Hampshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Tapnage, Hampshire
A careful look at the roof at your property in Tapnage, and put it all in a report with photographs.
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
Checking the roof from ground level
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
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 survey in Tapnage
Buying a home is a big commitment, and the roof is one of the costliest parts to put right. A pre-purchase roof survey looks at it closely before you’re tied in. We look at the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, and the roof space where it’s safe to get in. The findings come in a written report with photos. We are often asked to look into standing water on a flat extension roof and signs of past leaks inside the loft, across lead flashings and valleys, natural slate and clay and concrete tiles.
Somewhere as small as Tapnage, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings frequently sit beside a few newer homes. 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, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Where
- Tapnage (PO17)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
You do not need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
After you move in, keep the report somewhere safe. Work through the urgent items before anything else, and use the photos as a record of how the roof looked when you bought. 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. Small repairs done quickly stop bigger problems later.
Why get it checked now?
Without a survey, you are relying on a glance from the pavement. That won’t show slipped slates on the rear slope, a worn valley or cracked flaunching. We fill that gap before you’re tied in, with photos of anything that needs attention. Older cottages and farmhouses around Tapnage can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it is left.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, inc. VAT, and we’ll tell you which fits.
Why book with us
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Surveys seven days a week
The survey, step by step
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 typically 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. Older rural homes like those around Tapnage can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from the ground, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Getting ready for the survey
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
Getting a price
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or send us an email to find out.
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Questions from Tapnage
Will you come out to Tapnage?
Yes, Tapnage is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Is the coastal weather around Tapnage hard on roofs?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, while strong wind lifts anything already loose.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. You need the report before you exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. It is a dedicated roof survey, and you get a written report with photos. It isn’t a RICS survey and does not cover the rest of the house.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
They do different things. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Our survey complements a RICS survey and does not replace one.
How soon is the report ready?
It depends on the package: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your timetable when you book.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
Our packages start from £150, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can safely be seen and which survey you book.
What we need to know
A little information up front helps. It is useful to include:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Tapnage, call 07833 053749 or send us an email. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us price the survey accurately.
Towns and villages near Tapnage
Other services in Tapnage
Tapnage homes and their roofs
Tapnage is within about 4 miles of the coast, where wind off the sea can be strong. The weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead, as a small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour. There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so check with the council.
In and around Tapnage, as anywhere, a roof is easiest to deal with when its problems are found early. If you let a flat or house near Swanwick station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Tapnage is about 3 miles north of Fareham, in Hampshire. Wherever you are in Tapnage, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Tapnage is one of the places in Hampshire where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. For surveys nearby, see our Southampton page.
Here we cover the PO17 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We also cover Knowle (1 mile south-east), Funtley (1 mile south), Whiteley (2 miles west), Burridge (2 miles west) and Segensworth (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Winchester (12 miles north), Gosport (7 miles south-east), Havant (10 miles east), Eastleigh (8 miles north-west), Fareham (3 miles south) and Horndean (9 miles east).
Around Tapnage
The closest station to Tapnage is Swanwick station, about 2.4 miles south-west. A little further out are Knowle Hospital (0.9 miles south-east) and Fareham Shopping Centre (3.1 miles south-east). Open spaces near Tapnage include Swanwick Lakes.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out by urgency where it matters, which helps when budgeting.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photographs included.