East Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Cliffe, East Sussex
Find out the condition of the roof at your property in Cliffe. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Cliffe
Many older houses carry decades of roof repairs. Corroded nails let slates slide, valley linings wear thin and chimney mortar erodes. Little of that is easy to judge from the pavement on a viewing. We look closely and record what we see, with photos so you can see it for yourself. We explain each finding in plain English, so it is clear what it means for your purchase. Typical surveys look at gutters choked with leaves and moss and standing water on a flat extension roof, across clay and concrete tiles, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and chimney stacks.
Houses in smaller places like Cliffe can stand more in the open than those in a built-up town, so their roofs may take more wind and driving rain. Loose ridge tiles, lifted coverings and tired flashings are the kind of things that show it. Whether you’re buying or signing off new work, those edges deserve a proper look. On an exposed roof, a loose ridge or verge soon becomes a bigger job.
What you get is a clear record of the roof on the day we saw it. It’s useful right away, and a good reference for later, for instance when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Location
- Cliffe (BN7, BN8)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it’s worth a survey now in Cliffe
Even if you go ahead regardless, knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan. You will know which jobs are urgent and which can wait, and you can line up a roofer before small faults grow. Tradespeople may need to travel further to a smaller place like Cliffe, so it is useful to plan roof work rather than call someone out in a hurry. Knowing early gives you time to get the right people in.
All our prices include VAT. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the price for the job before you book.
Why book us in Cliffe
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
Read what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
Also near Cliffe
What else we do in Cliffe
Tips from our surveys
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Check we’ll be able to get into the roof space
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Request records of any re-roofing
You may want to pass the report to your solicitor or conveyancer so questions can go to the seller’s solicitor. Past repairs, re-roofing and any records of that work are all fair questions.
Don’t block the vents at the eaves. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air cannot flow.
What you can safely check yourself
It is useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry, as it helps us focus the survey.
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.
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:
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will suggest the right survey before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Cliffe
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
For landlords and managing agents
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps with budgets and planning.
What we do, step by step
We’ll ask a few questions first, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes between one and two hours for most houses, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. For a survey in Cliffe, we agree the time, the access and parking before the day. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. Let us know about any garages, outbuildings or extensions you want included.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- 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.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Before the survey
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
Booking a survey
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Advice
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Cliffe: local notes
Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. With Anne of Cleves House about 0.7 miles south-west, Cliffe sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Landlords with a home close to Lewes station may find that a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Thomas at Cliffe, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Cliffe is about 1 mile east of Lewes, in East Sussex. Cliffe gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a close look at whatever is safely visible, photographs and a clear written report. We cover towns and villages across East Sussex, large and small. Our Brighton page covers surveys nearby.
All of BN7 and BN8 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Ham Lane, New Road and Court Road or anywhere close by, we can help. With the A26 close by, Cliffe is simple for us to get to. If you’re just outside Cliffe, we cover Southover (1 mile south-west), South Malling (1 mile north-west), Lewes (1 mile west), Hamsey (2 miles north) and Offham (2 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Eastbourne (13 miles south-east), Seaford (8 miles south-east), Hailsham (10 miles east), Crowborough (14 miles north-east), Uckfield (7 miles north-east) and Newhaven (6 miles south).
Local landmarks in Cliffe
Around Cliffe, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Gardeners Arms, Railway Land and Lewes Old Grammar School and the streets around them. There’s a railway station in Cliffe itself: Lewes station. A little further out are Lewes Castle (0.5 miles west) and Lewes Victoria Hospital (1.1 miles west). Not far away are Cliffe Hill and Malling Down.
Cliffe questions
Do you carry out roof surveys in Cliffe?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Cliffe as anywhere else.
Is my home in Cliffe listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Will you need to get into the loft?
If it can be arranged, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If we cannot get in, the report says so.
How quickly will I get the report?
It depends on the package: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your exchange date and we’ll help you choose.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, if whoever owns or manages the building agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach.
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.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Only where it’s safe. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the roof space, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where it applies.