Portsmouth · London and the South East
Tipner Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Need a pre-purchase roof survey in Tipner? We can help, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Tipner
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Tipner, take more of a battering?
It can do. Tipner is within about 1 mile of the sea, and coastal roofs tend to see faster wear on metal parts and more wind lifting loose pieces.
Will you come out to Tipner?
Yes, Tipner is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
It’s your choice, but the two do different jobs. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Our survey complements a RICS survey and doesn’t replace one.
How quickly will I get the report?
That depends on which survey you choose: Basic within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Let us know your exchange date and we will help you choose.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You will have photos and a written description of each defect, which you can share with the seller or agent. We can’t promise how the seller will respond.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
Allow about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. We will confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Tipner
Tall, steep or hidden roofs are hard to judge from the street. Our Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and, where applicable, a drone inspection, and the report arrives the same day. If airspace rules or the weather rule out a flight, we’ll say so and look from the ground, windows and the loft instead. If you’ve noticed cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing and gaps where slates or tiles have come loose, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Bungalows, chalet bungalows and older cottages are common in smaller places like Tipner, and many have been extended or had dormers added. Even on a low roof, dormers, valleys and flat-roofed additions need a careful look. The same goes for a purchase or a new roof around Tipner. Snags and wear both tend to show at dormer lead work and along flat-roof edges.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Location
- Tipner (PO2)
- Wider area
- Portsmouth
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the loft space if there is safe access. All told, expect an hour or two at a typical home; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. In a smaller place like Tipner, parking is seldom the issue; lanes, gates and long drives are worth mentioning. On bungalows and lower roofs, much can be seen from ground level, with the loft showing the underside.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re buying.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- 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
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
How to book
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Related advice
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when tenants work during the week.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord. Access is agreed with the tenant beforehand.
When to book a survey in Tipner
The fixings and underlay often fail before good slates or tiles do. Good slate can last well over a century, but corroded nails let slates slip. That kind of wear is common on older roofs.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- A ridge or slope that dips
If your house is among the older ones in the streets near St Saviour's Church, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Are they insured for the work?
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- How soon the report will arrive
Other services in Tipner
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Tipner
Tipner lies within about 1 mile of the sea, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces. If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
For landlords with property near Portsmouth & Southsea station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Tipner is about 1 mile north-west of Portsmouth, in Portsmouth. We survey roofs in Tipner and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Our Portsmouth coverage includes Tipner and the places around it.
Every address in PO2 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. That includes homes and businesses on Knox Road, Croft Road and Whaley Road. With the M275 and A2047 close by, Tipner is simple for us to get to. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include North End (1 mile east), Rudmore (1 mile south-east), Portsmouth (1 mile south-east), Landport (1 mile south) and Hilsea (1 mile north-east).
Near you in Tipner
Typical jobs here are in homes near St Edmund's Catholic School, Mother Shipton pub and Mayfield School and the streets around them. The closest station to Tipner is Portsmouth & Southsea station, about 1.4 miles south. A little further out are Charles Dickens Birthplace Museum (0.8 miles south) and Portchester Castle (1.8 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Milton Locks and Portsdown Hill.
Useful tips for Tipner property owners
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
After you move in, keep the report somewhere safe. Work through the urgent items before anything else, and keep the photos to compare against later. The Premium Survey includes a 12-month follow-up to see how things have changed.
Don’t block the vents at the eaves. Condensation in a roof space can look like a leak and can damage timbers over time. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air can’t flow.
Roof by roof
Natural slate
On a slate roof, the underlay may be old bitumen felt, or there may be none at all on very old roofs. From inside the loft space, we report what we can see of it.
Chimney stacks
A stack stands exposed above the roof line. We check the pots, the flaunching, the pointing and the flashings, as far as we can see them safely.
What this survey can’t tell you
Every survey has limits, and it’s better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you before booking. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes