East Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Chailey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Chailey, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
Pre-purchase roof survey in Chailey: what you get
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. That’s when the findings are most useful, while you’re not yet committed. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when the chain is moving fast. The report comes within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Common reasons to book are blistered or split felt on a flat roof and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs, on flat-roofed extensions and dormers, lead flashings and valleys and chimney stacks.
Somewhere as small as Chailey, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings often sit beside a few newer homes. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. 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.
The report is written in plain words, so you do not need to be a roofer to follow it. Each point is backed by a photograph where possible, with the urgent items made clear.
- Place
- Chailey (BN8)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Useful tips for Chailey property owners
Most of what helps is simple and safe from the ground. A few suggestions:
- Check we will be able to get into the loft space
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
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.
Look in the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
Towns and villages near Chailey
Other services in Chailey
What we are asked to look at in Chailey
Blocked or leaking gutters do damage that is not obvious at first. Overflowing water soaks walls and can rot the timber behind. Hidden gutters behind parapets or in roof valleys can send water indoors. They’re part of what we check.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
Landlords with a home close to Plumpton station may find that it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Questions to ask before booking
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What happens after the report arrives
- What experience they bring
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
Why get it checked now?
Leaving it means judging the roof from the street. That won’t show slipped slates on the rear slope, a worn valley or cracked flaunching. We fill that gap before you’re tied in. Around Chailey, older homes often have old roof timbers, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it is left.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
Why book with us
- Every finding written up with photos
- Visits on any day of the week
- Prices that include VAT
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
What happens on the day
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you need to know. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. Most surveys take an hour or two on an ordinary house, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Somewhere as small as Chailey, access is often the only tricky part. 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 let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed beforehand.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations before you exchange.
How to prepare
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Booking a survey
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or send us an email. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
Related advice
FAQs for Chailey
Is Chailey within the area you cover?
Yes, Chailey is covered. We work right across 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.
How do I find out if my home in Chailey is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain is typically fine; heavy rain and wind are different. High wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, so we’d move the date with you.
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, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. It is a dedicated roof survey, and you get a written report with photos. It isn’t a RICS survey and doesn’t cover the rest of the house.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
It normally takes about one to two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
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.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Chailey
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photos included.
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
The rainwater system keeps water off the walls. Leaking joints, sagging lengths and blockages are all noted.
Chimney stacks
Chimney stacks take the brunt of the weather. The pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings are all checked.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Chailey
Before planning roof work on an older home, find out whether it is listed or in a conservation area. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area. If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near The Parish Church of St Peter, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Chailey is about 5 miles south-east of Haywards Heath, in East Sussex. Whether the building in Chailey is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. Chailey is one of the places in East Sussex where we work. You can also see our page for Brighton.
We work across BN8 for pre-purchase roof surveys. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in North Chailey (1 mile north), South Street (1 mile south-west), Newick (1 mile north-east), Founthill (1 mile east) and South Chailey (2 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns like Seaford (14 miles south), Lewes (6 miles south), Hailsham (13 miles south-east), Crowborough (10 miles north-east), Uckfield (5 miles east) and Newhaven (12 miles south).
Landmarks near Chailey
Around Chailey, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Chailey School, The Five Bells Inn and Chailey Heritage School, among other places. Chailey’s nearest station is Plumpton station, roughly 3.1 miles south-west of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Princess Royal Hospital (4.1 miles north-west). For a walk, there is Blackcap and Bedelands Farm Nature Reserve.