West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Elmer, West Sussex
We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Elmer and the rest of West Sussex. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends.
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Elmer
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. That is when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. 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. If you are worried about loose pots and cracked flaunching and roof slopes that look uneven or sagging, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on flat-roofed extensions and dormers, lead flashings and valleys and chimney stacks alike.
Houses in smaller places like Elmer can stand more in the open than those in a built-up town, so their roofs may take more wind and driving rain. Ridges, verges and flashings are where that weather normally shows first. 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.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t.
- Where
- Elmer (PO22)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlord and commercial surveys in Elmer
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer, so they’re priced to suit.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or email us.
More services for Elmer
What happens on the day
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs, sent to you by email. As for time on site, it typically takes roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Being in a smaller place like Elmer does not change how the visit works: outside, inside and from any safe vantage point, in that order. Point out any stains, cracks or loose pieces you’ve spotted.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe 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.
Before we arrive
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Leave side gates unlocked
How to book
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form when you are ready.
Read more
How the survey changes by roof type
Clay and concrete tiles
Concrete interlocking tiles are common on post-war and newer homes. They’re heavy and hard-wearing, but they weather and can crack, and low-pitched roofs need their laps to be right.
Gutters and parapets
Parapet and box gutters are hidden behind walls and can overflow inside. We check their linings and outlets from wherever is safe.
What we cannot see
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Elmer
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
Tips that help
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. Our suggestions:
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
With the findings in hand, you can talk to the seller or their agent. You might ask for the work to be done before completion, or ask to adjust the price. The outcome is between you and the seller.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
FAQs for Elmer
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Elmer?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Elmer?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there’s more wind, and more salt in the air. Exposed details such as ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We carry out surveys on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It isn’t a replacement for a RICS survey.
What insurance do you have?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
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.
Does someone need to be in?
Someone needs to let us in if we’re looking inside or in the loft. Access is agreed with you as you book.
Checking the roof from the ground
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Elmer homes and their roofs
Elmer lies within about 1 mile of the sea, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, and loose ridges, slates and tiles are the first to lift in a gale. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most.
If you let a flat or house near Ford station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. For an older house near a landmark such as St Nicholas Church, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Elmer is about 3 miles east of Bognor Regis, in West Sussex. Elmer is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Our West Sussex coverage includes Elmer and the places around it. There’s also a page for Portsmouth.
We survey roofs across PO22 for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. Whether your property is on Elmer Road, Ancton Lane and East Avenue or a nearby road, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Middleton-on-Sea (1 mile west), Bilsham (1 mile north), Atherington (1 mile north-east), Flansham (2 miles north-west) and Horsemere Green (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Worthing (9 miles east), Bognor Regis (3 miles west), Chichester (8 miles north-west), Selsey (9 miles south-west), Littlehampton (4 miles east) and Shoreham-by-Sea (15 miles east).
What’s near Elmer
Typical jobs here are in homes near Felpham Community College and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Ford station, about 2.9 miles north-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Bognor Regis Museum (3.1 miles west) and Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital (2.9 miles west).