Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Thermal Roof Survey in Fernham
Thermal imaging to find moisture and heat loss patterns in a roof for Fernham, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Cold spots on ceilings under the roof
- Possible trapped moisture under a flat roof covering
- Areas losing heat at the eaves and junctions
About our thermal roof survey in Fernham
On a flat roof, wet insulation holds heat longer than dry insulation. So a wet patch can show as a warmer or cooler area on the camera. It helps us see how far water may have spread under the covering, which is hard to judge by eye. Moisture readings are then used to check what the camera suggests. Common reasons to book are gaps in loft insulation and heat escaping through the roof, across insulated roof spaces, loft conversions and pitched roof slopes.
In a village or hamlet like Fernham, roofs can be steep, old and hard to see from the lane. A drone and a thermal camera each give a view you cannot get from the ground. Weather and airspace are checked ahead of the visit, and the journey is planned in advance. Steep slopes and tall chimney stacks are where a close-up view adds the most.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Place
- Fernham (SN7)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
There is plenty you can do without going near the roof. What helps most:
- Make sure the loft can be reached safely
- Heat the home normally on the days before
- Clear leaves from outlets and gutters each autumn
- Tell us where and when you’ve seen damp or stains
Where a pattern can’t be confirmed, the report says what could help, for instance electronic leak detection or a roofer opening up a small section.
Make sure loft insulation covers the whole area and hasn’t been disturbed. Gaps often appear after work in the loft.
What happens on the day
The visit has one job: to look at the roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photos go into the written report. The visit typically takes between one and two hours for most homes, plus time to check any thermal findings with moisture readings. Older rural homes like those around Fernham can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- We start with the roof, its history and any signs of damp or heat loss.
- We check the conditions and note how they may affect the images.
- A full inspection and thermal imaging are carried out together.
- We back up the thermal patterns with moisture readings.
- The Premium report reaches you the same day, and we go through it with you in person.
Before the survey
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
How to book
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
What a thermal roof survey looks like in Fernham
Older buildings in west Oxfordshire often have Cotswold stone slate roofs, and some Oxfordshire villages still have thatch. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Steep or complicated roofs are often hard to see from ground level, which is where aerial photos and thermal images help. Where the drone is part of the survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
With Buscot Park about 4.3 miles north-west, the area around Fernham has a long history. For older roofs nearby, a look from the air or with a thermal camera is a hands-off way to check condition. The streets around a church such as Church of St John are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, tall stacks and steep slopes are easier to judge with close-up aerial photos than from the pavement.
Fernham is about 7 miles west of Wantage, in Oxfordshire. We cover Fernham and the rest of Oxfordshire, as part of our work across London and South East England. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Fernham. Oxford is in our area too.
Here we cover the SN7 postcode area for thermal roof surveys. If you need a thermal roof survey at a property on High Street, Church Lane and The Green or a nearby road, we can help. If you are just outside Fernham, we cover Little Coxwell (1 mile north-west), Baulking (2 miles south-east), Uffington (2 miles south-east), Shellingford (2 miles north-east) and Faringdon (2 miles north). Further out, we also cover Didcot (14 miles east), Abingdon-on-Thames (13 miles east), Witney (12 miles north), Carterton (10 miles north), Wantage (7 miles east) and Grove (7 miles east).
Around Fernham
Other landmarks nearby include Faringdon Castle (2.4 miles north) and Uffington Museum (1.8 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Badbury Hill.
Different roofs, different checks
Loft insulation
In the roof space, the camera can pick up gaps and thin areas of insulation. We look where there’s safe access.
Pitched slate and tile roofs
From inside the loft, the camera can help with damp around chimneys, valleys and roof windows. Findings are checked with moisture readings.
Towns and villages near Fernham
Also in Fernham
DIY checks: what’s safe
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
What we are asked to look at in Fernham
Building owners and managing agents use thermal surveys to plan work on larger flat roofs. Patterns can point to wet areas and show which parts look sound, so moisture readings can be targeted.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Ceilings that feel colder in places
- Areas of a flat roof that may hold water
- Gaps in loft insulation
- Stains that keep coming back
For site and facilities teams at buildings like Faringdon Community College, thermal images can show where wet insulation sits under a big flat roof.
Questions to ask before you book
- Are they insured for the work?
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
Common questions in Fernham
Is Fernham within the area you cover?
Yes, Fernham is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
How do I find out if my home in Fernham is listed?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
What’s in the survey report?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos, and ends with what we recommend. The most urgent items are made clear.
How long will you be at the property?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof; most visits take between one and two hours at a house, including the thermal images, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial roof. The written report follows by email.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We are roof surveyors, not structural engineers. We’ll recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Do you use drones?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. We fly a sub-250g drone and we’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). It is included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where applicable, the Premium Survey.
How we price thermal roof surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Which survey package you book
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- The roof’s overall size
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
We offer three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you need to know.
What to tell us when you get in touch
There is no need for technical words. Just tell us:
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- The kind of building and roof involved
- The address and postcode of the property
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before booking.