West Berkshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Woodlands St Mary, West Berkshire
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Woodlands St Mary and the rest of West Berkshire. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
Pre-purchase roof surveys for Woodlands St Mary homes and businesses
Pre-purchase roof survey in Woodlands St Mary: what you get
A full home survey looks at the whole property, so the roof is one item among many. We don’t offer a RICS home survey, and ours isn’t a substitute for one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photos of what we find and written recommendations. The two sit side by side. Common reasons to book are ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof and patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem, across natural slate, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and the roof space.
Being in a small place like Woodlands St Mary makes no difference to the inspection itself: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them as you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Visits can be booked on weekdays and at weekends.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Location
- Woodlands St Mary (RG17)
- Wider area
- West Berkshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we listen to what’s been worrying you, inspect the roof from each safe vantage point, photograph what we find and make notes for the report. It typically takes between one and two hours for a house, and longer for a large or complex roof. Somewhere like Woodlands St Mary needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from the ground and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Before we arrive
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Let us know where we can park nearby
Booking a survey
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Advice
Roof by roof
Lead flashings and valleys
Many older houses have lead in their valleys and hidden gutters. Splits in a lead valley send water inside, and lead is also a target for theft.
Chimney stacks
A stack stands exposed above the roof line. We check the pots, the flaunching, the pointing and the flashings.
Practical tips
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Check we will be able to get into the roof space
- Tell us your exchange date when you book
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Each defect is explained in plain words, and recommendations are ranked by urgency where that helps.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: 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.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Woodlands St Mary
Do you cover smaller places like Woodlands St Mary?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Is my home in Woodlands St Mary listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Do you go up on the roof?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the roof space, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where applicable.
How long does the survey visit take?
On site, it typically takes about 1–2 hours at a typical home, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like 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.
How soon is the report ready?
Premium reports arrive the same day, Standard reports within 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed, with photos.
What’s the best way to book?
Just phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day, weekday or weekend.
Nearby places to Woodlands St Mary
What else we do in Woodlands St Mary
When you need someone else
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
- Asbestos testing of any kind
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will point you to the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Woodlands St Mary
Chimneys take the worst of the weather and they’re often the least maintained part of a roof. Pointing crumbles, flaunching cracks and flashings lift. A stack may be shared with the neighbours, which matters if work is needed.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
Landlords with a home close to Hungerford station may find that a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Questions to ask before you book
- Which limits apply to the survey
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Their track record with similar roofs
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Woodlands St Mary
If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most.
Take an older house close to St Mary's Church: the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Woodlands St Mary is about 9 miles south-west of Wantage, in West Berkshire. We cover Woodlands St Mary and the rest of West Berkshire. Woodlands St Mary is one of the places in West Berkshire where we work. You can also see our page for Reading.
Every address in RG17 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. You will find streets such as Ermin Street and Stony Lane, all of which we cover. We also cover the places around Woodlands St Mary: Lambourn Woodlands (1 mile north-west), Chilton Foliat (3 miles south), Leverton (3 miles south), Upper Eddington (3 miles south) and Eddington (4 miles south). Further out, we also cover Newbury (10 miles south-east), Thatcham (12 miles south-east), Speenhamland (9 miles south-east), Lambourn (3 miles north), Shaw (10 miles south-east) and Kingsclere (15 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Woodlands St Mary
The nearest railway station is Hungerford station, about 3.9 miles south of the centre. The countryside around Woodlands St Mary includes Watts Bank.