West Sussex · London and the South East
East Preston Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across East Preston, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
About our pre-purchase roof survey in East Preston
Buyers in East Preston and right across London and South East England use our pre-purchase roof survey. From terraced and semi-detached homes to detached houses and flats, the roof gets the same careful look. We tell you what’s sound, what needs attention and how urgent it is. We’re insured for professional indemnity and public liability, with more than 20 years’ experience behind us. To book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. If you’re worried about a ridge or slope that dips and signs of past leaks inside the loft, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
In a smaller place like East Preston, some houses face open ground, which can mean more wind and rain on the roof. Loose ridge tiles, lifted coverings and tired flashings are the kind of things that show it. For a purchase or a new roof, those exposed edges are looked at closely. On an exposed roof, a loose ridge or verge soon becomes a bigger job.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photographs, emailed to you. It sets out the condition of the roof, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Place
- East Preston (BN16, BN12)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
When you need someone else
To be straight with you, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in East Preston: local notes
East Preston is within about 1 mile of the coast, where wind off the sea can be strong. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
Landlords with a home close to Angmering station may find that a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. The streets around a church such as The Parish Church of St Mary are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
East Preston is about 2 miles east of Littlehampton, in West Sussex. Wherever you are in East Preston, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property. Our West Sussex coverage includes East Preston. Brighton is in our area too.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in BN16 and BN12 are booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes homes and businesses on The Street, Station Road and Beechlands Close. Other places close to East Preston include Angmering-on-Sea (1 mile south), West Kingston (1 mile south-east), West Preston (1 mile west), Kingston Gorse (1 mile south-east) and Angmering (1 mile north). Larger places within reach include Worthing (4 miles east), Bognor Regis (9 miles west), Chichester (13 miles west), Selsey (14 miles west), Shoreham-by-Sea (9 miles east) and Lancing (7 miles east).
Near you in East Preston
We work in homes and buildings around The Angmering School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Angmering station, roughly 0.6 miles north-west of the centre. Nearby you will also find Lyminster Siege Castle (3.8 miles north-west) and Zachary Merton Hospital (1 mile west). For a walk, there is Highdown Hill and WWT Arundel.
Why act early in East Preston
When a chain is moving fast, a roof survey can feel like one more delay. Weekend visits are available as well as weekdays, and the Premium Survey report arrives the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. In an older home around East Preston, water from a roof defect can get into timber and plaster, which is far harder to put right than the roof fault itself.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, inc. VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both inc. VAT. You will know the exact price before booking.
Why us?
- Clear package prices, including VAT
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
Read our cost guide or two real surveys.
Places near East Preston
What else we do in East Preston
East Preston questions
Do you cover smaller places like East Preston?
Yes, East Preston is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Is my home in East Preston listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
When will the report arrive?
That depends on which survey you choose: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Tell us your exchange date and we’ll help you choose.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It can, depending on the survey. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. We’ll rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. The report is most useful before exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
How it works
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the loft space if there’s safe access. In total, it takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical home, and longer for a large or complex roof. Some parts of a survey depend on the weather, so a visit to East Preston is booked with the forecast in mind: drone flights and thermal imaging need the right conditions, while a look from the ground and the loft can go ahead in most weather.
- You book once your offer is accepted and let us know the address and your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from every safe viewpoint, inside and out.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Getting ready for the survey
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
Book a survey
Not sure which survey you need? It is easiest to phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Read more
Roof by roof
Chimney stacks
A leaning stack, cracked flaunching or crumbling pointing can all need work. We note them with photos so you can ask about them.
Flat roofs
A flat roof that has been coated over several times may hide problems underneath. We say when the covering would need opening up to know more.
What we are asked to look at in East Preston
Slates and tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay that hold them. Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but corroded nails let slates slip. That kind of wear is common on older roofs and easy to miss from the ground.
Look out for signs like these:
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
Historic houses such as Ecclesden Manor, about 1.3 miles north, show how far back building around East Preston goes. Older homes in the area can come with listed status or conservation area rules, which affect re-roofing, so check with the council before you buy.
Questions to ask before booking
- What the survey won’t cover
- How soon the report will arrive
- Their insurance cover
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one