West Sussex · London and the South East
Merston Landlord Roof Survey
We take a careful look at the let or shared roof at your property in Merston, and put it all in a photo-illustrated written report.
- Gaps where tiles or slates have slipped
- Cracked or leaning shared chimneys
- Loose ridge or hip tiles
What we look for on each type of roof
Gutters and downpipes
Gutters are a common source of leaks on blocks. We check gutters, outlets and downpipes as far as can be seen safely.
Party-wall upstands and parapets
Terraced roofs have party-wall upstands between houses. Their flashings and pointing can let water in.
Landlord roof survey in Merston
The lease typically decides who is responsible for the roof and who pays. We can’t advise on what your lease says but we can give you an independent record of the roof’s condition. It helps owners and managers discuss the next steps from the same facts. The report sets out what we saw, with photos and recommendations. If you’ve noticed gaps where tiles or slates have slipped and failed flashings at walls and chimneys, we can find out what’s behind it.
In a small place like Merston, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, each with a short note and a photo. It records what’s sound as well as what is not.
- Where
- Merston (PO20)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Do you need a landlord roof survey in Merston?
A single building may have pitched roofs, flat roofs and rear additions. They all age at different rates and the smaller roofs are easy to forget.
Most people get in touch after spotting something like this:
- Flashings that have come away
- Ceiling stains reported by tenants
- Cracked or leaning shared chimneys
- Gaps where tiles or slates have slipped
For landlords with property near Chichester station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
What to check before booking
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
Local roofs in Merston
Merston lies within about 4 miles of the sea, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles. Goodwood House, about 3.5 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Merston. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you look after a building like North Mundham Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. Take an older house close to Church of St Giles: corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Merston is about 3 miles south-east of Chichester, in West Sussex. Bookings from Merston are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. We cover towns and villages across West Sussex. Our Portsmouth page covers surveys nearby.
Landlord roof surveys in PO20 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Neighbouring places we cover for landlord roof surveys include 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).
Around Merston
Around Merston, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Chichester High School For Girls and the streets around them. Merston’s nearest station is Chichester station, roughly 2.3 miles west. Nearby you will also find The Chichester City Museum (2.3 miles north-west) and St Richard's Hospital (2.3 miles north-west).
Common questions in Merston
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Chichester station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you need.
How do I find out if my home in Merston is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. Access is agreed with you when booking.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, like cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
Can you survey a shared roof on a terrace or converted house?
Yes. We inspect the parts we’re given access to, as far as they can be seen safely. Areas we couldn’t see are noted in the report.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only if it’s safe. We inspect whatever is safely visible: from the ground, from windows, from inside the loft space, from the roof where it’s safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we can’t see is noted in the report.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you will need a RICS survey as well.
Tips that help
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Check the roof space can be accessed
- Book gutter clearing at least once a year
- Survey the roof on a regular cycle
- Check your lease or ask a solicitor about who pays
The report can feed straight into a maintenance plan. Urgent items can be dealt with first and the rest budgeted for later.
Get gutters and roof outlets cleared at least once a year, especially on blocks with valleys or parapets. Many leaks into top flats start with a blocked gutter.
Why act early in Merston
Relying on what tenants report means relying on what they can see. A ceiling stain frequently means water has been coming in for some time. We look at the roof, not just the symptoms. Matching old materials, like handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you need to know.
Why book us in Merston
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- 98% customer satisfaction
Read our cost guide or our case studies.
What we do, step by step
We check the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there is safe access, from inside the roof space too. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement. The whole visit usually takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Older roofs in small places like Merston can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- We start with what you know about the building and its history.
- We let you know which flats and hatches we need to reach.
- The roofs are inspected from the ground, vantage points, the roof space and the roof where safe.
- The report records areas we couldn’t access.
- You receive photos and recommendations, prioritised where relevant.
Preparing for the visit
- Tell us about parking before the day
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Getting a price
We survey roofs on weekdays and at weekends. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Related advice
DIY checks: what’s safe
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.