West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Ditchling Common, West Sussex
Know where you stand with the roof before you spend money on it. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Ditchling Common.
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Ditchling Common
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. That is when the findings are most useful, while you are not yet committed. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when a sale is moving quickly. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. We survey flat-roofed extensions and dormers, chimney stacks and the roof space, and common reasons people get in touch are signs of past leaks inside the loft and gaps where slates or tiles have come loose.
In a village or hamlet like Ditchling Common, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. 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. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Where
- Ditchling Common (BN6)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we cannot see
A survey is a close look at the roof, but it cannot do everything. The main limits are:
- A structural engineer’s report
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
Towns and villages near Ditchling Common
More services for Ditchling Common
Buying a home or a new roof in Ditchling Common
Where the drone is part of the survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. About 4.7 miles north-west lies Ockenden Manor, a reminder of how long the area around Ditchling Common has been built on. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Ditchling Common is about 2 miles south-east of Burgess Hill, in West Sussex. Roofs in Ditchling Common get the same thorough look as anywhere else in West Sussex. Our West Sussex coverage includes Ditchling Common. Our Brighton page covers surveys nearby.
We survey roofs across BN6 for pre-purchase roof surveys. Other places close to Ditchling Common include Wivelsfield (1 mile north), Wivelsfield Green (2 miles north-east), Plumpton Green (2 miles south-east), Streat (2 miles south) and East Chiltington (3 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Crawley (12 miles north), Horsham (13 miles north-west), Haywards Heath (4 miles north), East Grinstead (13 miles north), Shoreham-by-Sea (11 miles south-west) and Lancing (13 miles south-west).
Near you in Ditchling Common
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Burgess Hill Academy and Burgess Hill Girls, among other places. The nearest railway station is Burgess Hill station, about 1.6 miles west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Clayton Castle (3.4 miles south-west) and Burgess Hill Museum (1.7 miles north-west). For a walk, there’s Bedelands Farm Nature Reserve and Ditchling Beacon.
Roof by roof
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings are a common source of leaks, so they get close attention in a pre-purchase survey. We photograph any that need work.
Flat roofs
Ponding, blistering, splits and worn upstands are the usual warning signs. Blocked outlets are checked as well.
When to book a survey in Ditchling Common
Patch repairs are common on roofs of every age. Bitumen painted over a flashing, mortar where lead should be, or a few tiles that do not match can point to a problem that keeps coming back. We note what we see so you can ask about it.
It is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
If you own a rental within reach of Burgess Hill station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
What to check before booking
- When you’ll get the report
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- What the survey won’t cover
Why it’s worth a survey now in Ditchling Common
A mortgage valuation isn’t a roof survey. It looks at whether the property is suitable security for the loan, and it will not look closely at the roof. A roof survey is carried out for the buyer, and the report is written for you to use. For older village homes like those around Ditchling Common, the right replacement materials aren’t always easy to find quickly. That is one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
Every price we give includes VAT. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for your roof before you book.
Why book with us
- Over 20 years’ experience
- A photo-illustrated written report
- Prices that include VAT
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
Take a look at our cost guide or what we found on two real jobs.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us as you book and it will help the survey.
FAQs for Ditchling Common
Do you cover smaller places like Ditchling Common?
Yes. Ditchling Common is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when booking.
Is Ditchling Common in the area you cover?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. What the seller agrees to is their decision.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once access has been agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so we need permission from the building owner or managing agent. We inspect only the parts we’re allowed to reach.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules. We are a CAA-registered drone operator.
What happens on the day
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Rural addresses near Ditchling Common can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from the ground and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Getting a price
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.