West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Oving, West Sussex
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Oving, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Oving
We survey roofs for buyers in Oving and across London and the South East. From terraced and semi-detached homes to detached houses and flats, we follow the same careful process. We tell you what’s sound, what needs attention and how urgent it is. We’re insured for professional indemnity and public liability, with more than 20 years’ experience behind us. To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Typical surveys look at patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem and worn or lifted lead flashings, across gutters and downpipes, lead flashings and valleys and clay and concrete tiles.
Older buildings in small places like Oving may be listed or in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you’re buying or signing off new roofing, it’s 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.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Location
- Oving (PO20)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photos, sent to you by email. On timing, it usually takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Older roofs in small places like Oving can have low, tight loft spaces, so it helps to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed beforehand.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- You get a report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
How to prepare
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Let us know about parking near the property
How to book
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know the cost up front. Our price is from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
For landlords and managing agents
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners. A written report with photographs gives you a clear record of the roof.
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Oving
Oving lies within about 5 miles of the sea, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Corroded clips and nails and lifted ridge pieces are typical of exposed roofs near the sea. Historic houses like Goodwood House, about 2.4 miles north, show how far back building in the area around Oving goes. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For landlords with property near Chichester station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. Take an older house close to The Parish Church of St Andrew: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Oving is about 3 miles east of Chichester, in West Sussex. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Oving for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings, with a written report and photographs every time. Our area takes in places right across West Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. Our Portsmouth page covers surveys nearby.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in PO20 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Local streets include Church Lane, Sampsons Drive and Highfield Lane, all of which we cover. If you’re just outside Oving, we cover Shopwyke (1 mile west), Tangmere (1 mile north), Maudlin (1 mile north-west), Merston (1 mile south) and Boxgrove (1 mile north). We also work in nearby towns such as Worthing (14 miles east), Bognor Regis (4 miles south-east), Chichester (3 miles west), Selsey (8 miles south), Littlehampton (9 miles east) and Emsworth (9 miles west).
Around Oving
We work in homes and buildings around Tangmere Primary Academy and Chichester High School For Girls, among other places. The closest station to Oving is Chichester station, about 2.7 miles west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include St Richard's Hospital (2.1 miles west) and Tote Copse Castle (1.4 miles east).
DIY checks: what’s safe
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
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. Don’t go up yourself.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Leaving it means judging the roof from the street. That won’t show slipped slates on the rear slope, a worn valley or cracked flaunching. We fill that gap before you are tied in. In a small place like Oving, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included.
Why book with us
- 98% of customers satisfied
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Surveys on weekdays and at weekends
Read our cost guide or two real surveys.
What a survey costs
We confirm the exact price before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The shape of the roof and its details
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 including VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you need to know.
What we need to know
Some details help us suggest the right survey and price. When you contact us, it helps to mention:
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- The kind of building and roof involved
- What made you get in touch
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form when you are ready.
When you need someone else
We only report what can be seen safely on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in Oving
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
Common questions in Oving
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Oving?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, while strong wind lifts anything already loose.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Oving?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
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.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and that is where a roof survey helps. It doesn’t stand in for a RICS survey.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We look at the parts we are given access to.
What insurance do you have?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability.
Do you work in Oving?
Yes. We survey roofs across London and South East England, Oving included.