East Sussex · London and the South East
Drone roof survey in Hastings Old Town, East Sussex
Close-up drone photographs of roofs that are hard to reach around Hastings Old Town, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Ridge and hip pieces working loose
- Wind damage high on the roof
- Slipped or missing slates on a high roof
Drone roof surveys for homes and businesses in Hastings Old Town
Tall, steep, large or fragile roofs can’t always be inspected up close. Our drone roof survey gets a camera close to them without anyone climbing. It shows coverings, ridges, chimneys, valleys and gutters clearly, including slopes that can’t be seen from the street. Everything we find goes into a photo-illustrated written report. It also suits roofs that would be damaged by someone walking on them. If we cannot fly, we tell you why. We survey tall and steep roofs, fragile roofs and valleys and parapet gutters, and the problems we are asked to look at most are hidden gutters full of leaves and wind damage high on the roof.
Around Hastings Old Town, lots of roofs are low enough to see partly from the garden or the street. Chimney tops, valleys and rear slopes are where close-up or thermal images help most. The forecast decides the day, as calm, dry conditions suit both. Even so, a close-up image frequently shows wear on ridges and flashings that a view from the ground misses.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Hastings Old Town (TN34, TN35)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Common roof problems in Hastings Old Town
Not every roof can take a person’s weight. Older slates and tiles break easily, and fragile sheet roofs are dangerous to walk on. A drone lets us see them closely without touching them.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Plant growth and moss on the roof
- Ridge and hip pieces working loose
- Blocked valleys and parapet gutters
- Gaps where slates or tiles have gone
Take a building like Ark Castledown Primary Academy: big roofs are where photos from the air and thermal images show the most at once.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
What we look for on each type of roof
Valleys and parapet gutters
Valleys and parapet gutters are hidden from the street. A drone shows linings, joints and build-ups of debris.
Chimney stacks
From the air, a lean or a loose pot is easy to see. We record what we find with photos.
Also near Hastings Old Town
What else we do in Hastings Old Town
Hastings Old Town: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Hastings Old Town is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Do you cover smaller places like Hastings Old Town?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it’s useful to know about access.
What does a roof survey cost?
Prices start from £400, including VAT. The final figure depends on the roof and the package you choose, and it is agreed before booking.
Will you photograph next door’s garden?
We point the camera at your roof only. Neighbouring homes and gardens aren’t the subject, and flights are kept short. A quick word with the neighbours is a good idea.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
Can you fly a drone near an airport?
Flight restriction zones around protected airports need permission from the airport or air traffic control before any flight. We check the airspace for your address and seek permission where it’s needed. If it is not given, we inspect by other means.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We do not carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
Drone roof surveys in Hastings Old Town: local notes
Hastings Old Town lies within about 1 mile of the sea, where wind off the sea can be strong. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. Hastings Old Town has a number of hotels within about a mile and a half, and hotels, like offices and blocks of flats, often have flat roofs. For hotels and other commercial buildings, large roofs are where close-up aerial shots and thermal images show the most at once.
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of St Clement, older roofs can be steep and hard to see from the street, which is where photos from the air and thermal images help. For hotels and guest houses around Hastings Old Town, a roof problem found early is far less disruptive than one found by a guest.
Hastings Old Town is about 1 mile south-east of Hastings, in East Sussex. We visit Hastings Old Town as part of our work across East Sussex, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. We cover towns and villages across East Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. Our Maidstone page covers surveys nearby.
Postcode districts we cover here for drone roof surveys: TN34 and TN35. Whether your property is on Crown Lane, Croft Road and Manor Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. If you’re just outside Hastings Old Town, we cover Rock-a-Nore (1 mile south-east), Belmont (1 mile north), America Ground (1 mile west), Blacklands (1 mile north-west) and St Helen's (1 mile north-west). Further out, we also cover Eastbourne (14 miles west), Bexhill-on-Sea (6 miles west), Hailsham (15 miles west), Polegate (15 miles west), Old Town (15 miles west) and Upper Horsebridge (15 miles west).
Near you in Hastings Old Town
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Linton Gardens, The Royal Standard Public House and William Parker Sports College, among other places. Nearby too are University School (0.9 miles west) and Roman Catholic Church of St Mary Star of the Sea (within half a mile north-east). The nearest railway station is Hastings station, roughly 0.7 miles west. Other landmarks nearby include Priory Meadow Shopping Centre (0.5 miles west) and Hastings Castle (under half a mile west). The countryside around Hastings Old Town includes Church Wood and Robsack Wood.
DIY checks: what’s safe
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.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date.
Why act early in Hastings Old Town
Planning roof work without seeing the roof is a gamble. You get photos of every part we can see. You can tackle the urgent items first. Around Hastings Old Town, a leak in an older house can soak into timbers and plaster, and that’s a much bigger job than the original defect.
Price depends partly on the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all inc. VAT. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
What you get with us
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Photos and a written report every time
How it works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photos. As for time on site, it usually takes about 1–2 hours at a house, including the airspace and weather checks before take-off. In a smaller place like Hastings Old Town, parking is seldom the issue; lanes, gates and long drives are worth mentioning. Low roofs on bungalows can often be seen well from the ground, and the loft shows the rest.
- We confirm whether a drone suits your roof.
- We agree a date, including weekends, subject to the weather.
- We fly over the roof, keeping the camera on the property we are surveying.
- We also look inside the loft space where it’s safe.
- You get photos, findings and clear recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Arrange a survey
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We will confirm the price before you book.
Read more
Surveys for landlords and agents in Hastings Old Town
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it when you book and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Hastings Old Town and across East Sussex can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or email us.