West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Emsworth, West Sussex
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Emsworth and the rest of West Sussex. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Emsworth
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. Depending on the lease, roof repairs may fall to the building owner or a management company. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. If the building has a flat roof, we check that too where access allows. We survey chimney stacks, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and clay and concrete tiles, and common reasons people get in touch are lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney and cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing.
In a smaller place like Emsworth, homes are mostly houses and bungalows, from older cottages to more recent builds. In older homes, the slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay holding them. For a purchase or a newly replaced roof, what’s under the coverings matters as much as what’s on top. Older roofs often have bitumen felt under the coverings, as breathable membranes only arrived in the late 1990s.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Emsworth (PO10)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- The size of the roof
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, with VAT included, and we’ll tell you which fits.
Booking your survey
If you can, have these to hand when you get in touch:
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- What kind of property and roof it is
A quick phone call is typically the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form, and we will ask about the building and what you need. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Can I check my roof myself?
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry, as it helps us focus the survey.
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
What we can’t see
Before you book, it is worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will suggest the right survey. What a survey covers and does not.
What we check
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
FAQs for Emsworth
How do I find out if my home in Emsworth is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Emsworth, take more of a battering?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it usually shows, and Emsworth is within about 1 mile of the coast.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so we need permission from the freeholder or managing agent. We inspect only the parts we are allowed to reach.
Is Emsworth in your area?
Yes. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Emsworth, and the service is the same as everywhere else we work.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Let us know your preferred days as you book.
Are you insured?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it is safe to do so. Much of the inspection is done from the ground, from windows and from the roof space. On Premium, a drone is used where it applies.
Buying a home or a new roof in Emsworth
The coast is about 1 mile or less from Emsworth, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, and loose ridges, slates and tiles are the first to lift in a gale. Older houses across Sussex frequently have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging on their upper 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.
The streets around a church such as Church of St James are often among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming. If you own a rental within reach of Emsworth station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. Warblington Castle lies about 1.3 miles west, so building around Emsworth goes back a long way. If you’re buying an older home nearby, it’s worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
Emsworth is about 2 miles east of Havant, in West Sussex. Surveys in Emsworth work the same way as everywhere we cover: a close look at what can safely be seen, photos and a clear written report. Across West Sussex, we cover Emsworth. You can also see our page for Portsmouth.
All of PO10 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Local streets include High Street, Beacon Square and Seagull Lane. Main roads around Emsworth include the A27 and A259, so getting to you is simple. We also cover Lumley (1 mile east), Westbourne (1 mile north-east), Denvilles (1 mile west), Southbourne (1 mile east) and Warblington (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Bognor Regis (12 miles east), Chichester (7 miles east), Selsey (10 miles south-east), Portfield (8 miles east), Yapton (14 miles east) and East Wittering (7 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Emsworth
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Kings Arms, Eames Farm and Bourne Community College and the streets around them. Emsworth has its own railway station: Emsworth station. Well-known places in the area include Havant War Memorial Hospital (2.2 miles west) and Emsworth Museum (under half a mile south). Green spaces nearby include Brook Meadow (Emsworth).
Roof by roof
Chimney stacks
Our chimney check is a visual one, and it is not a flue or gas safety check. We will say if the flue needs a specialist.
Natural slate
Slate is common on Victorian and Edwardian houses. We look for slates that have slid, cracked or gone, plus the metal clips that show earlier patching.
Nearby places to Emsworth
More services for Emsworth
How the survey works
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. The survey usually takes roughly 1–2 hours for a house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In a smaller place like Emsworth, as anywhere, the forecast plays a part: 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 choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Before the survey
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
How to book
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We will confirm the price before booking.
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Tips from our surveys
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. The photos show the defects and where they are, so each quote covers the same ground.
After strong winds, look at the roof from ground level. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Small repairs done quickly stop bigger problems later.