Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Roof Survey in Shiplake Cross
Roof surveys in Shiplake Cross, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Ponding, splits or blisters on flat roofs
- Lifted, split or missing lead flashings
- Debris building up in roof valleys
Shiplake Cross: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Shiplake Cross is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
I let a flat near Shiplake station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us about the building.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. We check the roof, not the whole building, so it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
Is your survey a structural engineer’s report?
No. Our survey looks at the condition of the roof, and the Standard and Premium packages include a structural check. It is not a structural engineer’s report and does not include calculations.
Can you tell me how long my roof will last?
We don’t give a number of years. We describe the condition of each part of the roof and how it’s wearing, with recommendations ranked by urgency.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999, so older buildings may have it. We flag materials that could contain it, and recommends a specialist asbestos surveyor looks at them.
Does someone need to be in?
That depends on the survey. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in, while outside access can be discussed when you book.
Roof survey in Shiplake Cross: what you get
Most houses have more than one roof to look at. Rear extensions, dormers, porches and garages frequently have flat roofs. They’re included alongside the main roof, looking for ponding, splits, blisters and worn upstands. Flat roofs often need attention long before the main roof. Felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, while EPDM rubber can last 30 to 50. Common reasons to book are crumbling chimney pointing or cracked flaunching and torn or sagging underlay, on flat roofs, chimney stacks and clay and concrete tiles.
In a small place like Shiplake Cross, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Shiplake Cross (RG9)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What you can safely check yourself
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
Common roof problems in Shiplake Cross
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 away from the wall. Lead is also a target for theft.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Cracked or blistered flat roof coverings
- Gutters that overflow in heavy rain
- Torn or sagging underlay
- Cracked mortar along the ridge
The streets around a church such as Church of St Peter and St Paul are often among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Questions to ask before you book
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- What insurance they carry
Prices for roof surveys in Shiplake Cross
Survey packages start from £150, including VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- House, block, shop or office
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, all including VAT. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Getting in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- The property’s address and postcode
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Also near Shiplake Cross
Other services in Shiplake Cross
What happens on the day
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you’d like to know. After that, we check everything we can see safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. Most surveys take between one and two hours at most homes, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Somewhere as small as Shiplake Cross, access is often the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- We help you choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey.
- On the day, we start by hearing what you’ve noticed.
- Coverings, ridges, hips, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Extra checks are carried out where your package includes them.
- The report is emailed with findings and recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
Getting a price
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
Read more
Roof surveys in Shiplake Cross: local notes
Where the drone is part of the survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. With Greys Court about 3.8 miles north-west, Shiplake Cross sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For landlords with property near Shiplake station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Shiplake Church of England School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Shiplake Cross is about 3 miles north-east of Caversham, in Oxfordshire. We carry out roof surveys for homes and businesses in Shiplake Cross. Shiplake Cross is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire we cover for roof surveys.
We survey roofs across the RG9 postcode area for roof surveys and the streets around it. If you need a roof survey at a property on Memorial Avenue, Plowden Way and Orchard Close or anywhere close by, we can help. Other places close to Shiplake Cross include Binfield Heath (1 mile west), Harpsden (1 mile north), Harpsden Bottom (2 miles north-west), Henley-on-Thames (2 miles north) and Sonning Common (4 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Benson (12 miles north-west), Chinnor (14 miles north), Tilehurst (6 miles south-west), Wallingford (12 miles north-west), Little Heath (7 miles south-west) and Oakley (14 miles north).
Around Shiplake Cross
In Shiplake Cross, that means homes and buildings near The Plough pub, The Piggott School and Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School, among other places. The closest station to Shiplake Cross is Shiplake station, about 1.1 miles north-east. A little further out are Royal Berkshire Hospital (4.3 miles south-west) and Frazer Nash Archives (2 miles north). Open spaces near Shiplake Cross include Sonning Hill and South Lake.
Tips that help
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Mention any flat roofs as well as the main roof
- Have details of recent roof work to hand
- Look for debris in the garden after high winds
- Tell us about any leaks or stains you’ve seen
File the report with your other home documents. It’s a useful baseline for future surveys, and buyers may ask about the roof when you sell.
Have the roof surveyed every few years, and after major storms. Regular checks catch problems while they’re small. Each report gives a record to compare against.
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roof coverings
Some flat roofs have been coated over several times. We say what we can see and when a closer look would need opening up.
Chimney stacks
We check the stack itself, not a flue, gas or sweep inspection. If a specialist is needed, we will say so.