West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Mackerel's Common
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you spend money on it. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Mackerel's Common, with photographs and a clear written report.
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
Pre-purchase roof survey in Mackerel's Common: what you get
A roof report gives you something solid to take back to the seller or the agent. You can ask about the roof’s history, ask for repairs before completion or rethink the price. We cannot say how a seller will respond, but you’ll be asking from facts rather than guesses. It also helps you decide whether to go ahead at all. We survey the roof space, clay and concrete tiles and natural slate, and people most frequently book us about blistered or split felt on a flat roof and signs of past leaks inside the loft.
Being in a small place like Mackerel's Common makes no difference to the inspection itself: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Whether you’re buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Visits can be booked on weekdays and at weekends.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Mackerel's Common (RH14)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
When you need someone else
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will point you to the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Mackerel's Common
If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. Petworth House, about 4.6 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Mackerel's Common. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you own a rental within reach of Billingshurst station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Mackerel's Common is about 10 miles west of Horsham, in West Sussex. We visit Mackerel's Common as part of our work across West Sussex. Mackerel's Common is one of the places in West Sussex where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. We also survey roofs in Guildford.
Here we cover the RH14 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Other places close to Mackerel's Common include Kirdford (1 mile south), Plaistow (2 miles north), Ifold (2 miles north), Balls Cross (2 miles south-west) and Wisborough Green (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Horsham (10 miles east), Broadfield (15 miles east), Storrington (9 miles south-east), Billingshurst (5 miles east), Bewbush (15 miles east) and Angmering (15 miles south).
Local landmarks in Mackerel's Common
The nearest railway station is Billingshurst station, roughly 4.8 miles south-east. For a walk, there is The Mens and Shillinglee Lake.
Nearby places to Mackerel's Common
What else we do in Mackerel's Common
For landlords and managing agents
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
What happens on the day
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you’d like to know. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, from the ground, from windows, in the loft space and by drone where applicable. Most surveys take an hour or two for a house, and longer for a large or complex roof. Rural addresses near Mackerel's Common can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe 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.
How to prepare
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Let us know where we can park nearby
Book a survey
When you are ready to go ahead, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Related advice
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Mackerel's Common
Is Mackerel's Common in the area you cover?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Mackerel's Common as anywhere else.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Mackerel's Common?
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.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it isn’t a RICS home survey. It works alongside a home survey.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where possible, yes. We look in the roof space where there’s safe access, and upstairs windows give useful views. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Where it is safe, yes. We inspect from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the loft and from the roof itself where safe. The Premium Survey adds a drone inspection where it applies.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. Access is agreed with you when booking.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS 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 doesn’t stand in for a RICS survey.
Common roof problems in Mackerel's Common
Slates and tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay that hold them. Good slate can last well over a century, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. It is a frequent finding on older houses and easy to miss from ground level.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
The streets around a church such as The Parish Church of St John the Baptist are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Are they insured for the work?
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- What exactly goes into their report
Why it is worth a survey now in Mackerel's Common
The lender’s valuation is done for the lender, not for you. Its job is to check the property’s value for the mortgage, not at the condition of each slate and flashing. Our survey is done for you. For older village homes like those around Mackerel's Common, the right replacement materials are not always easy to find quickly. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
Why book us in Mackerel's Common
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or our case studies.
Practical tips
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
Your report arrives by email, with photos of what we found. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Each defect is explained in plain words, and recommendations are ranked by urgency where that helps.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, especially after autumn. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.