West Sussex · London and the South East
Drone roof survey in Sharpthorne, West Sussex
Close-up drone photographs of roofs that are hard to reach across Sharpthorne, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Outlets choked with leaves and silt
- Plant growth and moss on the roof
- Blistered or cracked flat roof coverings
Drone roof survey in Sharpthorne
We fly a sub-250g drone, and we’re a CAA-registered drone operator, with a Flyer ID and an Operator ID. It stays within sight for the whole flight, and within the 120-metre limit that applies to all drones in the open category. 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. If you’ve noticed plant growth and moss on the roof and blistered or cracked flat roof coverings, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Older buildings in small places like Sharpthorne may be listed or in a conservation area. Neither a drone survey nor a thermal survey involves any work on the roof, so it is a gentle way to see the condition of an old roof, before anyone decides what work it needs. Check with the council before planning any work on a listed building or one in a conservation area.
It isn’t only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend.
- Where
- Sharpthorne (RH19)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026

Drone roof surveys around Sharpthorne
The wider area around Sharpthorne has a long history of building, with Priest House about 0.5 miles west. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead. The drone we use is under 250g, flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID. In the open category, flights stay below 120 m (400 ft) and within sight.
If you look after a building like West Hoathly CofE Primary School, thermal images can show where wet insulation sits under a big flat roof.
Sharpthorne is about 4 miles south of East Grinstead, in West Sussex. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Sharpthorne can all book drone roof surveys. Sharpthorne is one of the places in West Sussex where we work for drone roof surveys. For surveys nearby, see our Crawley page.
Surveys in RH19 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Local streets include Station Road, Marlpit Road and Bayhams Field, and we cover them all. Close by, we survey roofs in West Hoathly (1 mile west), Highbrook (2 miles south), Selsfield Common (2 miles north-west), Little London (2 miles south-west) and Birchgrove (3 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Crawley (7 miles west), Horsham (12 miles west), Haywards Heath (6 miles south-west), Burgess Hill (9 miles south-west), East Grinstead (4 miles north) and Broadfield (7 miles west).
Landmarks near Sharpthorne
We work in homes and buildings around The Fox pub, among other places. The closest station to Sharpthorne is East Grinstead station, roughly 3.6 miles north. A little further out are Waterbury Castle (2.6 miles south) and East Grinstead Museum (3.7 miles north-east). Not far away are Hedgecourt Lake.
What we are asked to look at in Sharpthorne
Height and steep pitches make close inspection risky. Tall townhouses, blocks of flats and offices are typical. We fly from ground level and bring the camera close to the roof.
Most people get in touch after spotting something like this:
- Slipped or missing slates on a high roof
- Eroded pointing on a chimney stack
- Hidden gutters full of leaves
- Vegetation in valleys and gutters
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near St Margaret's Church, thin or patchy insulation under an old roof frequently shows up clearly on a thermal image.
What to check before booking
- Whether the price includes VAT
- What the survey won’t cover
- Their report turnaround times
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
What happens on the day
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photographs, emailed to you. On timing, most surveys take an hour or two at most homes, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Rural addresses near Sharpthorne can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- 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.
- Before the flight, we check the conditions and the take-off spot.
- The drone captures close-up photos of the coverings, chimneys, valleys and gutters.
- We email a written report with the photographs and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Getting a price
Drone roof survey starts from £400, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
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Leave it or get it looked at?
A drone survey disturbs nothing on the roof. Fragile slates and tiles stay as they are, so you see the roof exactly as it is. For older village homes like those around Sharpthorne, the right replacement materials are not always easy to find quickly. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
To find out what your survey will cost, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and some details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why book with us
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Surveys seven days a week
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
What we look for on each type of roof
Large commercial roofs
Big roofs on offices, warehouses and units take time to inspect. The drone covers the roof area by area, so nothing is skipped.
Chimney stacks
The drone shows the outside of the stack, and it isn’t a flue or gas safety check. If the flue needs a specialist, we will tell you.
DIY checks: what’s safe
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when you book and it will help the survey.
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Also near Sharpthorne
Also in Sharpthorne
Common questions in Sharpthorne
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Sharpthorne?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain.
How do I find out if my home in Sharpthorne is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only where it’s safe to do so. We inspect whatever is safely visible: from the ground, from windows, from inside the roof space, from the roof where it is safe and by drone where applicable. The report says if anything couldn’t be seen.
How much does a drone roof survey cost in Sharpthorne?
Drone roof survey starts from £400, including VAT. We confirm the price for the job before you book. To get a price, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
How experienced are you?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years.
What happens after the survey?
We email you the written report with photos and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Sharpthorne
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out with the most urgent first where relevant, which helps with budgets and planning.