Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Roof survey in Launton, Oxfordshire
A roof condition survey for homes and buildings across Launton, using drones and thermal imaging where it applies. Call or email for a price.
- Slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles
- Lifted, split or missing lead flashings
- Crumbling chimney pointing or cracked flaunching
What we’re asked to look at in Launton
Wherever a roof meets a wall, a chimney or another roof, a flashing keeps water out. Over time lead flashings split, lift or work loose, and mortar fillets crack. Missing lead is not unusual either, as thieves target it.
Look out for signs like these:
- Cracked mortar along the ridge
- Condensation or damp timbers in the loft
- Ponding, splits or blisters on flat roofs
- Flashings that have come away from the wall
If you own a rental within reach of Bicester North station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
What to check before booking
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- How soon the report will arrive
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- What happens after the report arrives
How a roof survey works in Launton
There are three levels of survey: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. The Basic Survey gives a visual inspection, photos and written recommendations. Standard and Premium go further, with moisture detection and a structural check, and on Premium, thermal imaging and a drone where applicable. Every package includes a written report. If you’ve noticed water stains on rafters and ceiling joists and worn or blocked valleys, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In a village or hamlet like Launton, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, frequently with chimneys that have stood a long time. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. On older roofs, it’s usually the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Location
- Launton (OX26, OX25)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Useful tips for Launton property owners
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Find records of any re-roofing or repairs
- Do not climb onto the roof yourself
- Keep a record of damp patches and dates
- Keep the report with your property records
We email the report to you, with photographs of what we found. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Each finding is set out in plain English, with recommendations.
Look at your roof from the ground after strong winds. Slipped slates, lifted ridge tiles or pieces in the garden are signs something has moved. Getting small faults fixed quickly keeps water out.
Checking the roof from ground level
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
What a roof survey doesn’t cover
Before you book, it’s worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- Walls, floors and services below the roof
- Whether the roof structure meets design loads
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- Lead flashings
- Flat roofs
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
How it works
We look at the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there is safe access, from inside the roof space too. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey typically takes roughly 1–2 hours for an ordinary house roof, and longer if there are extensions, dormers or several chimneys. For a village or hamlet like Launton, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect what can safely be seen, inside and out.
- You tell us the address, the type of roof and what’s worrying you.
- A visit is booked for a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- Outside, we inspect from the ground, windows and other safe vantage points, and from the roof where safe.
- We then look in the loft for damp, staining and the condition of the underlay.
- We email a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Check pets are kept safely away
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
Arrange a survey
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or email us, tell us about the property and we will point you to the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Advice
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, with the most urgent items set out first.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed ahead of time. We survey seven days a week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Launton homes and their roofs
Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Take an older house close to Church of St Mary: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. Anyone responsible for a site like Launton Church of England Primary School will know that large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Launton is about 2 miles east of Bicester, in Oxfordshire. Launton is one of many places we visit across Oxfordshire, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Launton is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire where we work. There is also a page for Oxford.
Roof surveys in OX26 and OX25 are booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes homes and businesses on Station Road, Skinner Road and Ancil Avenue. If you’re just outside Launton, we cover Ambrosden (2 miles south), Lower Arncott (3 miles south), Chesterton (3 miles west), Upper Arncott (3 miles south) and Wendlebury (3 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Oxford (11 miles south-west), Banbury (15 miles north-west), Thame (12 miles south-east), Kidlington (9 miles south-west), Headington Quarry (10 miles south) and St John Street area (12 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Launton
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Cooper School and The Bull Inn. For rail, the closest station is Bicester North station, roughly 1.4 miles west. Nearby you’ll also find Bicester Village (1.7 miles west) and Bicester Community Hospital (1.7 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Graven Hill and Upper Ray Meadows.
Your questions about roof surveys in Launton
I let a flat near Bicester North station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, that is a common request. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Launton?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
How much is a survey?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Our three packages are Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
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. We send it by email.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tell us which days suit you when you book.
Do I need to be at home?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access; we’ll agree the details as you book.