Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Swinbrook Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Swinbrook and the rest of Oxfordshire. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Swinbrook
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 proper look at it before you are committed. We check the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, plus the loft where there’s safe access. The findings come in a written report with photos. If you’ve noticed ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof and gutters that overflow or drip at the joints, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on flat-roofed extensions and dormers, lead flashings and valleys and gutters and downpipes alike.
In a village or hamlet like Swinbrook, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Whether you are buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Swinbrook (OX18)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
We only report what can safely be seen on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
- Whether timbers meet design loads
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll point you to the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Swinbrook
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
Questions from Swinbrook
Is my home in Swinbrook listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Will you come out to Swinbrook?
Yes, Swinbrook is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
How experienced are you?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys, across London and South East England.
Does the weather affect the survey?
A survey can usually go ahead in light rain. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so if conditions aren’t right we’ll arrange another day with you.
Does someone need to be in?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling aren’t 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.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where applicable.
Before and after the survey
Nothing here needs a ladder. Our suggestions:
- Let us know your timetable
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
Your report arrives by email, with photos of what we found. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Findings are set out in plain English, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
Every so often, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
DIY checks: what’s safe
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
It’s useful to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when booking and it will help the survey.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Swinbrook
Slates and tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay that hold them. Good slate can last well over a century, but corroded nails let slates slip. It is a frequent finding on older houses and easy to miss from ground level.
People usually book a survey after spotting one of these:
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
If you live in an older home 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
- Are they insured for the work?
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Will the report include photos?
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
How the survey works
Every visit follows the same pattern: we listen to what’s been worrying you, inspect the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and record our findings for the written report. It typically takes an hour or two for a house, and more on a big or complicated roof. Around Swinbrook, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- 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.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Getting ready for the survey
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
How to book
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email, let us know about the property and we’ll suggest the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Read more
Towns and villages near Swinbrook
What else we do in Swinbrook
Local roofs and buyers in Swinbrook
Minster Lovell Hall, about 2.9 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Swinbrook. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Older buildings in west Oxfordshire frequently 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. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
Landlords with a home close to Shipton station may find that the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Swinbrook is about 3 miles north of Carterton, in Oxfordshire. Wherever you are in Swinbrook, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property. Swinbrook is one of the places in Oxfordshire where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. You can also see our page for Oxford.
All of OX18 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Other places close to Swinbrook include Leafield (3 miles north-east), Shipton-under-Wychwood (3 miles north), Ascott d'Oyley (3 miles north-east), Ascott Earl (3 miles north) and Ascott-under-Wychwood (4 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Witney (5 miles south-east), Carterton (3 miles south), Faringdon (11 miles south), Kidlington (13 miles east), Chipping Norton (9 miles north) and St John Street area (15 miles east).
What’s near Swinbrook
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Swan pub. The closest station to Swinbrook is Shipton station, about 3.3 miles north.
Why get it checked now?
A mortgage valuation isn’t a roof survey. Its job is to check the property’s value for the mortgage, not at the condition of each slate and flashing. Our survey is done for you. Outbuildings and barns around Swinbrook are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. It is worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, how it can safely be seen and the package you choose.
Why book us in Swinbrook
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Visits on any day of the week
See our cost guide or our case studies.