West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in North Heath, West Sussex
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in North Heath. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in North Heath
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. At that point you can still ask questions, while you’re not yet committed. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when a sale is moving quickly. The report comes within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Common reasons to book are blistered or split felt on a flat roof and sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes, across gutters and downpipes, natural slate and chimney stacks.
Some older homes in villages like North Heath are listed or sit 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’re buying or signing off new roofing, it is worth knowing where you stand, as well as what condition the roof is in. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
It is not only a list of defects. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend.
- Place
- North Heath (RH20)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Pre-purchase roof surveys around North Heath
In Sussex, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Old Place Manor lies about 2.1 miles south-west, so building around North Heath goes back a long way. 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.
North Heath is about 9 miles south-west of Horsham, in West Sussex. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in North Heath and nearby. Our West Sussex coverage includes North Heath. Our Crawley page covers surveys nearby.
We work across RH20 for pre-purchase roof surveys. You’ll find streets such as Gay Street Lane and Stane Street, all of which we cover. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Gay Street (1 mile south-east), Adversane (1 mile north), Codmore Hill (1 mile south-west), Broomershill (1 mile south) and Nutbourne (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Crawley (15 miles north-east), Horsham (9 miles north-east), Worthing (11 miles south), Burgess Hill (15 miles east), Littlehampton (12 miles south) and Shoreham-by-Sea (14 miles south-east).
What’s near North Heath
The nearest railway station is Pulborough station, roughly 2.4 miles south-west of the centre. Green spaces nearby include The Mens.
Tips that help
You do not need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
Once the home is yours, the report becomes a maintenance list. Deal with the urgent items first, and keep the photographs to compare against later. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months to see how things have changed.
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.
Common questions in North Heath
Do you carry out roof surveys in North Heath?
Yes. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and North Heath is part of that. You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and some details, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Is my home in North Heath listed or in a conservation area?
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.
What’s the best way to book?
Simply phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day, weekday or weekend.
How experienced are you?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years.
When will the report arrive?
It depends on the package: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Tell us your exchange date and we will help you choose.
Can I use the report to negotiate on price?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. What the seller agrees to is their decision.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It depends on the weather and the survey. Strong wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, so we’d move the date with you.
When to book a survey in North Heath
Patch repairs are common on roofs of every age. Bitumen over flashings, mortar fillets in place of lead and odd replacement tiles can be signs that something has leaked before. Our report records them so you can ask the seller what was done and when.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
If you own a rental within reach of Pulborough station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- How long the report takes to arrive
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- What happens after the report arrives
DIY checks: what’s safe
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us as you book.
Roof by roof
Chimney stacks
Our chimney check is a visual one, and it is not a flue or gas safety check. We’ll say if the flue needs a specialist.
Clay and concrete tiles
Tiled roofs often last half a century or longer. Cracked, slipped or missing tiles are noted, along with odd replacement tiles that hint at earlier leaks.
Towns and villages near North Heath
Other services in North Heath
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll suggest the right survey. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
What happens on the day
Every roof is different; as a rough guide, the survey takes about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. You’re welcome to ask questions while we’re there. Rural addresses near North Heath can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- We email a written report with photographs and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
How to book
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll explain the options and the price.