Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Harwell Thermal Roof Survey
We carry out thermal roof surveys in Harwell and the rest of Oxfordshire. We survey on any day of the week.
- Thin or uneven insulation in the roof
- Damp around chimneys and parapets
- Areas of a flat roof that may hold water
Thermal roof survey in Harwell
Your report sets out the thermal images alongside ordinary photos, so it is easy to see which part of the roof each one shows. Each one comes with an explanation, the moisture readings and our recommendation. Premium reports are sent the same day. You can talk the findings through with us at the in-person consultation. There’s a 12-month follow-up as well. We survey pitched roof slopes, commercial roofs and insulated roof spaces, and the problems we are asked to look at most are cold spots on ceilings under the roof and thin or uneven insulation in the roof.
Places like Harwell can be near small airfields or other airspace restrictions, so the Drone Safety Map is checked before any flight. Exposed sites can be windy, and a small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind, while thermal imaging also works best with little wind. Each flight is planned with neighbours’ privacy in mind, as well as the airspace and the wind.
Where we can’t see part of the roof, the report says so. That way, it’s clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Location
- Harwell (OX11)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Why act early in Harwell
Once insulation under a membrane is wet, it tends to stay wet. In time, it stops insulating properly and can damage the deck. Finding the wet areas sooner keeps the work smaller. Around Harwell, leaves and moss in gutters lead to overflowing water and damp walls, particularly where trees overhang. Dealing with the cause is simple; drying out a wall is not.
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details. We will confirm the figure before booking.
Why book with us
- 98% of clients satisfied
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Package prices that include VAT
- An independent view of the roof
How the survey works
Photographs are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take about 1–2 hours at most homes, and longer for a large or complex roof. Homes around Harwell often have gardens on more than one side, which gives us room to step back and see the roof. Mention any side of the property we can’t get to. The loft, where there is safe access, completes the picture.
- First we go over the roof, the problem you’ve noticed and the conditions forecast for the visit.
- We look at the roof from the ground, from windows and from the roof itself where it’s safe.
- A thermal camera records how the surface temperature varies across the roof.
- We check the patterns that stand out with moisture readings where there’s safe access.
- We write up the thermal images alongside ordinary photos and recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Keep pets in another room
How to book
We survey roofs seven days a week. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Advice
Harwell questions
Do you carry out roof surveys in Harwell?
Yes, Harwell is within the area we cover. Our area covers London and the South East. Just phone 07833 053749 or email us and let us know about the property, and we will talk through which survey suits.
How do I find out if my home in Harwell is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
What’s the best way to book?
It’s easiest to phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Give us the address and a few details about the roof. Surveys run on any day of the week.
Which survey includes thermal imaging?
Thermal imaging is included in our Premium Survey, from £400. The Premium Survey also covers a full inspection, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and a report on the same day.
How soon will I get the report?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. Reports are sent by email.
What’s in the survey report?
It sets out what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, with photographs throughout. It also says if any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, so you know exactly what was covered.
What a survey costs
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- The roof’s overall size
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Thermal roof survey starts from £400, including VAT.
What we need to know
Getting the details right at the start saves time. It helps to include:
- When you need the report by
- Anything about access we should know
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and give us some details about the property and we’ll recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Tips that help
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Use the report as a baseline for later checks
- Keep a record of when stains appear
- Don’t climb onto the roof to look for leaks yourself
Where a pattern can’t be confirmed, the report says what could help, such as electronic leak detection or opening up a small area.
Make sure loft insulation covers the whole area and hasn’t been disturbed. Insulation is often moved when people work in the loft space.
Towns and villages near Harwell
Other services in Harwell
What a thermal roof survey does not cover
It is a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- Structural calculations, which need a structural engineer
- What’s inside walls or under coverings, without opening up
- Seeing water directly, as the camera shows temperature, not moisture
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Pitched roof slopes
- Ceilings below the roof
- Insulated roof spaces
- Commercial roofs
- Loft conversions
- Flat roofs
Airspace, weather and Harwell roofs
Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. Older houses in the South East frequently have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Steep or complicated roofs are frequently hard to see from ground level, which is where aerial photos and thermal images help. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
The streets around a church such as Church of St Matthew are often among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, older roofs can be steep and hard to see from the street, which is where photos from the air and thermal images help. Take a building like Harwell Primary School: thermal images can show where wet insulation sits under a big flat roof.
Harwell is about 2 miles west of Didcot, in Oxfordshire. Harwell gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. We cover towns and villages across Oxfordshire. You can also see our page for Oxford.
We survey roofs across OX11 for thermal roof surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on High Street, Loder Road and The Styles. Other places close to Harwell include West Hagbourne (2 miles south-east), Coscote (2 miles east), Upton (2 miles south-east), Chilton (2 miles south) and East Hagbourne (2 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Oxford (11 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (5 miles north), Witney (15 miles north-west), Wantage (6 miles west), Grove (6 miles west) and Faringdon (13 miles west).
Local landmarks in Harwell
We work in homes and buildings around The Crispin pub, UTC Oxfordshire and UTC Oxfordshire and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Didcot Parkway station, roughly 2.3 miles east. A little further out are Atlas Computer Laboratory (2 miles south-west) and Abingdon Community Hospital (4.8 miles north). The countryside around Harwell includes Churn Hill and Mowbray Fields.
How the survey changes by roof type
Parapets, valleys and junctions
Parapet and valley gutters can overflow inside a building. Thermal images, checked with moisture readings, can help trace it.
Felt and asphalt flat roofs
On felt and asphalt flat roofs, wet insulation can show as a temperature difference across the surface. Moisture readings are used to check them.