Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Lower Brailes Roof Survey
A roof condition survey for homes and buildings in Lower Brailes, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Torn or sagging underlay
- Loose ridge or hip tiles
- Blocked, sagging or leaking gutters
Roof survey in Lower Brailes: what you get
Many homes have several roofs, not just one. Flat roofs over extensions, garages and dormers are common. We check them as well as the main pitched roof, looking for ponding, splits, blisters and worn upstands. A flat roof normally wears out sooner than a pitched one. Felt frequently lasts around 15 to 20 years, while EPDM rubber can last 30 to 50. Common reasons to book are worn lead at chimneys and abutments and slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles, across chimney stacks, ridges, hips and valleys and natural slate.
Some older homes in villages like Lower Brailes 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 such as clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- Lower Brailes (OX15)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Lower Brailes homes and their roofs
An older home may be listed, or stand in a conservation area. Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the council can say whether a street is in a conservation area. In either case, a change of roofing material may need consent. Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Whatever the covering, it is frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
The streets around a church like Church of St George are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Lower Brailes is about 8 miles west of Banbury, in Oxfordshire. We visit Lower Brailes as part of our work across Oxfordshire, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Lower Brailes. We also survey roofs in Oxford.
We work across the OX15 postcode area for roof surveys. If you need a roof survey at a property on High Street, School Lane and Orchard Close or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Close by, we survey roofs in Upper Brailes (1 mile north-west) and Sutton-under-Brailes (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Banbury (8 miles east), Chipping Norton (8 miles south), Neithrop (8 miles east), Grimsbury (10 miles east), Ruscote (8 miles east) and Bloxham (8 miles east).
Local landmarks in Lower Brailes
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to George Hotel And Attached Carriage Entrance And Barn, among other places. A little further out are Ellen Badger Hospital (3.5 miles west). Not far away are Castle Hill and Woodford Bottom and Lamb's Pool.
What affects the price in Lower Brailes
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The size of the roof
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
What to let us know when you contact us
A little information up front helps. It helps to include:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or use the contact form whenever suits you.
What we’re asked to look at in Lower Brailes
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, battens and pegs can rot, letting tiles move.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles
- Gutters that overflow in heavy rain
- Cracked or blistered flat roof coverings
- Crumbling chimney pointing or cracked flaunching
For site and facilities teams at buildings like Brailes CofE Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Before you book anyone
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- What exactly goes into their report
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
What happens on the day
Photographs are taken throughout the visit, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. Most surveys take about one to two hours for most houses; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Older rural homes like those around Lower Brailes can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- We start with the property details and any concerns.
- We agree a date, including weekends if that suits you.
- Outside, we inspect from ground level, windows and other safe vantage points, and from the roof where safe.
- Inside, we check the loft space where there is safe access.
- You receive the report with photos and recommendations, prioritised by urgency.
How to prepare
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
Arrange a survey
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or email us and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Read more
Nearby places to Lower Brailes
What else we do in Lower Brailes
What a roof survey does not cover
It’s a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- The condition of the rest of the building (that is a RICS home survey)
- Whether the roof structure meets design loads
- Faults hidden behind ceilings or boarding
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will suggest the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat roofs
- The roof space
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- Lead flashings
- Chimney stacks
Tips that help
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Some pointers:
- Clear the loft hatch area before we arrive
- Don’t climb onto the roof yourself
- Include dormers, porches and garages as you book
- Let us know about past leaks
The Premium Survey includes a 12-month follow-up. It helps you see whether anything has changed.
Do not block the vents at the eaves. Condensation builds up when air cannot move, which can dampen timbers and insulation over time. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents.
Lower Brailes: your questions answered
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Lower Brailes?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Do you cover Lower Brailes?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs.
Do you carry out asbestos surveys?
No. Asbestos testing isn’t part of our service. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like cement sheets or soffits on older buildings, we flag them so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before any work.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Only where it’s safe to do so. Much of the survey is done from ground level, upper windows and the roof space. The Premium Survey adds a drone where applicable.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If the survey needs it and the roof space can be reached safely, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch.
Can you survey a roof I share with a neighbour?
Yes, we inspect your part of the roof. We can only look at neighbouring roofs as far as access allows. Shared stacks and upstands are looked at from your property.
Is your survey a structural engineer’s report?
No. Where we see something that needs a structural engineer, the report says so. We do not provide structural calculations.
What happens if roof problems are left?
A roof that has had no attention for years can surprise you. A survey sets a baseline, which makes later changes easy to spot. In a small place like Lower Brailes, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both with VAT included. You’ll know the price for your roof before booking.
Why book us in Lower Brailes
- PI and public liability insurance
- Surveys on weekdays and at weekends
- Packages from £150, with VAT included
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
Read what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.