West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Handcross, West Sussex
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Handcross and the rest of West Sussex. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Handcross
Buying a home is a big commitment, and the roof is one of the costliest parts to put right. Our pre-purchase roof survey gives you a careful look at it before you’re committed. We check the coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, plus the loft where there’s safe access. The findings come in a written report with photos. We survey clay and concrete tiles, natural slate and flat-roofed extensions and dormers, and common reasons people get in touch are lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney and chimney mortar that has eroded.
Older buildings in small places like Handcross may be listed or in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you’re buying or signing off new roofing, it is worth knowing where you stand. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Place
- Handcross (RH17)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a written report with photos. As for time on site, it typically takes about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. In a small place like Handcross, access is usually the main thing to plan. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed beforehand.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from the ground and from vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Arrange a survey
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email whenever suits you.
Read more
What affects the price in Handcross
Not every roof costs the same to survey, and it comes down to:
- House, block, shop or office
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, inc. VAT.
What we need to know
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. It is enough to tell us:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Checking the roof from the ground
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
Different roofs, different checks
Clay and concrete tiles
Older homes in the South East often have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles on some. Where pegs have rotted, tiles can slip.
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.
Questions from Handcross
Do you cover smaller places like Handcross?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Handcross?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it is safe. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the roof space, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where it applies.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. 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.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. If the conditions aren’t right, we will talk to you about another date.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. You need the report before you exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
For landlords and managing agents
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the addresses.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Handcross: local notes
Tyes Place, about 1.9 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Handcross. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. In Sussex, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
If you let a flat or house near Balcombe station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it. Take an older house close to All Saints: the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Handcross is about 4 miles south of Crawley, in West Sussex. In Handcross, as across West Sussex, every roof gets the same careful survey. Handcross is one of the places in West Sussex where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys.
We cover every part of the RH17 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on High Street, London Road and Windmill Platt or a nearby road, we can help. We also cover Slaugham (1 mile south), Plummers Plain (2 miles south-west), Colgate (3 miles north-west), Broadfield (3 miles north) and Lower Beeding (3 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Crawley (4 miles north), Horsham (5 miles west), Haywards Heath (6 miles south-east), Burgess Hill (7 miles south-east), East Grinstead (10 miles north-east) and Shoreham-by-Sea (15 miles south).
Local landmarks in Handcross
In Handcross, that means homes and buildings near The Royal Oak Public House and Handcross Park School, among other places. Handcross’s nearest station is Balcombe station, roughly 2.8 miles east. Nearby you’ll also find Crawley Hospital (4.3 miles north). Open spaces near Handcross include Tilgate Lake and Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow.
When you need someone else
Our survey isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you before you book. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Handcross
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers