West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Mannings Heath
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Mannings Heath, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
Tips from our surveys
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
You may want to pass the report to your solicitor or conveyancer so questions can go to the seller’s solicitor. Past repairs, re-roofing and any records of that work are all fair questions, particularly where we’ve found patch repairs.
Every so frequently, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Mannings Heath
Buying a home is a big commitment, and the roof is one of the costliest parts to put right. A pre-purchase roof survey looks at it closely before you are tied in. We check the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, and the loft space where it is safe to get in. You get a written report with photos. If you are worried about blocked or leaking gutters and slipped or missing slates and tiles, we can find out what’s behind it.
Older buildings in small places like Mannings Heath may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials a new roof may use, so check with the council and Historic England’s list. Whether you are buying or signing off new roofing, it is worth knowing where you stand. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Place
- Mannings Heath (RH13)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Buying a home or a new roof in Mannings Heath
If your home is older, it’s worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before planning roof work. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, and councils can also use Article 4 directions to control changes in conservation areas. Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of the Good Shepherd, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges. If you let a flat or house near Horsham station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Mannings Heath is about 2 miles south-east of Horsham, in West Sussex. We survey roofs in Mannings Heath and the rest of West Sussex, as part of our work across London and the South East. Our West Sussex coverage includes Mannings Heath and the places around it. We also survey roofs in Crawley.
Here we cover the RH13 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Church Road, Ryecroft Meadow and Masons Field or anywhere close by, we can survey it. We also cover Monk's Gate (1 mile south), Lower Beeding (1 mile south-east), Roffey (2 miles north), Plummers Plain (2 miles east) and Crabtree (2 miles south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Crawley (6 miles north-east), Haywards Heath (9 miles east), Burgess Hill (9 miles south-east), East Grinstead (13 miles north-east), Shoreham-by-Sea (14 miles south) and Lancing (15 miles south).
What’s near Mannings Heath
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Newells Preparatory School and The Dun Horse pub. The nearest railway station is Horsham station, roughly 2.1 miles north-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Christs Hospital School Museum (3.5 miles west) and Horsham Hospital (2.5 miles north-west). Open spaces near Mannings Heath include Warnham LNR.
Questions from Mannings Heath
How do I find out if my home in Mannings Heath is listed?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you cover smaller places like Mannings Heath?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Will you climb onto the roof?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the roof space.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where we can, yes. From the loft space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If we cannot get in, the report says so.
Does the weather affect the survey?
A survey can typically go ahead in light rain. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so if conditions aren’t right we will arrange another day with you.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. It’s a dedicated roof survey, and you get a written report with photos. It does not cover the rest of the property, which a RICS survey does.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
What we do, step by step
There isn’t much for you to do on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes between one and two hours at a typical home, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Older rural homes like those around Mannings Heath can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Before the survey
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Arrange a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
It helps to know what a survey will not do before booking:
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
Landlords, agents and block managers in Mannings Heath
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, and the report can go to both. Access is agreed with the tenant in advance.
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
Roof by roof
Clay and concrete tiles
Older homes in the South East frequently have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles on some. Where pegs have rotted, tiles can slip, so we look for gaps along the courses.
Chimney stacks
Our chimney check is a visual one, and it isn’t a flue or gas safety check. We’ll say if the flue needs a specialist.
What a survey costs
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before you book. This is what makes a difference:
- Height and safe access
- Roof area
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Every price we give includes VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the price for the job before booking.
Getting in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- The address and postcode of the property
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- The kind of building and roof involved
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know where you stand. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, phone 07833 053749 or email us.