East Sussex · London and the South East
Drone roof survey in Cliffe, East Sussex
Close-up drone photographs of roofs that are hard to reach in Cliffe, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Debris building up in hidden gutters
- Gaps where slates or tiles have gone
- Ridge pieces that have lifted
Drone roof survey in Cliffe
Drones need reasonable weather. We don’t fly in strong wind or heavy rain, because the drone has to stay safely under control. If the weather turns, we’ll agree another day. The forecast is checked ahead of the visit and again on the day. Calm, dry conditions give the sharpest close-up photos. Waiting for a better day is better than a rushed flight. If you’re worried about coverings that have slipped high up on the roof and ponding and splits on a high flat roof, we can find out what’s behind it.
Places like Cliffe can be near small airfields or other airspace restrictions, so every drone flight starts with a check of the Drone Safety Map. Exposed sites can be windy, and a small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind, while thermal imaging also works best with little wind. Each flight is planned with neighbours’ privacy in mind, as well as the airspace and the wind.
With the Standard Survey, you also get 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.
- Where
- Cliffe (BN7, BN8)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Allow time for permission if you’re in a flight restriction zone
- Tell next door if the drone will be near their property
- Make sure the loft can be reached
- Expect us to rearrange if it is too windy or wet
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. They’ll see exactly where each defect is.
Have high or hard-to-reach roofs surveyed every few years. Regular photos make changes easy to spot, and early repairs keep water out.
What happens if roof problems are left?
With drone photos, everyone can see the same thing. You can show exactly where the problem is, which helps when you ask for quotes. Homes in smaller places like Cliffe can face more weather, so a loose ridge or verge soon lets rain in. Wind gets under it and lifts more, and water follows.
For a price for your roof in Cliffe, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why us?
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- 98% customer satisfaction
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- 20+ years’ experience
Take a look at our cost guide and two real surveys.
When you need someone else
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- A flight where airspace permission is refused
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Photos in conditions too poor to fly
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will point you to the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Cliffe
- Large and complex roofs
- Tall and steep roofs
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Fragile roofs
- Chimney stacks
What we do, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a report with photos. On timing, most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. In a smaller place like Cliffe, as anywhere, the forecast plays a part: drone flights and thermal imaging need the right conditions, while a look from the ground and the loft can go ahead in most weather.
- We start by making sure a drone flight makes sense for the roof.
- A date is fixed, with a fallback in case the weather turns.
- The roof is photographed from the air, with the camera kept on your property.
- We also look inside the loft space where it’s safe.
- The report sets out what we found, with photos and recommendations.
How to prepare
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
Book a survey
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Read more
Cliffe questions
Are there drone restrictions around Cliffe?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain.
Is Cliffe within the area you cover?
Yes. Cliffe is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We work right across London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, so it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days as you book.
How long does the survey take?
It normally takes between one and two hours for most homes, with the pre-flight checks included, and longer for big commercial roofs. You will then get the report by email.
What happens next?
You receive the written report by email, with photos and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
Does someone need to be in?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access.
Towns and villages near Cliffe
What else we do in Cliffe
How the survey changes by roof type
Flat roofs on tall buildings
Outlets, edges and roof plant are common problem areas. They’re all captured in close-up.
Ridges and hips
Wind lifts loose ridge and hip tiles. Spotting them early stops them falling.
What we’re asked to look at in Cliffe
Many roofs are never seen properly from ground level. You cannot see the back slope, the valleys or the chimney tops. Faults there can go unnoticed for years, which is why owners turn to a drone.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Ridge and hip pieces working loose
- Cracked slates and tiles out of sight from below
- Moss building up on slopes and in gutters
- Lead work pulling away at abutments
Take an older house close to Church of St Thomas at Cliffe: tall stacks and steep slopes are easier to judge with close-up aerial photos than from the pavement.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- Their report turnaround times
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
Flying and imaging in Cliffe
Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs, and oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of East Sussex’s older buildings. Older coverings on steep or tall roofs are hard to judge from below, so close-up close-up aerial shots and thermal images help. Anne of Cleves House, about 0.7 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Cliffe. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Take a building like Priory School: a drone or thermal camera can show a large roof in a single visit. A roof leak in a hotel or guest house around Cliffe means lost rooms as well as repairs, so it pays to find faults before guests do.
Cliffe is about 1 mile east of Lewes, in East Sussex. We visit Cliffe as part of our work across East Sussex, for homes and businesses alike. Our East Sussex coverage includes Cliffe. We also survey roofs in Brighton.
We work across BN7 and BN8 for drone roof surveys. Streets in the area include Ham Lane, New Road and Court Road, all of which we cover. With the A26 close by, Cliffe is simple for us to get to. Other places close to Cliffe include Southover (1 mile south-west), South Malling (1 mile north-west), Lewes (1 mile west), Hamsey (2 miles north) and Offham (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Eastbourne (13 miles south-east), Seaford (8 miles south-east), Hailsham (10 miles east), Crowborough (14 miles north-east), Uckfield (7 miles north-east) and Newhaven (6 miles south).
Local landmarks in Cliffe
Around Cliffe, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Gardeners Arms, Railway Land and Lewes Old Grammar School. Cliffe has its own railway station: Lewes station. Other landmarks nearby include Lewes Castle (0.5 miles west) and Lewes Victoria Hospital (1.1 miles west). For a walk, there is Cliffe Hill and Malling Down.