West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Lancing
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Lancing, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer before you book. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Lancing
A Basic Survey starts from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, inc. VAT. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check. Premium adds thermal imaging, a drone inspection where applicable and an in-person consultation. Choose the level that suits the home you’re buying. All three include a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations. Typical surveys look at blocked or leaking gutters and standing water on a flat extension roof, on gutters and downpipes, clay and concrete tiles and flat-roofed extensions and dormers.
In a smaller place like Lancing, homes are mostly houses and bungalows, from older cottages to more recent builds. In older homes, the slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay holding them. For a purchase or a newly replaced roof, what’s under the coverings matters as much as what’s on top. Older roofs frequently have bitumen felt under the coverings, as breathable membranes only arrived in the late 1990s.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Location
- Lancing (BN15)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect what can be seen safely, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. The survey normally takes about 1–2 hours for a house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. A visit to Lancing is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed ahead of time. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. If there are outbuildings or garages you want looked at, mention them.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re buying.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Arrange a survey
If you’re buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form whenever suits you.
Advice
Useful tips for Lancing property owners
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Request records of any re-roofing
With Standard, you get a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey includes an in-person consultation. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Lancing
Survey packages start from £150, with VAT included. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Roof area
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Helping us price your survey
When you call or email, these details help:
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Anything about access we should know
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Can I check my roof myself?
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
Common questions in Lancing
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Lancing?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Is drone flying allowed in Lancing?
Typically it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. Lancing is about 2 miles from Brighton City (Shoreham) Airport, so the Drone Safety Map is checked for restrictions around it before we fly. A small drone can’t fly safely in high wind or heavy rain, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
How long will you be at the property?
It normally takes roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To arrange a date, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You’ll have photos and a written description of each defect, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. We cannot promise how the seller will respond.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Lancing?
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Does someone need to be in?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Towns and villages near Lancing
Other services in Lancing
Different roofs, different checks
Natural slate
Good slate is one of the longest-lasting roof coverings, yet the nails that fix it often give out first. Slipped or missing slates are a sign of ‘nail fatigue’, and we note how widespread it looks.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings close the gaps at chimneys, walls and abutments. We check whether they’ve lifted, split or been replaced with mortar or bitumen.
Lancing homes and their roofs
Lancing lies within about 1 mile of the sea, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof, so exposed details get a close look whether you are buying or signing off new work. Brighton City (Shoreham) Airport is about 2 miles from Lancing. Where the drone is part of the survey, the Drone Safety Map is checked for restrictions first.
Portslade Manor, about 4.6 miles east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Lancing. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later. If your house is among the older ones in the streets near St. Michael & All Angels, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming. If you let a flat or house near Lancing station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Lancing is about 3 miles east of Worthing, in West Sussex. Lancing is one of many places we visit across West Sussex, for homes and businesses alike. Our West Sussex coverage includes Lancing. We also survey roofs in Brighton.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in BN15 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on North Road, North Farm Road and Addison Close or a nearby road, we can help. Lancing sits on or near the A2025, which makes travel easy. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Sompting (1 mile west), East Worthing (2 miles south-west), Broadwater (2 miles west), Offington (3 miles west) and Botolphs (3 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Worthing (3 miles west), Haywards Heath (15 miles north-east), Burgess Hill (12 miles north-east), Littlehampton (9 miles west), Rustington (8 miles west) and Storrington (8 miles north-west).
Around Lancing
Around Lancing, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Brooklands Park, Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School and The Railway pub, among other places. Lancing has its own railway station: Lancing station. Well-known places in the area include Worthing Hospital (2 miles south-west) and Old Castle (3.1 miles west). Open spaces near Lancing include Lancing Ring and Widewater Lagoon.