West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Apuldram
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Apuldram, from an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photographs.
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Old water stains in the loft space
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Apuldram
With a written roof report, you can go back to the seller or agent with specifics. You might ask about past repairs, ask for work to be done before completion or think again about your offer. We cannot say how a seller will respond, but you’ll be negotiating from a clear picture rather than a hunch. It can also help you decide whether the purchase is still right for you. We’re often asked to look into lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney and slipped or missing slates and tiles, across chimney stacks, natural slate and flat-roofed extensions and dormers.
Being in a small place like Apuldram makes no difference to the inspection itself: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed ahead of time. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when booking. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Location
- Apuldram (PO20, PO19)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
For landlords and managing agents
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, and the report can go to both. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Also near Apuldram
More services for Apuldram
Checking the roof from ground level
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry, as it helps us focus the survey.
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
A butterfly roof drains to a central valley gutter, usually to the back of the house. If the home you’re buying has one, that gutter and its outlet get a careful look.
Natural slate
Many older homes in London and the South East have slate roofs. We look for slates that have slid, cracked or gone, and for clips or tingles that show past repairs.
Apuldram questions
Will you come out to Apuldram?
Yes, Apuldram is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Is my home in Apuldram listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
They do different things. A home survey looks at the whole property, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Our survey complements a RICS survey and does not replace one.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That gives you time to use the findings.
When will the report arrive?
That depends on which survey you choose: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your timetable when you book.
Do you need to go inside the property?
Where possible, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and upstairs windows give useful views. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Practical tips
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
If the report shows work is needed, you can raise it with the seller or agent. You might ask for the work to be done before completion, or ask to adjust the price. What happens next is your decision and the seller’s, and we can’t promise any result.
Every so often, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
The survey, step by step
On the day, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that’s worrying you. After that, we look at everything we can see safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where it applies. Most surveys take an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Cottages and farmhouses around Apuldram often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
How to prepare
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
Getting a price
When you’re ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or email us. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Read more
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Apuldram
Apuldram lies within about 3 miles of the sea, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
If you own a rental within reach of Chichester station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it. For an older house near a landmark like The Parish Church of St Mary, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Apuldram is about 2 miles south-west of Chichester, in West Sussex. Roofs in Apuldram get the same thorough look as anywhere else in West Sussex. Apuldram is one of the places in West Sussex we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. There is also a page for Portsmouth.
Surveys in PO20 and PO19 are booked the same way as anywhere else. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Dell Quay Road, Appledram Lane South and Donnington Park or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Fishbourne (1 mile north), Bosham Hoe (2 miles west), Broadbridge (2 miles north-west), Bosham (2 miles west) and West Itchenor (3 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Bognor Regis (6 miles south-east), Selsey (6 miles south), Littlehampton (12 miles east), Emsworth (6 miles west), Rustington (13 miles east) and Angmering (14 miles east).
What’s near Apuldram
We work in homes and buildings around The Black Horse Public House, The Prebendal School and Bishop Luffa School. The nearest railway station is Chichester station, roughly 1.2 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include Chichester Castle (1.8 miles north-east) and St Richard's Hospital (2.1 miles north-east). Open spaces near Apuldram include Stoke Down and Nutborne Marshes.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Apuldram
The fixings and underlay frequently fail before good slates or tiles do. Natural slate can last 100 years or more, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. It is a frequent finding on older houses.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
With Goodwood House about 4.4 miles north-east, the area around Apuldram has a long history. Older homes in the area can come with listed status or conservation area rules, which affect re-roofing, so check with the council before you buy.
Before booking anyone
- When you’ll get the report
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID