East Sussex · London and the South East
Five Ashes Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Five Ashes from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
Five Ashes questions
Do you carry out roof surveys in Five Ashes?
Yes. We work right across London and South East England, and Five Ashes is part of that. Just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know about the property, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Is Five Ashes within the area you cover?
Yes, Five Ashes is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Five Ashes?
The quickest way is to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. Give us the address and some details about the roof. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
They do different things. A home survey looks at the whole property, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
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 access is not possible, we note it in the report.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It works alongside a home survey.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Five Ashes
If you are buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. Depending on the lease, roof repairs may fall to the building owner or a management company, with costs often passed on through the service charge. We check as much of the roof as access safely allows, 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. If you’ve noticed ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof and roof slopes that look uneven or sagging, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Some older homes in villages like Five Ashes are listed or sit in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you are buying or signing off new roofing, it is worth knowing where you stand. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- Five Ashes (TN20)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Local roofs and buyers in Five Ashes
Where the drone is part of the survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. Older houses across Sussex often have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging on their upper walls. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs, and the county’s older buildings include oast houses and Wealden hall houses. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
For an older house near a landmark like Church of the Good Shepherd, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Five Ashes is about 4 miles south-east of Crowborough, in East Sussex. Five Ashes gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a proper look at whatever is safely visible, photos and a clear written report. Our area takes in places right across East Sussex, large and small. You can also see our page for Brighton.
Every address in TN20 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. That includes homes and businesses on Westfield Close, Leeds Lane and Spring Lane and the roads around them. Close by, we survey roofs in Skippers Hill (1 mile north), Butcher's Cross (1 mile north), Woolbridge (1 mile north-east), Wellbrook (1 mile north-east) and Mayfield (2 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Eastbourne (15 miles south), Bexhill-on-Sea (15 miles south-east), Lewes (13 miles south-west), Hailsham (10 miles south), Crowborough (4 miles north-west) and Uckfield (6 miles south-west).
Near you in Five Ashes
We work in homes and buildings around Skippers Hill Manor School and The Five Ashes Inn and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Crowborough station, roughly 3.3 miles north-west. A little further out are Tickerage Castle (3.8 miles south-west) and Crowborough War Memorial Hospital (4.3 miles north-west). The countryside around Five Ashes includes Selwyns Wood.
DIY checks: what’s safe
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Five Ashes
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. Felt flat roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, and standing water, blisters and splits are typical signs of ageing. A buyer can easily miss them, especially when they’re only visible from an upper floor.
It is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Blocked or leaking gutters
For landlords with property near Crowborough station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Questions to ask before booking
- What happens after the report arrives
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Are they insured for the work?
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will recommend the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Five Ashes
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- How big the roof is
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. You’ll know the figure before booking.
What we need to know
A few details help us recommend the right survey and price. When you get in touch, it helps to mention:
- The kind of building and roof involved
- The address and postcode of the property
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
We confirm the price for your roof before you book, so you know the cost up front. Our price is from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Five Ashes
Letting agents and landlords in Five Ashes book surveys as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photos, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Nearby places to Five Ashes
Also in Five Ashes
The survey, step by step
Once we’ve finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photographs. On timing, 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. Rural addresses near Five Ashes can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re buying.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Book a survey
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before booking.