Inspections & surveys
Evidence before expenditure
Drone imagery, loft inspection and a written condition report. You get to see your own roof properly — and decide what it needs on facts rather than on a stranger's word.
- Aerial imagery of every slope
- Written report with photographs
- Now / soon / later priorities
24/7
Emergency roofing response across Cumbria and the Borders, answered day and night.
What is included in a roof inspection?
A Sovereign Roofing inspection combines a drone survey of every roof slope, ground-level inspection and a loft-side check where access allows, and produces a written report with photographs, a plain-English list of defects and a now/soon/later priority order with indicative costs.
When an inspection is worth paying for
Before you buy or sell
A homebuyer report says 'further investigation recommended' and stops there. A roof-specific survey tells you what is actually wrong, what it costs and whether it is a negotiating point.
After a storm
Wind damage is often invisible from the ground. Aerial imagery dated after the event is the evidence an insurer wants before they will entertain a claim.
Before spending on a re-roof
Nobody should commit five figures on the strength of a glance from the pavement. An inspection frequently finds that a targeted repair buys another decade.
For managed and commercial property
Planned maintenance needs a condition baseline, a priority order and costings you can put into a budget rather than a reactive repair bill each winter.
What the report covers
- High-resolution aerial imagery of every roof slope, ridge, valley and abutment
- Condition of the covering — slipped, cracked, delaminating or nail-sick units
- Ridge, hip and verge condition, including mortar failure and lifted units
- Flashings, soakers, valleys and chimney leadwork
- Gutters, fascias, soffits and rainwater outlets
- Loft-side observations: daylight, damp timber, failed underlay, ventilation
- A plain-English summary of what needs doing now, soon and later
- Indicative costs so the report is usable as a budgeting document
Helpful roofing advice
Before you book, these answers explain what an inspection can establish, what it cannot see without physical access, and how findings are recorded.
- Diagnose your roof
- Roof inspections
- Can a drone inspect chimneys, valleys and flashings?
- Can a drone inspection avoid the need for scaffolding?
- Can a drone inspection find the cause of a roof leak?
- Can a drone roof inspection save money?
The process
From booking to report
Book a slot
Call or send the form with the property postcode and what prompted the inspection. We will tell you whether a drone survey, a physical inspection or both is appropriate.
Site visit and aerial survey
We fly the roof where conditions and airspace allow, inspect from ground level and go into the loft where access permits. Most domestic inspections take under two hours.
Written report with photographs
You receive a documented report with imagery, findings and a now/soon/later priority list — a document you can show an insurer, a buyer or another contractor.
Talk it through
We go through the findings with you. If the answer is 'leave it alone for five years', that is what the report will say.
Related services
Inspection and survey work in detail
Drone Roof Inspections
A drone roof inspection uses a camera-equipped unmanned aircraft to photograph and film every part of a roof at close range without scaffolding, ladders or anyone working at height. It produces high-resolution evidence of the actual condition of ridges, valleys, chimneys, flashings and coverings, delivered as a documented report you can keep, share and compare against future inspections.
Roof Surveys & Condition Reports
A roof survey is a documented assessment of a roof's condition, remaining service life and defects, delivered as a written report with photographs and prioritised recommendations. It is used for property purchases, planned maintenance budgeting, insurance, dilapidations and settling disagreements about whether a roof needs replacing.
Common questions
Not sure what your roof needs?
Tell us what you are seeing and we will tell you honestly whether it is a repair, a maintenance job or something that needs replacing. Consultations and written quotations are free.