Drone Roof Survey in Solihull

Homedata.co.uk records show Solihull's overall average house price at £410,000, with detached homes at £630,000, semi-detached homes at £360,000, terraced houses at £290,000 and flats at £210,000. The same dataset shows 2,050 property sales in the last 12 months, while the 12-month change sits at -2.4% overall. Detached homes remain the highest-priced part of the market, but the borough still has a wide spread between flats and larger family houses. That range matters because roof condition can affect both asking price and negotiation power before a sale completes.

Solihull's 2021 census profile shows a housing mix of 33.7% detached, 39.1% semi-detached, 12.3% terraced and 14.6% flats, maisonettes or apartments. The age profile is just as useful, with 13.9% pre-1919, 16.2% from 1919-1945, 44.2% from 1945-1980 and 25.7% post-1980, which means 74.3% of homes were built before 1980. Many roofs in that older stock use pitched tile coverings, ageing mortar and rear extensions that were added later, often with flatter roof sections. A drone survey gives a clean external read on all of that before a buyer orders a full building survey or a seller starts arranging repairs.

Solihull has a strong share of semi-detached and detached homes, and many of them use broad pitched roofs with extensions at the rear or side. Brick-built houses with tile or slate coverings are common, while older properties can still show solid brick walls, steep chimney stacks and more complex roof junctions. Conservation areas in Solihull Town Centre, Knowle, Dorridge, Hampton-in-Arden and Olton can also make roof access more awkward, especially where a street has limited room for scaffold towers. Aerial inspection avoids that setup and still gives us a sharp external view of the roofline.

The local ground conditions matter too, because the borough sits on Mercia Mudstone, a red silty mudstone that can shrink and swell with moisture changes. That movement can show up as stepped cracks in mortar, lifted flashing or a slight twist in a ridge line, especially where mature trees draw moisture from the soil. Heavy rain can also leave surface water sitting in gutters, downpipes and flat roof outlets, while the River Blythe and River Cole create fluvial flood pressure in parts of the borough. In places such as Shirley, Monkspath and Hampton-in-Arden, roofs can pick up debris, moss and damp staining faster than owners expect.

At 4K resolution and above, our images can show single-tile movement, cracked ridge mortar and missing verge detail across roofs in B90, B91 and B92. That level of clarity helps us judge whether a slipped tile is one-off damage or part of a wider run along the slope. We can zoom into chimney mortar, flaunching and lead flashing, then compare each elevation against the next. On homes with dormers, hips or split-level rooflines, the image set gives a far clearer record than a quick look from the street.

Gutters and valleys often tell the story first, especially where leaves from mature trees have built up around Monkspath or Hampton-in-Arden. From above, we can spot blockages, sagging runs and overflow staining before water starts to work back into fascias or soffits. Flat roof sections can show ponding, blisters and membrane splits, while older extensions often reveal patch repairs that do not match the surrounding surface. We also keep comparison photos for repeat surveys, so owners can track whether a defect is stable, improving or getting worse.

Solihull's 74.3% share of homes built before 1980 means many roofs are dealing with age as much as weather. Properties from 1945-1980, which make up 44.2% of the borough, often show worn concrete tiles, tired mortar and ageing felt on rear extensions. Older homes from before 1945 can carry chimney problems, slipped slates and staining around flashing where maintenance has been left too long. In Solihull Town Centre, Knowle and Dorridge, listed or conservation-area properties can need extra care because repairs are rarely simple.

Foundation movement can also show up in the roof line, especially on Mercia Mudstone ground where moisture changes cause shrink-swell behaviour. That movement may leave stepped cracks through mortar, uneven ridge lines or gaps where a roof meets a wall. Flood-prone parts of the borough, including areas influenced by the River Blythe and River Cole, can see repeated moisture stress on lower roof finishes and drainage runs after heavy rain. On 1960s and 1970s extensions around Shirley or Monkspath, we often find flat roof defects, failed flashing and moss-heavy coverings that deserve a closer look.

Our drone roof surveys in Solihull start from £200, with the final price shaped by roof height, roof complexity, access on the day and how much of the property we need to capture. That starting point makes sense for many homes in B91, B90 and B92 because we can complete the work without scaffold hire or a long site setup. You get the flight, the image review, the annotated report and practical recommendations in one booking. For buyers and sellers dealing with a £410,000 average market value in the borough, that kind of roof check can be a useful early filter before a purchase or sale goes further.

A straightforward drone visit is usually completed fast, but we still take time to review each image and mark the findings clearly. If the weather is unsuitable, we reschedule rather than force the flight, because wind over 25mph and heavy rain can compromise safety and image quality. Homes with more complex rooflines, multiple extensions or conservation-area constraints can need extra capture time, which affects the quote. Where there is also concern about internal damp, loft defects or structural movement, we may recommend pairing the aerial survey with a RICS Level 2 or RICS Level 3 survey so the property is checked from more than one angle.