Reading · London and the South East
Lower Caversham Thermal Roof Survey
Thermal imaging to find moisture and heat loss patterns in a roof for Lower Caversham and the rest of Reading. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Damp where roofs meet walls and chimneys
- Gaps in loft insulation
- Water that travels before it shows
How a thermal roof survey works in Lower Caversham
Your report sets out the thermal images alongside ordinary photographs, so it’s easy to see which part of the roof each one shows. Each one comes with an explanation, the moisture readings and our recommendation. With a Premium Survey, the report reaches you the same day. If you have questions, the in-person consultation gives you time to go through them. A follow-up 12 months later is included too. Typical surveys look at moisture around outlets and upstands and areas losing heat at the eaves and junctions, on ceilings below the roof, insulated roof spaces and loft conversions.
Around Lower Caversham, plenty of roofs are low enough to see partly from the garden or the street. Chimney tops, valleys and rear slopes are where close-up or thermal images help most. The forecast decides the day. Close-up images frequently show wear on ridges, verges and flashings that can’t be judged properly from the ground.
The report doesn’t just list problems. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend.
- Where
- Lower Caversham (RG4, RG1)
- Wider area
- Reading
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Prices for thermal roof surveys in Lower Caversham
We confirm the price for your survey before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how it can be reached and seen safely. Prices start from £400, including VAT.
Booking your survey
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Dates you are working to, like exchange
- What’s prompted the survey
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
When you are ready to go ahead, call 07833 053749 or email us. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
What we can’t see
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- A formal energy assessment
- Structural calculations, which need a structural engineer
- What’s inside walls or under coverings, without opening up
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Commercial roofs
- Pitched roof slopes
- Loft conversions
- Ceilings below the roof
- Insulated roof spaces
- Flat roofs
What a thermal roof survey looks like in Lower Caversham
Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. Steep or complicated roofs are often hard to see from ground level, which is where aerial photos and thermal images help. If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
With Mapledurham House about 3.5 miles north-west, the area around Lower Caversham has a long history. Older roofs nearby can be steep and hard to see from the ground, and a survey by drone or thermal camera doesn’t touch the roof itself. Anyone responsible for a site like St Anne's Catholic Primary School will know that a drone or thermal camera can show a large roof in a single visit.
Lower Caversham is about 1 mile south of Caversham, in Reading. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Lower Caversham can all book thermal roof surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Across Reading, we cover Lower Caversham and the places around it.
Postcode districts we cover here for thermal roof surveys: RG4 and RG1. Streets in the area include Star Road, Send Road and Mill Road. We also cover the places around Lower Caversham: Newtown (1 mile south-east), Caversham (1 mile north), Emmer Green (1 mile north), Caversham Park Village (1 mile north) and Reading (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Norcot (3 miles west), Tilehurst Within (3 miles west), Shinfield (4 miles south), Arborfield Garrison (6 miles south-east), Horncastle (3 miles south-west) and Whitley Wood (3 miles south).
Landmarks near Lower Caversham
We work in homes and buildings around Kendrick School, The Red Cow Public House and Eldon Square and the streets around them. Nearby too are Chiltern Nursery Nurse Training School (0.7 miles north-west) and University of Reading library (1.8 miles south). For rail, the closest station is Reading station, about 0.7 miles south-west. A little further out are Royal Berkshire Hospital (1 mile south) and Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre Museum (0.9 miles south). Open spaces near Lower Caversham include Sonning Hill and South Lake.
Lower Caversham questions
Will you come out to Lower Caversham?
Yes, Lower Caversham is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Lower Caversham?
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.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Let us know about it as you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Which survey includes thermal imaging?
It comes with our Premium Survey, which starts from £400. The Premium Survey also covers a full inspection, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and a report on the same day.
Is thermal imaging good for finding leaks?
It can help narrow down where water may be getting in. Water can travel under a covering before it shows inside, and temperature patterns can help follow it. We combine it with a visual inspection and moisture readings, as the camera alone can’t prove a leak.
Can thermal imaging show missing insulation?
Gaps and thin areas of insulation can show up on the camera. It shows most clearly when it is warm inside and cold outside. We look from the loft as well, where there is safe access.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Repeated repairs that don’t stop a leak are a sign the source hasn’t been traced. Thermal imaging with moisture readings can help narrow it down, instead of trying repair after repair. Tradespeople may need to travel further to a smaller place like Lower Caversham, so it is useful to plan roof work rather than call someone out in a hurry. Knowing early gives you time to get the right people in.
Prices start from £400, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we can help you choose.
Why book with us
- Package prices that include VAT
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- 98% customer satisfaction
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Take a look at our cost guide and our case studies.
Common roof problems in Lower Caversham
After a repair, some owners want to know whether the roof has dried out. A thermal survey with moisture readings can show whether wet areas remain when the conditions on the day are suitable.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Wet areas near outlets and upstands
- Cold areas below the roof
- Leaks far from where the stain appears
- Areas of a flat roof that may hold water
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near St John the Baptist, thin or patchy insulation under an old roof often shows up clearly on a thermal image.
Before you book anyone
- Whether the price includes VAT
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Their report turnaround times
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
Places near Lower Caversham
More services for Lower Caversham
How the survey changes by roof type
Single-ply and EPDM roofs
Many single-ply and EPDM roofs sit on insulation boards. If water gets under them, thermal imaging can suggest which boards are wet.
Parapets, valleys and junctions
Damp at junctions can be hard to see by eye. We combine a close visual check with the thermal images.
What happens on the day
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. The whole visit normally takes about 1–2 hours at a house, including the thermal images, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial roof. With a bit of garden around a house, as there often is around Lower Caversham, the roof can be viewed from several angles. Mention any side of the property we cannot get to. The loft, where there’s safe access, completes the picture.
- First we go over the roof, the problem you’ve noticed and the conditions forecast for the visit.
- We carry out a visual inspection of the roof from wherever it can be seen safely.
- Thermal images are taken to show differences in surface temperature.
- Any patterns of interest are checked with moisture readings where we can reach them.
- We write up the thermal images alongside ordinary photos and recommendations.
How to prepare
- Keep pets in another room
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
Arrange a survey
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.