East Sussex · London and the South East
Hastings Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Hastings, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Call or email for a price.
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Flashings that have lifted or split
Tips that help
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
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 you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Hastings
Many older houses carry decades of roof repairs. Slates slip when their nails corrode, lead valleys and flashings wear, and chimney pointing crumbles. Most of it can’t be seen from the street. Our survey picks it out, with photographs that show you exactly where. We explain each finding in plain English, so you know what it means for the house you’re buying. We survey natural slate, clay and concrete tiles and lead flashings and valleys, and common reasons people get in touch are quick fixes on flashings and valleys and ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof.
Flats above shops, converted houses and newer blocks are common in places the size of Hastings. For a flat, the roof is typically a shared part of the building, so the lease matters. If the roof is newly replaced, whoever paid for it will want the work checked before signing it off.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly.
- Location
- Hastings (TN34, TN38, TN37, TN35)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Hastings: local notes
Hastings is within about 2 miles of the coast, where wind off the sea can be strong. The weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead, as a small drone cannot fly safely in high wind or heavy rain. 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, and oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of East Sussex’s older buildings. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
If you own a rental within reach of St Leonards Warrior Square station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Hastings is in East Sussex. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Hastings for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings. Hastings is one of the places in East Sussex we cover. There is also a page for Maidstone.
Every address in TN34, TN38, TN37 and TN35 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys. You’ll find streets like London Road, Church Road and Upper Church Road, and we cover them all. Hastings sits on or near the A21 and A28. If you are just outside Hastings, we cover Silverhill (1 mile west), Blacklands (1 mile east), St Helen's (1 mile north-east), Hollington (1 mile north-west) and St Leonards (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cover Eastbourne (13 miles south-west), Bexhill-on-Sea (4 miles west), Hailsham (13 miles west), Polegate (14 miles west), Old Town (15 miles south-west) and Heathfield (15 miles north-west). Being one of East Sussex’s larger places, Hastings has every kind of building, from houses and flats to offices.
Landmarks near Hastings
Typical jobs here are in homes near William Parker Sports College, University School and The Duke pub, among other places. The closest station to Hastings is St Leonards Warrior Square station, about 0.9 miles south of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Conquest Hospital (1.2 miles north) and Priory Meadow Shopping Centre (1.1 miles south-east). For a walk, there is Senlac Hill and Church Wood and Robsack Wood.
When you need someone else
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- A structural engineer’s report
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
Towns and villages near Hastings
Also in Hastings
Why get it checked now?
A slow leak can go unnoticed for months. By the time a stain shows, timber or plaster may already be damp. Spotting it before you buy lets you deal with it as soon as you move in. A small defect on a roof in Hastings seldom stays small: one loose tile lets in water, which weakens the battens and loosens more. Dealing with it early is normally the cheaper route.
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 choose Independent Roof Survey in Hastings
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Every finding written up with photos
See what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
How it works
The visit typically starts outside and finishes in the loft: outside views come first, then the roof space if there is safe access. All told, expect about one to two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. In Hastings, we survey everything from flats and houses to commercial buildings. Each building type brings its own access questions, from shared stairwells to locked plant rooms. Surveys can be booked for any day of the week.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Getting ready for the survey
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Find any records of previous roof work
Getting a price
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Advice
FAQs for Hastings
Do you cover Hastings?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Hastings, take more of a battering?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there’s more wind, and more salt in the air. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it typically shows.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where possible, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and views from upper windows help too. Access is usually arranged through the agent or seller.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. Buyers use the findings to ask questions, ask for repairs before completion or ask for a price change. What the seller agrees to is their decision.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it applies and safe. We are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It is included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where applicable, the Premium Survey.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It works alongside a home survey.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That way you can still act on what we find.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Hastings?
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. Felt flat roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, and ponding, blisters and splits are common signs of age. They’re easy to overlook on a viewing, because many can only be seen from an upstairs window.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
Take an older house close to St Luke's Church: a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Before booking anyone
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
How the survey changes by roof type
Clay and concrete tiles
Many post-war houses have concrete interlocking tiles. They’re heavy and hard-wearing, but they weather and can crack, and low-pitched roofs need their laps to be right.
Chimney stacks
A stack stands exposed above the roof line. The pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings are all checked.