked to look at in Swerford
Chimneys take the worst of the weather and they’re frequently 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 can affect how any work is arranged.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St Mary, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- How soon the report will arrive
- Which limits apply to the survey
Nearby places to Swerford
Also in Swerford
Tips that help
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
Once the home is yours, the report becomes a maintenance list. Deal with the urgent items first, and keep the photos to compare against later. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months to see how things have changed.
Check the roof from the garden and the street after a storm. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Dealing with them early keeps water out.
DIY checks: what’s safe
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and a few details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Helping us price your survey
There’s no need for technical words. It’s enough to let us know:
- When you need the report by
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Common questions in Swerford
Do you carry out roof surveys in Swerford?
Yes, Swerford is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Swerford as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Swerford?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
When will the report arrive?
That depends on which survey you choose: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your timetable as you book.
How long will you be at the property?
The visit usually takes between one and two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. We’ll confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Let us know your preferred days as you book.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so the freeholder or managing agent needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Where it is safe, yes. 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 it applies.
How it works
The visit has one job: to see as much of the roof as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It usually takes about one to two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Somewhere as small as Swerford, access is often the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed ahead of time.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations before you exchange.
Before we arrive
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
Booking a survey
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll explain the options and the price.