West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Chelwood Common, West Sussex
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Chelwood Common. We have completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- A ridge or slope that dips
What we do, step by step
We check the roof from outside and, where it is relevant and there is safe access, from inside the roof space too. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. The whole visit typically takes about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Somewhere as small as Chelwood Common, access is frequently the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- 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.
Before we arrive
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Booking a survey
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
Advice
Pre-purchase roof survey in Chelwood Common: what you get
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. Depending on the lease, roof repairs may fall to the building owner or a management company, with costs often passed on through the service charge. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. If the building has a flat roof, we look at that too where access allows. Common reasons to book are bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and loose pots and cracked flaunching, across clay and concrete tiles, chimney stacks and lead flashings and valleys.
Being in a small place like Chelwood Common makes no difference to the inspection itself: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at as you book. Whether you are buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
Where we cannot see part of the roof, the report says so. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t.
- Location
- Chelwood Common (RH17)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
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.
Roof by roof
Natural slate
On a slate roof, the underlay may be old bitumen felt, or there may be none at all on very old roofs. From inside the roof space, we report what we can see of it.
Flat roofs
Many homes have a flat roof somewhere, often over an extension. Felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. We look for signs of age and failure.
What we can’t see
We only report what can safely be seen on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll recommend the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
Surveys for landlords and agents in Chelwood Common
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, with the most urgent items set out first.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work around your tenants.
Chelwood Common questions
Is my home in Chelwood Common listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you cover Chelwood Common?
Yes, Chelwood Common is within the area we cover. We work right across London and the South East. Just phone 07833 053749 or email us and let us know about the property, and we will talk through which survey suits.
What insurance do you have?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It is not a replacement for a RICS survey.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just tell us the days that suit you.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and it’s safe, yes. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We are a CAA-registered drone operator.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, if the freeholder or managing agent agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach.
Places near Chelwood Common
Other services in Chelwood Common
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Chelwood Common
If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. Priest House, about 3.9 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Chelwood Common. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Chelwood Common is about 6 miles north-east of Haywards Heath, in West Sussex. Chelwood Common is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Across West Sussex, we cover Chelwood Common. For surveys nearby, see our Crawley page.
All of RH17 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Local streets include Baxters Lane, Tanyard Lane and Box's Lane. We also cover Chelwood Gate (1 mile north), Danehill (1 mile south-west), Birchgrove (1 mile north-west), Furner's Green (2 miles south) and Nutley (2 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Crawley (10 miles north-west), Horsham (15 miles west), Haywards Heath (6 miles south-west), Burgess Hill (9 miles south-west), East Grinstead (6 miles north) and Broadfield (10 miles west).
Around Chelwood Common
Nearby you’ll also find Waterbury Castle (2.3 miles west) and Heaven Farm Museum (1.6 miles south). The countryside around Chelwood Common includes Brickfield Meadow.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Chelwood Common
Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999. It is often found in cement sheets, soffits and flue pipes. We don’t test for it or carry out asbestos surveys, but we flag materials that might and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before work starts.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
The streets around a church such as Chelwood Gate Church are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Their insurance cover
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What the survey will not cover