Brighton and Hove · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Carlton Hill, Brighton and Hove
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Carlton Hill, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Questions from Carlton Hill
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Carlton Hill, take more of a battering?
Frequently, yes. Within about 1 mile of the sea, as Carlton Hill is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Will you come out to Carlton Hill?
Yes, Carlton Hill is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
What insurance do you have?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That way you can still act on what we find.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Carlton Hill?
It is easiest to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. Give us the address and a few details about the roof, and we’ll take it from there. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Carlton Hill
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, and the roof is only one part of it. Our survey isn’t a RICS survey, and it doesn’t replace one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photographs of what we find and written recommendations. You can have both. If you’ve noticed flashings that have lifted or split and blocked or leaking gutters, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Bungalows, chalet bungalows and older cottages are common in smaller places like Carlton Hill, many of them extended or given dormers over the years. Even on a low roof, dormers, valleys and flat-roofed additions need a careful look. The same goes for a purchase or a new roof around Carlton Hill. Snags and wear both tend to show at dormer lead work and along flat-roof edges.
Where we cannot see part of the roof, the report says so. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- Carlton Hill (BN2, BN1, BN50)
- Wider area
- Brighton and Hove
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
The visit has one job: to see as much of the roof as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It normally takes about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. A visit to Carlton Hill is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed beforehand. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. If there are outbuildings or garages you want looked at, mention them.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed in advance.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Before we arrive
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
Book a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? It is easiest to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will explain the options and the price.
Read more
Local roofs and buyers in Carlton Hill
Carlton Hill is within about 1 mile of the coast, where wind off the sea can be strong. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. Royal Pavilion, about 0.3 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Carlton Hill. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Take an older house close to Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity: a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Carlton Hill is about 1 mile south of Brighton, in Brighton and Hove. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Carlton Hill can all book pre-purchase roof surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Our Brighton and Hove coverage includes Carlton Hill.
All of BN2, BN1 and BN50 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on New Road, North Road and Brills Lane and the roads around them. Being close to the A259, Carlton Hill is easy for us to reach. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Hanover (1 mile north), Brighton (1 mile north), West Hill (1 mile north-west), Kemptown (1 mile south-east) and Seven Dials (1 mile north-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Brighton and Hove (3 miles west), Aldrington (3 miles west), Hangleton (3 miles north-west), Patcham (3 miles north), Westdene (3 miles north-west) and Saltdean (4 miles east). Being one of Brighton and Hove’s larger places, Carlton Hill has homes, rented property and businesses of every kind.
Local landmarks in Carlton Hill
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Devonshire Arms, Queen's Park and Academy of Creative Training. For rail, the closest station is Brighton station, roughly 0.5 miles north-west of the centre. Nearby you will also find Sussex Eye Hospital (0.7 miles south-east) and Churchill Square (0.6 miles west). Not far away are Whitehawk Hill and Newmarket Hill.
What you can safely check yourself
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
You can learn a lot from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Roof by roof
Clay and concrete tiles
Many post-war houses have concrete interlocking tiles. They’re heavy and hard-wearing, but they weather and can crack, and low-pitched roofs need their laps to be right.
Gutters and parapets
Gutters, downpipes and outlets carry water away from walls. Leaking joints, sagging lengths and blockages are all noted.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Carlton Hill
A chimney stack stands out in the wind and rain. Mortar erodes, the flaunching around the pots cracks and the flashings work loose. On terraced and semi-detached homes, a stack may be shared with next door, which matters if work is needed.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
Landlords with a home close to Brighton station may find that a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Their report turnaround times
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
What else we do in Carlton Hill
Why it is worth a survey now in Carlton Hill
A slow leak can go unnoticed for months. Damp can spread into timbers and ceilings before anyone sees a mark. Finding the cause at the survey stage means you know about it from day one. With lower homes, common in places like Carlton Hill, there’s little between a roof defect and the ceiling, so a small leak can mark a ceiling within a few storms. Finding the cause first saves a second job inside.
To find out what your survey will cost, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details. We will confirm the figure before booking.
Why us?
- A written report with photos
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
Read our cost guide and two real surveys.
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
We only report what can safely be seen on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- Asbestos testing of any kind
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate