Brighton and Hove · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Hove
An experienced roof surveyor for pre-purchase roof surveys in Hove. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
What a survey costs
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before you book. This is what makes a difference:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- The roof’s overall size
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- The shape of the roof and its details
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
Getting in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Hove, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. The address, the type of property and what you need to know help us give you an accurate price.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Hove: what you get
Tall, steep or hidden roofs are hard to judge from the street. Our Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and, where it applies, a drone inspection, and the report arrives the same day. If airspace rules or the weather rule out a flight, we will say so and inspect from every other safe vantage point. We survey gutters and downpipes, lead flashings and valleys and flat-roofed extensions and dormers, and people most often book us about blocked or leaking gutters and chimney mortar that has eroded.
Hove is the kind of town where older houses and newer estates sit side by side. Older houses often have slate or clay tiles on timbers that have done decades of work, while many later ones have concrete interlocking tiles. For a purchase or a new roof in Hove, the type of roof decides where the checks focus. What sits under the tiles, from old felt to modern membranes, matters as much as the tiles themselves.
Findings are set out part by part, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, with a note and a photo for each point. You’ll see the good as well as the bad.
- Place
- Hove (BN3, BN1, BN52)
- Region
- Brighton and Hove
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Hove
Hove is within about 1 mile 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 strong wind or a downpour. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. 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.
For landlords with property near Hove station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it. The streets around a church such as Holy Trinity Church are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Hove is about 2 miles west of Brighton, in Brighton and Hove. Hove is one of many places we visit across Brighton and Hove. Our area takes in places right across Brighton and Hove.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in BN3, BN1 and BN52 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. That includes homes and businesses on Farm Road, York Road and Aymer Road. Hove sits on or near the A270 and A2023. Other places close to Hove include Brighton and Hove (1 mile north-west), Brunswick (1 mile south-east), Aldrington (1 mile west), Prestonville (1 mile north-east) and West Blatchington (1 mile north). Further out, we also cover Kemptown (3 miles east), Whitehawk (3 miles east), Moulsecoomb (3 miles east), Hollingbury (3 miles north-east), Bevendean (3 miles east) and Saltdean (6 miles east). Hove is among the bigger towns we cover in Brighton and Hove.
What’s near Hove
We work in homes and buildings around The Drive Prep School, St. Ann's Well Gardens and The Urchin pub. There’s a railway station in Hove itself: Hove station. Well-known places in the area include British Engineerium (0.9 miles north) and Montefiore Hospital (0.7 miles east). The countryside around Hove includes Whitehawk Hill and Thundersbarrow Hill.
How it works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes between one and two hours on an ordinary house, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. You’re welcome to ask questions while we’re there. A typical visit in Hove begins with the street side of the roof and then moves round the building. The back garden is often where extensions, dormers and rear slopes are best seen, so unlocked gates help. The loft comes next, where there’s safe access.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- We inspect the roof from the ground, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Arrange a survey
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form to find out.
Read more
Questions from Hove
Is my home in Hove listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Do you cover Hove?
Yes. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and Hove is part of that. You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and a few details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Is your roof survey a RICS 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.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Ideally, 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.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
On site, it usually takes between one and two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain is typically fine; heavy rain and wind are different. Strong wind or a downpour can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that in advance, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
What we look for on each type of roof
Clay and concrete tiles
Many post-war houses have concrete interlocking tiles. They’re heavy and hard-wearing, but they weather and can crack.
Flat roofs
Many homes have a flat roof somewhere, often over an extension. Felt often 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.
What we are asked to look at in Hove
Patch repairs are common on roofs of every age. Bitumen over flashings, mortar fillets in place of lead and odd replacement tiles can point to a problem that keeps coming back. We note what we see so you can ask about it.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
Preston Manor & Gardens, about 1.3 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Hove. 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.
What to check before booking
- Their insurance cover
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
Nearby places to Hove
More services for Hove
DIY checks: what’s safe
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Tips from our surveys
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Each defect is explained in plain words, and recommendations are ranked by urgency where that helps.
After strong winds, look at the roof from ground level. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Small repairs done quickly stop bigger problems later.