East Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Folkington, East Sussex
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Folkington, and put it all in a report with photos.
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Folkington
Tall, steep or hidden roofs are hard to judge from the street. Our Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and, where applicable, a drone inspection, along with a same-day report. Where a flight is not possible, because of airspace rules or the weather, we tell you and look from ground level, windows and the loft instead. If you’ve noticed signs of past leaks inside the loft and roof slopes that look uneven or sagging, we can find out what’s behind it, on gutters and downpipes, clay and concrete tiles and chimney stacks alike.
For a small place like Folkington, the visit is planned like any other: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when you book. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, and where it can wait, that’s said too.
- Where
- Folkington (BN26)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the price in Folkington
Our packages start from £150, with VAT included. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- How big the roof is
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, all inc. VAT. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Booking your survey
What helps most when you contact us:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
Booking is simple: just call 07833 053749 or email us and give us some details about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
What happens on the day
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings as a photo-illustrated written report, sent to you by email. As for time on site, it usually takes about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Somewhere like Folkington needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed in advance.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- You get a report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
How to book
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Folkington, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. The address, the type of property and what you want to find out help us price the survey accurately.
Read more
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Folkington?
Many roofs have had quick fixes over the years. Bitumen over flashings, mortar fillets in place of lead and odd replacement tiles can be signs that something has leaked before. Our report records them so you can ask the seller what was done and when.
Problems we come across often include:
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
With Alfriston Clergy House about 2.5 miles west, the area around Folkington has a long history. 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.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Is VAT included in the price?
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Folkington
The coast is about 5 miles or less from Folkington, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Corroded clips and nails and lifted ridge pieces are typical of exposed roofs near the sea, so exposed details get a proper look whether you’re buying or signing off new work. 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, and the county’s older buildings include oast houses and Wealden hall houses. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
If you let a flat or house near Polegate station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. Take an older house close to The Parish Church of Saint Peter: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Folkington is about 4 miles north-west of Eastbourne, in East Sussex. Folkington is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Our area takes in places right across East Sussex. For surveys nearby, see our Brighton page.
Every address in BN26 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Close by, we survey roofs in Filching (1 mile south-east), Wannock (1 mile east), Lower Willingdon (2 miles east), Polegate (2 miles east) and Willingdon (2 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Eastbourne (4 miles south-east), Bexhill-on-Sea (11 miles east), Seaford (5 miles south-west), Lewes (10 miles north-west), Hailsham (4 miles north-east) and St Leonards (15 miles east).
Landmarks near Folkington
The nearest railway station is Polegate station, roughly 1.5 miles east. A little further out are Filching Manor And Motor Museum (0.7 miles south-east) and Eastbourne District General Hospital (3 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Combe Hill.
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roofs
Flat roofs on extensions, dormers and garages are easy to forget about. Felt frequently lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. We look for signs of age and failure.
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks, loose pots and eroded mortar are common findings. We photograph them so you can raise them before exchange.
Folkington questions
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Folkington?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, while strong wind lifts anything already loose.
Is Folkington within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. We work right across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That gives you time to use the findings, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Only where it’s safe. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft.
Can I use the report to negotiate on price?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. The outcome is between you and the seller, so we cannot promise any saving.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
Allow roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, or half a day or so for a commercial building. We’ll give you an idea of timing as you book.
Places near Folkington
Other services in Folkington
When you need someone else
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Asbestos testing of any kind
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
Leave it or get it looked at?
After exchange, any roof defect is yours to deal with. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. Finding out later gives you the same facts, but too late to use them in the purchase. Around Folkington, older homes often have old roof timbers, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it’s left.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
Why us?
- 20+ years’ experience
- Package prices that include VAT
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
- Visits on any day of the week
See our cost guide and two real surveys.