Oxfordshire · London and the South East
West Hanney Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys in West Hanney and the rest of Oxfordshire. We survey seven days a week.
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when booking.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in West Hanney
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, including VAT. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check. Premium goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where it applies and a same-day report. Pick the one that fits the property. All three include a report with photographs and recommendations. If you’ve noticed lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney and loose pots and cracked flaunching, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Somewhere as small as West Hanney, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings often sit beside a few newer homes. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Whether you’re buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
After the visit, you get a written report with photos, sent by email. It explains the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Where
- West Hanney (OX12)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Why get it checked now?
It’s tempting to skip the roof to keep a sale moving. We visit seven days a week, and the Premium Survey report arrives the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. For older village homes like those around West Hanney, the right replacement materials aren’t always easy to find quickly. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why us?
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Photos and a written report every time
- Surveys seven days a week
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
Take a look at our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.
Roof by roof
Clay and concrete tiles
Tiled roofs frequently last half a century or longer. We check for slipped, cracked and missing tiles, along with odd replacement tiles that hint at earlier leaks.
Gutters and parapets
The rainwater system keeps water off the walls. Leaking joints, sagging lengths and blockages are all noted.
Practical tips
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Share the report with your solicitor
You may want to pass the report to your solicitor or conveyancer so they can raise enquiries with the seller’s side. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it, particularly where we’ve found patch repairs.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in West Hanney
Does a conservation area affect roof work in West Hanney?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Do you cover West Hanney?
Yes. Our area covers London and the South East, and West Hanney is part of that. You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Mention it when you get in touch and we will plan the survey around it.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it is not a RICS home survey. It works alongside a home survey.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
They do different things. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. What the seller agrees to is their decision.
West Hanney homes and their roofs
West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
Historic houses such as Longworth House, about 4.2 miles north, show how far back building around West Hanney goes. If you are buying an older home nearby, it’s worth knowing whether it’s listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
West Hanney is about 3 miles north of Wantage, in Oxfordshire. We survey roofs in West Hanney and the rest of Oxfordshire. Our area takes in places right across Oxfordshire. We also survey roofs in Oxford.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: OX12. Local streets include Main Street, The Croft and School Road, all of which we cover. If you are just outside West Hanney, we cover Lyford (1 mile north-west), Denchworth (2 miles south-west), Grove (2 miles south), Charney Bassett (2 miles north-west) and Kingston Bagpuize (3 miles north). Further out, we also cover Oxford (11 miles north-east), Didcot (7 miles east), Abingdon-on-Thames (6 miles north-east), Witney (11 miles north), Carterton (12 miles north-west) and Wantage (3 miles south).
What’s near West Hanney
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Black Horse pub, among other places. Other landmarks nearby include Abingdon Community Hospital (5.4 miles north-east) and Hinton Waldrist Castle (4.3 miles north-west). For a walk, there is Chain Hill and Letcombe Valley.
What we do, step by step
You do not need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. In a hamlet or village like West Hanney, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- We look at the roof from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Preparing for the visit
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
Book a survey
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Read more
When to book a survey in West Hanney
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 so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
Take an older house close to Church of St James: the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
What to check before booking
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Are they insured for the work?
- What exactly goes into their report
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID