West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Littlehampton
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Littlehampton, with photos and a written report.
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Littlehampton: what you get
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. Depending on the lease, roof repairs may fall to the building owner or a management company, with costs often passed on through the service charge. We check as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. Where the building has a flat roof, it’s checked as far as access allows. Common reasons to book are gutters that overflow or drip at the joints and lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney, across natural slate, lead flashings and valleys and the roof space.
In a town like Littlehampton, older streets usually sit alongside post-war and newer estates. Older roofs are often slate or clay tile, and many later houses have concrete interlocking tiles. For a purchase or a new roof in Littlehampton, the type of roof decides where the checks focus, from fixings and underlay to ridges and valleys. What sits under the tiles, from old felt to modern membranes, matters as much as the tiles themselves.
The report records the roof as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, like when you want to compare after future work.
- Place
- Littlehampton (BN17, BN16)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Surveys for landlords and agents in Littlehampton
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll plan the survey around it.
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed ahead of time. We survey seven days a week, which can make access easier.
Different roofs, different checks
Flat roofs
Standing water, blisters, splits and tired upstands all point to wear. Blocked outlets are checked as well, and we say what we see from wherever is safe.
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay plain tiles are common on older South East homes, and some still have peg tiles. Rotten pegs let tiles slide.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Littlehampton
Littlehampton lies within about 1 mile of the sea, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, and loose ridges, slates and tiles are the first to lift in a gale, which is worth knowing before you buy or pay for new work. Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
If you own a rental within reach of Littlehampton station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. Historic houses like Ecclesden Manor, about 2.9 miles north-east, show how far back building around Littlehampton goes. If you are buying an older home nearby, it is worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
Littlehampton is about 6 miles west of Worthing, in West Sussex. From houses to flats and shops in Littlehampton, we can survey the roof. Across West Sussex, we cover Littlehampton. There is also a page for Brighton.
We cover every part of the BN17 and BN16 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on High Street, Parkside Avenue and Norman Close or a nearby road, we can survey it. With the A259 and A284 close by, Littlehampton is easy for us to reach. We also cover Toddington (1 mile north), Rustington (1 mile east), Wick (1 mile north-west), Lyminster (1 mile north-west) and Climping (2 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Worthing (6 miles east), Bognor Regis (7 miles west), Chichester (11 miles west), Selsey (12 miles south-west), Shoreham-by-Sea (12 miles east) and Lancing (9 miles east). Littlehampton is among the bigger towns we cover in West Sussex.
Around Littlehampton
Around Littlehampton, our work takes us to homes and buildings near River Beach Primary School, New Inn Hotel and Littlehampton College. Littlehampton’s nearest station is Littlehampton station, about 0.7 miles west. Other landmarks nearby include Zachary Merton Hospital (1.4 miles east) and Lyminster Siege Castle (2.8 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Highdown Hill and WWT Arundel.
What happens on the day
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. The survey typically takes an hour or two for most houses, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. A typical visit in Littlehampton begins with the street side of the roof and then moves round the building. The back garden is frequently where extensions, dormers and rear slopes are best seen, so unlocked gates help. Then, if it can be reached safely, we look in the loft.
- 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.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Getting ready for the survey
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Keep pets in another room
- Tell us where we can park nearby
Book a survey
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Related advice
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Littlehampton
Slates and tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay that hold them. Good slate can last well over a century, but corroded nails let slates slip. It’s a frequent finding on older houses.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
For an older house near a landmark such as The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
What to check before booking
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- How soon the report will arrive
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
Tips that help
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Check we will be able to get into the roof space
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
With Standard, you get a follow-up consultation, while Premium includes a consultation in person. If anything in the report is not clear, ask us.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, particularly after autumn. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
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FAQs for Littlehampton
Do you carry out roof surveys in Littlehampton?
Yes. We work right across London and South East England, and Littlehampton is part of that. Just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and tell us about the property.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Littlehampton?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs, and 98% of clients are satisfied.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain is typically fine; heavy rain and wind are different. High wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, so we’d move the date with you.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
They do different things. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Our survey complements a RICS survey and doesn’t replace one.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Where it is safe, yes. Much of the inspection is done from the ground, from windows and from the roof space. On Premium, a drone is used where it applies.
Checking the roof from ground level
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.