East Sussex · London and the South East
Lewes Drone Roof Survey
Close-up drone photographs of roofs that are hard to reach for Lewes and the rest of East Sussex. Surveys run seven days a week.
- Ponding and splits on a high flat roof
- Outlets choked with leaves and silt
- Flashings that have come away
What happens on the day
A survey visit follows a simple order: we listen to what’s been worrying you, inspect the roof from each safe vantage point, photograph what we find and make notes for the report. Most visits take about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. Most visits in a town like Lewes start at the front of the house and work round to the back. The back garden is often where extensions, dormers and rear slopes are best seen. The loft comes next, where there’s safe access.
- You give us the address and let us know about the roof.
- Airspace restrictions are checked and permission sought where needed.
- On the day, we check the wind, weather and site before flying.
- We fly the sub-250g drone close to the roof and photograph each area.
- You receive a written report with the photos and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Keep pets in another room
Booking a survey
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form, let us know about the property and we will explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
Advice
How a drone roof survey works in Lewes
Before any flight, we check the airspace. Flight restriction zones around airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick and London City need permission from the airport or air traffic control. Parts of central London have restricted areas too, where NATS permission is needed. If we cannot fly, we use other safe vantage points instead and tell you. Prison sites also have drone restriction zones. Common reasons to book are gaps where slates or tiles have gone and worn lead at chimneys and walls, on large and complex roofs, fragile roofs and flat roofs on upper floors.
In a town like Lewes, the roofs that are hardest to see are frequently on taller buildings, steep slopes or the backs of terraces. Close-up drone photos and thermal images show what binoculars from the pavement cannot. Both depend on the weather on the day, so the date is set with the forecast in mind. A typical example is the rear slope over a back addition, which can’t be seen from the street.
It isn’t only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend.
- Location
- Lewes (BN7, BN8, BN6, RH15)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near Lewes
What else we do in Lewes
What affects the price in Lewes
Our packages start from £150, inc. VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Roof area
- Which survey package you book
For a price for your roof in Lewes, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us about the roof. We will confirm the figure before booking.
What we need to know
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. Just tell us:
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from ground level or a window; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Can I check my roof myself?
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Your questions about drone roof surveys in Lewes
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Lewes?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Is drone flying allowed in Lewes?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first, including zones around airports and prisons. A small drone cannot fly safely in high wind or heavy rain.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Someone needs to let us in if we are looking inside or in the loft. We will talk about access when booking.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We’re roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it does not include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we will recommend one.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
Do you look in the roof space?
If it is needed and safe to reach, yes. We look for staining, damp, daylight and signs of movement, as far as the space allows.
When you need someone else
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Anything inside the loft or under the coverings
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- Flying in a flight restriction zone without the airport’s permission
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll point you to the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Lewes
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Chimney stacks
- Tall and steep roofs
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Large and complex roofs
- Fragile roofs
Drones, thermal imaging and Lewes roofs
Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions, including zones around airports and prisons. Historic houses like Anne of Cleves House, about 0.6 miles south, show how far back building in the area around Lewes goes. If your home is one of the older ones, 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 Lewes Old Grammar School: thermal images can show where wet insulation sits under a big flat roof. For hotels and guest houses around Lewes, a roof problem found early is far less disruptive than one found by a guest, so it pays to find faults before guests do. For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St John sub Castro, older roofs can be steep and hard to see from the street, which is where aerial photos and thermal images help.
Lewes is about 7 miles north-east of Brighton, in East Sussex. Lewes is one of many places we visit across East Sussex. Across East Sussex, we cover Lewes and the places around it. For surveys nearby, see our Brighton page.
We survey roofs across the BN7, BN8, BN6 and RH15 postcode area for drone roof surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Market Lane, Market Street and High Street. Lewes is on the A26 and A275, so it’s easy for us to get to. We also cover the places around Lewes: South Malling (1 mile north-east), Southover (1 mile south-east), Cliffe (1 mile east), Offham (1 mile north-west) and Hamsey (1 mile north). Within a short drive, we also cover Eastbourne (14 miles south-east), Seaford (8 miles south-east), Hailsham (11 miles east), Crowborough (14 miles north-east), Uckfield (8 miles north-east) and Newhaven (6 miles south). As one of the bigger places in East Sussex, Lewes has every kind of building, from houses and flats to offices.
What’s near Lewes
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Priory School, St Pancras Catholic Primary School and Railway Land. The closest station to Lewes is Lewes station, roughly 0.6 miles south-east. Nearby you’ll also find Lewes Victoria Hospital (0.5 miles west) and Museum of Agricultural Bygones (3.9 miles east). For a walk, there’s Offham Hill and Malling Down.
Practical tips
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Keep pets indoors during the flight
- Clear a spot on the drive or lawn
- Book early if you’re near an airport
- Clear the loft hatch so we can check inside too
We email the report to you, with close-up photographs from the flight. Each finding is explained in plain words, and recommendations are ranked by urgency where that helps.
Have high or hard-to-reach roofs surveyed every few years. Comparing surveys shows what is wearing, so small faults are dealt with early.
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney stacks
Chimney tops are hard to see from the ground. A drone gets close to the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
Large commercial roofs
Large commercial roofs cover a lot of ground. The drone covers the roof area by area, so nothing is skipped.