Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Shiplake Cross Thermal Roof Survey
Thermal roof surveys in Shiplake Cross, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Damp where roofs meet walls and chimneys
- Areas losing heat at the eaves and junctions
- Gaps in loft insulation
Common questions in Shiplake Cross
Is Shiplake Cross in the area you cover?
Yes. Our area covers London and the South East, and Shiplake Cross is part of that. You can ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Shiplake Cross?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Do I need to be at home?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that ahead of time, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Does the weather affect a thermal survey?
Conditions on the day have a big effect on what the camera can show. Dry, calm weather after some sun gives the best chance of clear images. We record the conditions in the report, so you know how much weight to give the images.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only when it’s safe. Safe viewpoints, the loft space and a drone where applicable cover most of what’s needed.
How experienced are you?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
About our thermal roof survey in Shiplake Cross
Wet insulation under a flat roof covering holds heat for longer than dry. 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, something you cannot typically tell from the surface. Moisture readings are then used to check what the camera suggests. We survey loft conversions, pitched roof slopes and flat roofs, and the problems we are asked to look at most are stains that keep coming back and damp where roofs meet walls and chimneys.
Older buildings in small places like Shiplake Cross may be listed or in a conservation area. Neither a drone survey nor a thermal survey involves any work on the roof, so it is a gentle way to see the condition of an old roof, before anyone decides what work it needs. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, so check with the council first.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Where
- Shiplake Cross (RG9)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
We’ll ask a few questions first, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes about one to two hours for a house, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Somewhere like Shiplake Cross needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. On the day, we inspect what can be seen safely, inside and out.
- First we discuss the roof, any damp and the forecast for the visit.
- We look over the roof from wherever it’s safe.
- We take thermal images of the roof and of the loft where we can reach it.
- Patterns that stand out are checked with moisture readings.
- The report pairs each thermal image with a photo and explains what it suggests.
How to prepare
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
Getting a price
We confirm the price for the job before you book, so you know where you stand. Thermal roof survey starts from £400, including VAT. For a price for your roof, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Can I check my roof myself?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. 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. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
What this survey cannot tell you
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:
- An energy rating for the building
- The condition of timbers we cannot see
- Reliable images in rain, strong wind or on a wet roof surface
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Commercial roofs
- Pitched roof slopes
- Insulated roof spaces
- Loft conversions
- Flat roofs
- Ceilings below the roof
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Check from ground level or a window, never by climbing
- Make sure the loft can be reached safely
- Note where damp appears and after what weather
- Take photos of stains as they appear, so we can compare
Buyers can use the findings when talking to the seller or agent. What you do with it is up to you, whether you ask for work before completion or discuss the price.
Keep outlets and gutters clear so water drains off the roof quickly. The less water sits, the less can find its way beneath.
Why act early in Shiplake Cross
A damp patch that keeps coming back normally has a cause that hasn’t been found. Combining the camera with moisture readings can help find it, rather than more guesswork. In a small place like Shiplake Cross, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why us?
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Surveys seven days a week
- Prices that include VAT
- Over 20 years’ experience
Places near Shiplake Cross
What else we do in Shiplake Cross
What affects the cost of thermal roof surveys
We confirm the exact price before booking. This is what makes a difference:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Our price is from £400, including VAT.
What to tell us when you get in touch
We’ll normally ask about:
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- When you need the report by
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Thermal roof surveys in Shiplake Cross: local notes
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 often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Steep or complicated roofs are often 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.
Anyone responsible for a site like Shiplake Church of England School will know that big roofs are where photos from the air and thermal images show the most at once. Greys Court, about 3.8 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Shiplake Cross. A drone or thermal survey does not involve any work on the roof, which suits older buildings. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of St Peter and St Paul, thin or patchy insulation under an old roof frequently shows up clearly on a thermal image.
Shiplake Cross is about 3 miles north-east of Caversham, in Oxfordshire. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Shiplake Cross can all book thermal roof surveys. Shiplake Cross is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire where we work for thermal roof surveys.
Thermal roof surveys in RG9 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include Memorial Avenue, Plowden Way and Orchard Close, and we cover them all. Nearby, we also carry out thermal roof surveys in 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). Larger places within reach include 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).
Landmarks near Shiplake Cross
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Plough pub, The Piggott School and Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Shiplake station, about 1.1 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Royal Berkshire Hospital (4.3 miles south-west) and Frazer Nash Archives (2 miles north). Not far away are Sonning Hill and South Lake.