East Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Barcombe
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Barcombe, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
Pre-purchase roof survey in Barcombe: what you get
Some roofs cannot be seen well from ground level or from windows. Our Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and, where applicable, a drone inspection, and the report arrives the same day. Where a flight is not possible, because of airspace rules or the weather, we tell you and inspect from every other safe vantage point. Common reasons to book are flashings that have lifted or split and blocked or leaking gutters, across clay and concrete tiles, natural slate and flat-roofed extensions and dormers.
Being in a small place like Barcombe 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 as you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- Barcombe (BN8)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen. The survey typically takes between one and two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Cottages and farmhouses around Barcombe 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’re buying.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- 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
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Getting a price
When you’re ready to go ahead, ring 07833 053749 or email us. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Read more
Why it is worth a survey now in Barcombe
Leaving it means judging the roof from the street. That rarely shows the back slope, the valleys or the top of the chimney. A survey fills that gap before you commit. For an older or listed building in a place like Barcombe, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it’s urgent leaves less time to plan.
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we can help you choose.
What you get with us
- Surveys on any day of the week
- 20+ years’ experience
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- 98% customer satisfaction
See our cost guide and two real surveys.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Barcombe
Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. 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 are buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
The streets around a church such as The Parish Church of St Mary are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming. With Glyndebourne about 3.2 miles south-east, the area around Barcombe has a long history. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area.
Barcombe is about 3 miles north of Lewes, in East Sussex. Roofs in Barcombe get the same thorough look as anywhere else in East Sussex. Barcombe is one of the places in East Sussex where we work. There’s also a page for Brighton.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: BN8. We also cover Barcombe Mills (1 mile east), Barcombe Cross (1 mile north), Upper Wellingham (1 mile south-east), Mount Pleasant (1 mile north) and Cooksbridge (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Eastbourne (15 miles south-east), Seaford (10 miles south), Lewes (3 miles south), Hailsham (11 miles east), Crowborough (11 miles north-east) and Uckfield (5 miles north-east).
What’s near Barcombe
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Anglers Rest pub and Ringmer Community College and Sixth Form. For rail, the closest station is Cooksbridge station, about 1.5 miles south-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Lewes Victoria Hospital (3 miles south) and Lewes Castle (3 miles south). The countryside around Barcombe includes Offham Hill and Malling Down.
Common roof problems in Barcombe
Slates and tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay that hold them. Good slate can last well over a century, but corroded nails let slates slip. It’s a frequent finding on older houses and easy to miss from ground level.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
If you own a rental within reach of Cooksbridge station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Before you book anyone
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Their report turnaround times
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
Checking the roof from ground level
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.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Barcombe questions
Will you come out to Barcombe?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Do you cover Barcombe?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that ahead of time, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
How soon is the report ready?
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 as you book.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. You need the report before you exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
Are you insured?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Barcombe
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, and the report can go to both. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant, which helps with budgets and planning.
What we cannot see
In fairness, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll suggest the right survey before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles