Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Westcott Barton
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Westcott Barton, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Westcott Barton
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. That is when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when the chain is moving fast. The report comes within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. If you’re worried about roof slopes that look uneven or sagging and slates or tiles that have slipped or gone, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Being in a small place like Westcott Barton makes no difference to the inspection itself: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed beforehand. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Whether you are buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Visits can be booked on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Location
- Westcott Barton (OX7)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in Westcott Barton
Is Westcott Barton within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. We work right across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Westcott Barton?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys, over more than 20 years.
Do I need to be at home?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that in advance, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it is applicable. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We check the parts we are given access to, and the report makes that clear.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It is not a replacement for a RICS survey.
Local roofs and buyers in Westcott Barton
Before planning roof work on an older home, find out whether it’s listed or in a conservation area. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area. If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
Landlords with a home close to Heyford station may find that it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Westcott Barton is about 9 miles south of Banbury, in Oxfordshire. Bookings from Westcott Barton are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Westcott Barton and the places around it. For surveys nearby, see our Oxford page.
We work across OX7 for pre-purchase roof surveys. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Enstone Road and Sandford St Martin Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Middle Barton (1 mile east), Sandford St Martin (1 mile north-west), Steeple Barton (1 mile east), Nether Worton (2 miles north) and Duns Tew (3 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Oxford (14 miles south-east), Banbury (9 miles north), Bicester (10 miles east), Witney (11 miles south-west), Carterton (14 miles south-west) and Kidlington (8 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Westcott Barton
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Fox Public House and the streets around them. The closest station to Westcott Barton is Heyford station, roughly 3.4 miles east. A little further out are Deddington Castle (4.5 miles north-east) and Old Forge Museum (Great Tew) (3 miles north-west).
What we’re asked to look at in Westcott Barton
Viewings rarely include a proper look at the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates. Fresh decoration can also cover the marks an old leak left behind, which is why buyers book a closer look before committing.
Problems we come across frequently include:
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
If you live in an older home near Church of St Edward the Confessor, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
What you can safely check yourself
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That’s where a survey comes in.
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
How the survey changes by roof type
Natural slate
Older slate roofs frequently have bitumen felt under them, and very old ones may have none. Where we can see it from the loft, we say what condition it’s in.
Clay and concrete tiles
Older homes in the South East often have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles on some. Where pegs have rotted, tiles can slip.
Places near Westcott Barton
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Tips from our surveys
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Each defect is explained in plain words, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
Keep the loft ventilated. 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 cannot flow.
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Westcott Barton
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can be seen safely and the package you choose.
What to let us know when you contact us
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- The address and postcode of the property
- What’s prompted the survey
- What kind of property and roof it is
If you are buying, it is useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you are ready.
The survey, step by step
Once we’ve finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photos, emailed to you. On timing, it normally takes an hour or two at most homes, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Somewhere like Westcott Barton needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from every safe vantage point, inside and out.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Let us know about parking near the property
Book a survey
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or email us and give us some details about the property and we’ll recommend the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.