West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Clapham, West Sussex
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Clapham from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
Pre-purchase roof survey in Clapham: what you get
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where it applies and a same-day report. Pick the one that fits the property. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. If you’ve noticed slipped or missing slates and tiles and blocked or leaking gutters, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Older buildings in small places like Clapham may be listed or in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you’re buying or signing off new roofing, it’s worth knowing where you stand, as well as what condition the roof is in. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
It is not only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can decide what to do next.
- Place
- Clapham (BN13)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Local roofs and buyers in Clapham
The coast is about 4 miles or less from Clapham, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, and loose ridges, slates and tiles are the first to lift in a gale, which is worth knowing before you buy or pay for new work. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. The covering on a house you are buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
For an older house near a landmark such as The Parish Church of St Mary, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are. Ecclesden Manor lies about 1.5 miles south-west, so building around Clapham 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.
Clapham is about 3 miles north-west of Worthing, in West Sussex. From houses to flats and shops in Clapham, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. We cover towns and villages across West Sussex. There’s also a page for Brighton.
Surveys in BN13 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on The Street, Long Furlong and Church Close. Clapham is on the A280, so it is easy for us to get to. Other places close to Clapham include Patching (1 mile north-west), Cote (1 mile east), Hammerpot (2 miles west), Durrington (2 miles south-east) and Hangleton (2 miles south). Further out, we also cover Worthing (3 miles south-east), Bognor Regis (11 miles west), Chichester (14 miles west), Littlehampton (4 miles south-west), Shoreham-by-Sea (8 miles east) and Lancing (6 miles east).
Landmarks near Clapham
Typical jobs here are in homes near Clapham Wood, The Fox pub and Chatsmore Catholic High School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Goring-By-Sea station, roughly 2.1 miles south. Well-known places in the area include Museum of Sussex Folklore (2.9 miles south-east) and Old Castle (2.9 miles south-east). Not far away are WWT Arundel and Highdown Hill.
FAQs for Clapham
Is Clapham within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Is the coastal weather around Clapham hard on roofs?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it normally shows, and Clapham is within about 4 miles of the coast.
How do I book a survey in Clapham?
Just ring 07833 053749 or email us. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so whoever owns or manages the building needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
How long does the survey visit take?
The visit usually takes between one and two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. We’ll give you an idea of timing as you book.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Where it is safe, yes. Much of the inspection is done from ground level, from windows and from the roof space. On Premium, a drone is used where it applies.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
What else we do in Clapham
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney stacks
Chimney stacks take the brunt of the weather. We check the pots, the flaunching, the pointing and the flashings.
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead flashings seal the joints where a roof meets a wall or chimney. We check whether they’ve lifted, split or been replaced with mortar or bitumen.
When you need someone else
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- A structural engineer’s report
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will point you to the right survey. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
Why get it checked now?
Leaving it means judging the roof from the street. That will not show slipped slates on the rear slope, a worn valley or cracked flaunching. A survey fills that gap before you commit. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Clapham, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Pre-purchase roof survey starts 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 us in Clapham
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Every finding written up with photos
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Read what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Clapham?
Most viewings never get near the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates, and a quick glance from the street misses a lot. Fresh decoration can also cover the marks an old leak left behind, so a closer look is worth having before you commit.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
If you own a rental within reach of Goring-By-Sea station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Questions to ask before booking
- What insurance they carry
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
What a survey costs
Our packages start from £150, inc. VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Basic, Standard or Premium
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
Booking your survey
Getting the details right at the start saves time. Please include:
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- What made you get in touch
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so call 07833 053749 or email us with the details.
How the survey works
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that’s worrying you. After that, we check everything we can see safely, from ground level, from windows, in the loft space and by drone where it applies. Most surveys take about 1–2 hours at most homes, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Older roofs in small places like Clapham can have low, tight loft spaces, so it helps to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. We only go where it’s safe.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from the ground, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- We email a written report with photographs and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Keep pets in another room
Arrange a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or email us when you are ready.