West Sussex · London and the South East
Gutter survey in Merston, West Sussex
Get a clear view of the gutter at a property in Merston. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Sagging gutters and loose brackets
- Choked outlets or hopper heads
- Valley or box gutters that overflow inside
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
Gutter surveys for homes and businesses in Merston
Owners get in touch after seeing an overflow, finding damp or planning ahead for winter. Landlords and managing agents use the report to plan upkeep and buyers sometimes want the gutters looked at before they exchange. The survey and report follow the same steps whatever the reason, with photographs and written recommendations. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. If you’ve noticed hoppers and outlets full of debris and soffits marked by water, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Some older homes in villages like Merston are listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
You receive the findings by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Location
- Merston (PO20)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Local roofs in Merston
Merston lies within about 4 miles of the sea, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. The wider area around Merston has a long history of building, with Goodwood House about 3.5 miles north. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters.
If you let a flat or house near Chichester station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. Take a building like North Mundham Primary School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Merston is about 3 miles south-east of Chichester, in West Sussex. We carry out gutter surveys in Merston for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings, with a written report and photographs every time. Merston is one of the places in West Sussex we cover for gutter surveys. We also survey roofs in Portsmouth.
Here we cover the PO20 postcode area for gutter surveys. Close by, we survey roofs in Runcton (1 mile south-west), Colworth (1 mile east), Oving (1 mile north), North Mundham (1 mile west) and Lagness (1 mile south). We also work in nearby towns such as Worthing (15 miles east), Bognor Regis (3 miles south-east), Chichester (3 miles north-west), Selsey (6 miles south), Littlehampton (9 miles east) and Emsworth (9 miles west).
Landmarks near Merston
We work in homes and buildings around Chichester High School For Girls, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Chichester station, about 2.3 miles west. A little further out are The Chichester City Museum (2.3 miles north-west) and St Richard's Hospital (2.3 miles north-west).
Roof by roof
Cast iron gutters
Lots of period homes still have cast iron rainwater goods. They last well when painted but corrode once the paint wears off.
Fascias and soffits
Fascias carry the gutters, so rot in the boards can loosen the whole run. Damaged or stained boards are recorded.
Nearby places to Merston
Other services in Merston
Common roof problems in Merston
Some gutters may be too small, or have too few downpipes, for the roof they serve. Added roof area from an extension can load an older gutter and the weakness shows in a heavy downpour.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Gutters that have fallen out of line
- Leaves and moss blocking gutters
- Gutters overflowing in heavy rain
- Choked outlets or hopper heads
The streets around a church such as Church of St Giles are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Their report turnaround times
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
FAQs for Merston
I let a flat near Chichester station. Can you check the roof?
Of course. We just need to know who will give access, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Merston?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
What’s the best way to book?
To book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and tell us the address and what you’d like to know. We’ll confirm the price and agree a day with you.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. Our survey is not a structural engineer’s report. We’ll recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
Will you check the drains below ground?
No. Our gutter survey covers rainwater above ground down to where the downpipes reach the ground. If a drain below ground looks like the cause, the report says so.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so we need permission from whoever owns or manages the building. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
Will the survey check for asbestos?
No, that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor. We point out materials on older buildings that could contain asbestos so you can arrange that check.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Merston
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, putting the urgent items at the top.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Merston. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Leave it or get it looked at?
When a valley or parapet gutter blocks, the water has nowhere safe to go. It can overflow into the building, often in the heaviest rain. Having them checked before autumn and winter makes sense. For an older or listed building in a place like Merston, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Every price we give includes VAT. Gutter survey starts from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for your survey before booking.
Why book us in Merston
- Visits on any day of the week
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
What we do, step by step
On the day, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, from ground level, from windows, in the loft space and by drone where applicable. The survey normally takes between one and two hours at a house, depending on how many gutter runs and downpipes there are. Around Merston, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- First, you tell us what you’ve seen, like overflows or damp.
- The eaves gutters, downpipes and fascias are looked at from the ground and vantage points.
- We check hidden gutters, like valleys and parapets, where it is safe to see them.
- Where the loft can be reached safely, we check it for staining or damp.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations.
Before the survey
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Book a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or email us.