Brighton and Hove · London and the South East
Drone Roof Survey in Hollingbury
Drone roof surveys in Hollingbury, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Hidden gutters full of leaves
- Slates or tiles shifted by high winds
- Cracked flaunching or loose chimney pots
Hollingbury questions
How do I find out if my home in Hollingbury is listed?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Is Hollingbury within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. Our survey isn’t a structural engineer’s report. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we’ll recommend one.
Will the drone show what’s under the tiles?
No. The drone sees the roof from outside only. For the underside, we check the loft where it can be reached safely, as damp and daylight often show there first.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Let us know your preferred days when booking.
What does the report include?
Written findings with photos, covering the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
What happens next?
You will get the report by email. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
How a drone roof survey works in Hollingbury
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. We never fly where it is not safe. We survey chimney stacks, valleys and parapet gutters and large and complex roofs, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are moss building up on slopes and in gutters and flat roofs on upper floors that hold water.
Around Hollingbury, a good many roofs are low enough to see partly from the garden or the street. The parts you can’t see, such as rear slopes, valleys and chimney tops, are where a drone or thermal camera adds detail. Both depend on the weather on the day, as calm, dry conditions suit both. Close-up images often show wear on ridges, verges and flashings that cannot be judged properly from the ground.
We keep jargon out of it: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, and where it can wait, that is said too.
- Location
- Hollingbury (BN1)
- Region
- Brighton and Hove
- Prices
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
When to book a survey in Hollingbury
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.
Problems we come across frequently include:
- Cracked flaunching or loose chimney pots
- Wind damage high on the roof
- Slipped or missing slates on a high roof
- Flat roofs on upper floors that hold water
Take a building like Carden Nursery and Primary School: thermal images can show where wet insulation sits under a big flat roof.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- When you’ll get the report
- What the survey will not cover
- Whether the price includes VAT
What this survey can’t tell you
It is a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- A structural engineer’s report
- A flight where airspace permission is refused
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll suggest the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Large and complex roofs
- Chimney stacks
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Fragile roofs
- Tall and steep roofs
Different roofs, different checks
Flat roofs on tall buildings
Outlets, edges and roof plant are common problem areas. We photograph them closely.
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks and loose pots are easier to judge from above. We record what we find with photos.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Photographing a roof from the air doesn’t touch it. Nothing is cracked or dislodged by footsteps, so you see the roof exactly as it is. On a bungalow or cottage around Hollingbury, the roof sits close to the rooms below, so water can show inside quickly once it gets past the covering. Catching the cause first saves redecorating as well.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. You will know the figure before booking.
What you get with us
- An independent look at the roof
- 20+ years’ experience
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
Take a look at what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
The survey, step by step
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so you can see in the report what we found and where. We take close-ups from wherever is safe, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take an hour or two for most houses, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. For a survey in Hollingbury, we agree the time, the access and parking before the day. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. If there are outbuildings or garages you want looked at, mention them.
- We start by checking the airspace and any restrictions at your address.
- Where a flight restriction zone or restricted area applies, we seek permission first.
- On the day, we check the weather and the site before flying.
- The sub-250g drone takes close-up photographs of the roof, kept in sight throughout.
- We email a written report with the photographs and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Book a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or send us an email, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Advice
Towns and villages near Hollingbury
Other services in Hollingbury
Drone roof surveys around Hollingbury
Hollingbury is within about 3 miles of the coast, and wind near the sea can be strong. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. Within a mile and a half or so of Hollingbury there are several hotels, and like offices and blocks, hotels often sit under flat roofs. For hotels and other commercial buildings, large roofs are where aerial photos and thermal images show the most at once.
For businesses in and around places such as Churchill Square, big, flat commercial roofs are where close-up aerial shots and thermal images help most. A roof leak in a hotel or guest house around Hollingbury means lost rooms as well as repairs.
Hollingbury is about 2 miles north of Brighton, in Brighton and Hove. Hollingbury is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and South East England. Across Brighton and Hove, we cover Hollingbury.
Surveys in BN1 are booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes homes and businesses on Keymer Road, Warmdene Road and Carden Avenue. Other places close to Hollingbury include Patcham (1 mile west), Withdean (1 mile south-west), Hollingdean (1 mile south), Preston (1 mile south-west) and Westdene (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover Brighton and Hove (3 miles south-west), Hove (3 miles south-west), Brunswick (3 miles south), Kemptown (3 miles south), Whitehawk (3 miles south-east) and Aldrington (3 miles south-west).
Around Hollingbury
In Hollingbury, that means homes and buildings near University of Sussex Library, Patcham High School and Wild Park. Other local landmarks include The Dharma Primary School (0.5 miles north-west) and County Oak pub (under half a mile north-east). Hollingbury’s nearest station is Moulsecoomb station, about 1.1 miles south-east. Other landmarks nearby include Brighton General Hospital (2.1 miles south) and Churchill Square (2.6 miles south). Open spaces near Hollingbury include Ladies Mile and Ditchling Beacon.
Checking the roof from ground level
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.