West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Forge Wood
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Forge Wood, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- A ridge or slope that dips
What happens on the day
Once we’ve finished looking, we write up our findings as a written report with photos. As for time on site, it normally takes about 1–2 hours at a typical home, and longer for a large or complex roof. A visit to Forge Wood is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed beforehand. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. Tell us about any garages, outbuildings or extensions you want included.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- 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 we arrive
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Let us know where we can park nearby
Booking a survey
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
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Pre-purchase roof survey in Forge Wood
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. That’s when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when the chain is moving fast. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. If you’ve noticed slates or tiles that have slipped or gone and standing water on a flat extension roof, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Bungalows, chalet bungalows and older cottages are common in smaller places like Forge Wood, and many have been extended or had dormers added. Even on a low roof, dormers, valleys and flat-roofed additions need a careful look. The same goes for a purchase or a new roof around Forge Wood. Snags and wear both tend to show at dormer lead work and along flat-roof edges.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters, each with a short note and a photograph. It records what’s sound as well as what is not.
- Location
- Forge Wood (RH10, RH6)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Why get it checked now?
Small roof defects let water in slowly. By the time a stain shows, timber or plaster may already be damp. Finding the cause at the survey stage means you know about it from day one. Blocked gutters on homes around Forge Wood overflow and soak walls. It is easy to sort the cause early and slow to dry a damp wall.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. We confirm the price for your survey before booking.
What you get with us
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
- Every finding written up with photos
- Weekday and weekend surveys
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Forge Wood
Most viewings never get near the roof. You walk round the rooms, but the roof stays out of sight. New paint on a ceiling can hide old water stains, which is why buyers book a closer look before committing.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
Landlords with a home close to Three Bridges station may find that a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
What to check before booking
- What insurance they carry
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
Also near Forge Wood
What else we do in Forge Wood
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roofs
Flat roofs on extensions, dormers and garages are easy to forget about. Felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. We check how the covering is wearing.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings are a common source of leaks, so we look at each one closely. We photograph any that need work.
Questions from Forge Wood
Is Forge Wood within the area you cover?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Forge Wood?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. The flight restriction zone around Gatwick Airport covers Forge Wood, or comes right up to its edge. We ask the airport for permission before flying there, and only fly if it is given. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. You will have photos and a written description of each defect, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. How the seller responds is up to them.
How do I book a survey in Forge Wood?
Simply call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address. We will ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date, weekday or weekend.
Do I need to be at home?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We will talk about access as you book.
What if it rains on the day?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones cannot fly safely in high wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If the conditions are not right, we’ll talk to you about another date.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That way you can still act on what we find.
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
No survey can tell you everything, and it’s better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll suggest the right survey. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Forge Wood
In Sussex, older roofs are frequently handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. The covering on a house you are buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest. Forge Wood is inside, or right on the edge of, the flight restriction zone around Gatwick Airport. If your survey includes the drone, permission from the airport is needed first, and the flight only goes ahead if it’s given.
In and around Forge Wood, as anywhere, a roof is easiest to deal with when its problems are found early.
Forge Wood is about 2 miles north-east of Crawley, in West Sussex. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in Forge Wood and the surrounding area. Forge Wood is one of the towns and villages in West Sussex we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys.
We work across RH10 and RH6 for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Moore Road, Steers Lane and Radford Road or a nearby road, we can help. We also cover the places around Forge Wood: Tinsley Green (1 mile north), Pound Hill (1 mile south), Shipley Bridge (1 mile north-east), Copthorne (1 mile east) and Three Bridges (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover Horsham (9 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (10 miles south), Burgess Hill (12 miles south), East Grinstead (6 miles east), Broadfield (4 miles south-west) and Billingshurst (15 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Forge Wood
In Forge Wood, that means homes and buildings near Worth Park Gardens, The Greyhound pub and The Gatwick School and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Three Bridges station, roughly 1.4 miles south of the centre. Nearby you will also find Crawley Museum (2.1 miles south-west) and Langley Green Hospital (1.7 miles west). The countryside around Forge Wood includes Tilgate Lake.
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
To price your survey, we look at:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
One thing that affects the price is the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all with VAT included. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
Booking your survey
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- The address and postcode of the property
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Forge Wood, ring 07833 053749 or email us. A few details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.