West Sussex · London and the South East
Drone roof survey in Balcombe, West Sussex
Find out the condition of the roof at your property in Balcombe from an independent roof surveyor. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Standing water on a flat roof
- Wind damage high on the roof
- Hidden gutters full of leaves
Drone roof surveys for homes and businesses in Balcombe
Neighbours’ privacy matters on every flight. We keep the camera on the roof we’re surveying, not on neighbouring homes and gardens. If your roof is joined to a neighbour’s, it’s worth letting them know about the visit. We survey the roof you’ve asked us to look at. Each flight is kept short and stays focused on the roof we are there to survey. Common reasons to book are cracked slates and tiles out of sight from below and ridge pieces that have lifted, across flat roofs on upper floors, large and complex roofs and valleys and parapet gutters.
Older buildings in small places like Balcombe may be listed or in a conservation area. Neither a drone survey nor a thermal survey involves any work on the roof, which suits a building where any change needs care. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, so check with the council first.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Balcombe (RH17)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlord and commercial surveys in Balcombe
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
What happens on the day
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. The survey normally takes about 1–2 hours at a house, including the airspace and weather checks before take-off. In a small place like Balcombe, access is normally the main thing to plan. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- We confirm whether a drone suits your roof.
- A visit is booked for a weekday, Saturday or Sunday, weather permitting.
- Aerial photos are taken of your roof only, not the neighbours’.
- If the loft can be reached safely, it is checked too.
- The report sets out what we found, with photos and recommendations.
How to prepare
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Let us know about parking before the day
Booking a survey
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or email us, tell us about the property and we will explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
Your questions about drone roof surveys in Balcombe
Will you come out to Balcombe?
Yes, we do. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
How do I find out if my home in Balcombe is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Will the drone film my neighbours?
We take care around neighbouring homes. The camera is pointed at your roof, not next door. Letting neighbours know in advance helps.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. Where a material might contain it, like old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it is disturbed.
What’s the best way to book?
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price and agree a day with you.
How long does the visit take?
Allow an hour or two for most homes, with the pre-flight checks included, and longer for big commercial roofs. We’ll give you an idea of timing when booking.
Does the weather affect a drone survey?
High wind or heavy rain stops a flight. The weather on the day decides whether the drone goes up. If we can’t fly, we will arrange another day.
Signs you need a drone roof survey in Balcombe
Many roofs are never seen properly from ground level. Rear slopes, valleys and the tops of chimneys are hidden. Faults there can go unnoticed for years.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Eroded pointing on a chimney stack
- Outlets choked with leaves and silt
- Lead work pulling away at abutments
- Moss and weeds taking hold up top
If you live in an older home near The Parish Church of St Mary, tall stacks and steep slopes are easier to judge with close-up aerial photos than from the pavement.
What to check before booking
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
Should I look at the roof myself first?
You can learn a lot from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Honest limits
In fairness, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Photos in conditions too poor to fly
- The underside of the roof (that needs an inside check)
- Close-up photos of next door’s property
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Balcombe
- Tall and steep roofs
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Large and complex roofs
- Chimney stacks
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Fragile roofs
What a drone roof survey looks like in Balcombe
Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. About 2.1 miles south-west lies Tyes Place, a reminder of how long the area around Balcombe has been built on. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Take a building like Balcombe CofE Controlled Primary School: a drone or thermal camera can show a large roof in a single visit.
Balcombe is about 4 miles north of Haywards Heath, in West Sussex. We provide drone roof surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in Balcombe and nearby. Our West Sussex coverage includes Balcombe.
We work across the RH17 postcode area for drone roof surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on London Road, Stockcroft Road and Deanland Road. Balcombe sits on or near the B2036, so getting to you is simple. Neighbouring places we cover for drone roof surveys include Balcombe Lane (1 mile north), Brook Street (2 miles south), Staplefield (2 miles south-west), Worth Abbey (3 miles north) and Whitemans Green (3 miles south). Larger places within reach include Crawley (5 miles north-west), Horsham (8 miles west), Haywards Heath (4 miles south), Burgess Hill (7 miles south), East Grinstead (7 miles north-east) and Broadfield (4 miles north-west).
What’s near Balcombe
Balcombe has its own railway station: Balcombe station. A little further out are Princess Royal Hospital (4.9 miles south) and Cuckfield Museum (3.5 miles south). The countryside around Balcombe includes Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow and Tilgate Lake.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Leaving a high roof unchecked means relying on what you can see from below. Close-up photos show what’s really there. It is far easier to plan work when you can see the problem. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
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. Prices start from £400, including VAT.
Why book with us
- Photographs and a written report every time
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- 98% of clients satisfied
See what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.