East Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Barcombe Cross
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Barcombe Cross. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Barcombe Cross
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, and the roof is only one part of it. We don’t offer a RICS home survey, and ours is not a substitute for one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. The two sit side by side. We survey chimney stacks, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and lead flashings and valleys, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are damp timbers or stains in the loft and gaps where slates or tiles have come loose.
Somewhere as small as Barcombe Cross, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings often sit beside a few newer homes. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Barcombe Cross (BN8)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Honest limits
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- A structural engineer’s report
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
Places near Barcombe Cross
Also in Barcombe Cross
What we look for on each type of roof
Natural slate
Older slate roofs frequently have bitumen felt under them, and very old ones may have none. Where we can see it from the loft, we say what condition it’s in.
Gutters and parapets
Hidden gutters behind parapets send water indoors when they block. We check their linings and outlets from wherever is safe.
Can I check my roof myself?
It is useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us as you book.
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
FAQs for Barcombe Cross
Is my home in Barcombe Cross listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Do you cover Barcombe Cross?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
Does someone need to be in?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that in advance, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Where it is safe, yes. We inspect from ground level, from windows and vantage points, from the loft and from the roof itself where safe. The Premium Survey adds a drone inspection where it applies.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
They do different things. A home survey looks at the whole property, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Our survey complements a RICS survey and does not replace one.
What we do, step by step
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. In a small place like Barcombe Cross, access is normally the main thing to plan. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Check pets are kept safely away
Arrange a survey
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so phone 07833 053749 or email us with the details.
Advice
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- The shape of the roof and its details
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- The size of the roof
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included.
Helping us price your survey
These details help when you contact us:
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from the ground or a window, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To get started, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Practical tips
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
With the findings in hand, you can talk to the seller or their agent. Some buyers ask for repairs before completion, others ask for a change to the price. The outcome is between you and the seller.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
Barcombe Cross homes and their roofs
Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs, and the county’s older buildings include oast houses and Wealden hall houses. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
If you let a flat or house near Cooksbridge station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer. If you live in an older home near St Francis of Assisi, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges. Glyndebourne lies about 3.7 miles south-east, so building around Barcombe Cross goes back a long way. If you are buying an older home nearby, it’s worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
Barcombe Cross is about 3 miles north of Lewes, in East Sussex. Roofs in Barcombe Cross get the same thorough look as anywhere else in East Sussex. We cover towns and villages across East Sussex, large and small. Our Brighton page covers surveys nearby.
Surveys in BN8 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on High Street, Grange Road and Weald Close and the roads around them. We also cover the places around Barcombe Cross: Barcombe (1 mile south), Mount Pleasant (1 mile north-east), Barcombe Mills (1 mile south-east), Upper Wellingham (2 miles south-east) and Cooksbridge (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Eastbourne (15 miles south-east), Seaford (11 miles south), Lewes (3 miles south), Hailsham (11 miles east), Crowborough (11 miles north-east) and Uckfield (5 miles north-east).
Near you in Barcombe Cross
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Royal Oak pub and Chailey School. Barcombe Cross’s nearest station is Cooksbridge station, about 1.9 miles south-west of the centre. Nearby you will also find Museum of Agricultural Bygones (3.7 miles south-east) and Lewes Victoria Hospital (3.6 miles south). For a walk, there is Malling Down and Offham Hill.