West Sussex · London and the South East
Drone Roof Survey in Hickstead
We carry out drone roof surveys in Hickstead and the rest of West Sussex. We survey seven days a week.
- Vegetation in valleys and gutters
- Gaps where slates or tiles have gone
- Chimney tops in poor condition
Drone roof surveys for homes and businesses in Hickstead
Our drone weighs under 250g, and we hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID. It stays within sight for the whole flight, and well below the 120-metre height limit. Every flight is planned around the roof, the site and the people nearby. Airspace and weather are checked before every flight. Safety comes first on every visit. If you’re worried about ponding and splits on a high flat roof and moss and weeds taking hold up top, we can find out what’s behind it.
Somewhere as small as Hickstead, older roofs are frequently steep and partly hidden by trees or outbuildings. Close-up drone photos and thermal images help show what cannot be reached safely. Weather and airspace are checked ahead of the visit. Older roofs with steep slopes and tall chimneys are where the extra view helps most.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Location
- Hickstead (RH17, BN6)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from the ground
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Hickstead: your questions answered
Will you come out to Hickstead?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Hickstead?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
What does a roof survey cost?
Our price is from £400, including VAT. Our Basic Survey starts from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all with VAT included.
What if my home is near an airport?
Only with the right permission. Confirmed flight restriction zones include Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Stansted, Luton and Southampton, among others, where the airport or air traffic control must give permission first. Without it, we inspect from other safe viewpoints.
Will you photograph next door’s garden?
We point the camera at your roof only. Neighbouring homes and gardens aren’t the subject. A quick word with the neighbours is a good idea.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
Are you structural engineers?
No. Visible signs such as deflection or sagging are recorded, but we don’t provide calculations or an engineer’s opinion. The report will say if you need an engineer.
Drones, thermal imaging and Hickstead roofs
Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Many roofs like these cannot be judged properly from the pavement, and that is where a view from above or a thermal image earns its place. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions.
Ockenden Manor, about 3.4 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Hickstead. Older roofs nearby can be steep and hard to see from ground level, and a survey by drone or thermal camera does not touch the roof itself. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Twineham CofE Primary School, big roofs are where aerial photos and thermal images show the most at once.
Hickstead is about 3 miles west of Burgess Hill, in West Sussex. We visit Hickstead as part of our work across West Sussex, for homes and businesses alike. Our area takes in places right across West Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Brighton.
We work across RH17 and BN6 for drone roof surveys. If you’re just outside Hickstead, we cover Goddards Green (1 mile east), Sayers Common (1 mile south), Abbotsford (2 miles east), Ansty (2 miles north-east) and Hurstpierpoint (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Crawley (10 miles north), Horsham (9 miles north-west), Worthing (13 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (5 miles north-east), Burgess Hill (3 miles east) and East Grinstead (14 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Hickstead
In Hickstead, that means homes and buildings near St Paul's Catholic College, among other places. The closest station to Hickstead is Burgess Hill station, roughly 3.1 miles east. Well-known places in the area include The Dene Hospital (1.3 miles east) and Clayton Castle (4.6 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Wolstonbury Hill and Bedelands Farm Nature Reserve.
Signs you need a drone roof survey in Hickstead
Height and steep pitches make close inspection risky. Three-storey houses, blocks of flats and tall commercial buildings are common examples. A drone gets close-up views from a safe position on the ground.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Cracked flaunching or loose chimney pots
- Blocked valleys and parapet gutters
- Plant growth and moss on the roof
- Standing water on a flat roof
Take an older house close to The Parish Church of St Peter: thin or patchy insulation under an old roof often shows up clearly on a thermal image.
What to check before booking
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- What insurance they carry
- Whether the price includes VAT
What happens on the day
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photos, sent to you by email. On timing, most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours at a house, including the airspace and weather checks before take-off. Somewhere like Hickstead needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. On the day, we inspect whatever is safely visible, inside and out.
- First comes the address, plus a note of what worries you about the roof.
- Airspace restrictions are checked and permission sought where needed.
- On the day, we check the wind, weather and site before flying.
- The drone photographs the roof closely, kept in sight throughout.
- We email the report with close-up photos and recommendations.
Before the survey
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Getting a price
We confirm the price for your survey before you book, so you know the cost up front. Our price is from £400, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
Honest limits
It is a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- Flights in a restricted zone without permission
- Whether the roof structure meets design loads
- A flight on a day when the weather is not safe
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you before you book. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in Hickstead
- Fragile roofs
- Tall and steep roofs
- Chimney stacks
- Large and complex roofs
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Valleys and parapet gutters
How the survey changes by roof type
Valleys and parapet gutters
Valleys and parapet gutters are hidden from the street. From above, we can see the linings, the joints and any debris.
Ridges and hips
Some ridges are fixed with mortar, others with dry-fix systems. Their condition is noted in the report.
Nearby places to Hickstead
Also in Hickstead
Surveys for landlords and agents in Hickstead
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed in advance. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, which can make access easier.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, with the report sent to whoever needs it. Access is agreed with the tenant in advance.