Hampshire · London and the South East
Downton Roof Survey
Roof surveys in Downton, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Ridge tiles that have lifted or moved
- Leaking gutter joints and downpipes
- Worn or blocked valleys
How it works
A survey visit follows a simple order: we listen to what’s been worrying you, inspect the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and record our findings for the written report. Most visits take between one and two hours for a house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Around Downton, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it’s safe.
- You let us know about the property and any concerns.
- We arrange a day that suits you, including weekends.
- We check the roof from every safe vantage point, inside and out.
- Every part of the roof is checked and photographed.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations.
Before the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
Booking a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Advice
Roof surveys for homes and businesses in Downton
Good roofs last decades, but their parts wear at different rates. Natural slate can last 100 years or more, and clay and concrete tiles commonly 50 years or more, but the fixings and underlay beneath them frequently give out sooner. A survey shows which parts of your roof are wearing. That lets you plan work in good time rather than after a leak. We survey chimney stacks, ridges, hips and valleys and lead flashings, and people most often book us about water stains on rafters and ceiling joists and cracked or blistered flat roof coverings.
Some older homes in villages like Downton are listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent, whichever applies.
- Place
- Downton (SO41)
- Wider area
- Hampshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Honest limits
A survey is a careful look at the roof, but it can’t do everything. The main limits are:
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Confirmation of asbestos in soffits or cement sheets
- The condition of the rest of the building (that’s a RICS home survey)
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in Downton
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Flat roofs
- Lead flashings
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- The roof space
Roof surveys in Downton: local notes
Downton lies within about 1 mile of the sea, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. Highcliffe Castle, about 4.2 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Downton. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
For landlords with property near New Milton station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of All Saints, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Downton is about 3 miles west of Lymington, in Hampshire. If you’re in Downton, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Across Hampshire, we cover Downton and the places around it. You can also see our page for Southampton.
Surveys in SO41 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We cover properties on Hordle Lane and Shorefield Road. Close by, we survey roofs in Leagreen (1 mile east), Hordle (1 mile north), Ashley (2 miles north-west), Barton on Sea (2 miles west) and New Milton (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Totton (13 miles north), Lymington (3 miles east), Hythe (13 miles north-east), Ringwood (10 miles north-west), Dibden Purlieu (12 miles north-east) and Marchwood (13 miles north-east).
Near you in Downton
In Downton, that means homes and buildings near The Arnewood School. For rail, the closest station is New Milton station, roughly 2 miles north-west. Well-known places in the area include Lymington New Forest Hospital (3.7 miles north-east) and Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum (2.9 miles north-west). For a walk, there’s Milford on Sea LNR.
What affects the cost of roof surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. You will know the figure before booking.
What we need to know
These details help when you get in touch:
- The property’s address and postcode
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- When you need the report by
To get a price for roof surveys in Downton, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. Some details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Why act early in Downton
Hidden gutters and valleys can fail without warning. When they do, water comes straight into the house. We check them before they cause trouble. In a place like Downton, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. It’s worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
Prices start from £150, inc. VAT, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. We confirm the exact price before you book.
Why us?
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- An independent look at the roof
Your questions about roof surveys in Downton
Do you cover smaller places like Downton?
Yes, Downton is covered. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Downton?
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.
How long will you be at the property?
The visit normally takes between one and two hours for a house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. We will give you an idea of timing when you book.
How quickly will I get the report?
It depends on the package: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. We send it by email.
What do you check on a roof survey?
We check the coverings, ridges, hips, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, plus the loft space where there is safe access. You get a written report with photos and recommendations.
Does a roof survey replace a structural engineer?
No. We report on the roof’s condition, and the Standard and Premium packages include a structural check. It doesn’t include structural calculations, which need an engineer.
Can you inspect a terraced or semi-detached roof?
Yes. We survey the parts of the roof you have access to. If a problem seems to come from next door, we’ll say so.
Nearby places to Downton
Other services in Downton
Common roof problems in Downton
Slates and tiles frequently outlast the fixings that hold them. On slate roofs, corroded nails let slates slip, which is known as ‘nail fatigue’. On tiled roofs, the battens or pegs may be what’s gone.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Flashings that have come away from the wall
- Debris building up in roof valleys
- Cracked or blistered flat roof coverings
- Cracked mortar along the ridge
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Hordle CofE (VA) Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What insurance they carry
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Which limits apply to the survey
- When you will get the report
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney stacks
Our chimney check is a visual inspection of the stack, not a flue, gas or sweep inspection. We will tell you if the flue needs a specialist.
Concrete interlocking tiles
Many post-war houses have concrete interlocking tiles. They’re heavy and hard-wearing, but their surfaces weather over the years.