East Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Pett, East Sussex
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Pett, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Call or email for a price.
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
Useful tips for Pett property owners
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Some pointers:
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
If the report shows work is needed, you can raise it with the seller or agent. Some buyers ask for repairs before completion, others ask for a change to the price. What happens next is your decision and the seller’s, and we can’t promise any result.
Do not block the vents at the eaves. Condensation in a roof space can look like a leak and can damage timbers over time. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents so air can move.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Pett
With a written roof report, you can go back to the seller or agent with specifics. You might ask about past repairs, ask for work to be done before completion or think again about your offer. We can’t say how a seller will respond, but you will be asking from facts rather than guesses. It can also help you decide whether the purchase is still right for you. We survey clay and concrete tiles, gutters and downpipes and the roof space, and the problems we are asked to look at most are ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof and old water stains in the roof space.
Some older homes in villages like Pett are listed or sit in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you are buying or signing off new roofing, it’s worth knowing where you stand, as well as what condition the roof is in. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Location
- Pett (TN35)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near Pett
More services for Pett
What happens on the day
We will ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Rural addresses near Pett can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- 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.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Book a survey
When you’re ready to go ahead, phone 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.
Advice
When to book a survey in Pett
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 the ground.
We are frequently asked to look at:
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
If you let a flat or house near Three Oaks station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
What to check before booking
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Are they insured for the work?
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
We confirm the price for the job before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The roof’s overall size
One thing that affects the price is the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What to let us know when you contact us
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. You will know the price before anything is booked.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Pett
Pett is within about 1 mile of the coast, 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, which is worth knowing before you buy or pay for new work. Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings, alongside oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. The covering on a house you are buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
Lamb House, about 4.7 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Pett. If you’re buying an older home nearby, it’s worth knowing whether it’s listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near St Mary & St Peter, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Pett is about 5 miles east of Hastings, in East Sussex. In Pett, as across East Sussex, every roof gets the same careful survey. We cover towns and villages across East Sussex. For surveys nearby, see our Maidstone page.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in TN35 are booked the same way as anywhere else. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Elms Lane, Pett Road and Chick Hill or anywhere close by, we can survey it. We also cover the places around Pett: Fairlight Cove (1 mile south), Friar's Hill (1 mile west), Guestling Green (2 miles west), Fairlight (2 miles south-west) and Guestling (2 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Hastings (5 miles west), Bexhill-on-Sea (9 miles west), St Leonards (6 miles south-west), Hastings Old Town (4 miles south-west), Belmont (4 miles south-west) and Hollington (5 miles west).
Near you in Pett
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Royal Oak Inn, among other places. The closest station to Pett is Three Oaks station, roughly 2.5 miles west of the centre. A little further out are Conquest Hospital (4.5 miles west) and Winchelsea Court Hall Museum (2.7 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.
Pett: your questions answered
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Pett?
Frequently, yes. Within about 1 mile of the sea, as Pett is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Do you cover smaller places like Pett?
Yes, Pett is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That gives you time to use the findings.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where possible, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and upstairs windows give useful views. Access is typically arranged through the agent or seller.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
How long does the survey visit take?
It normally takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
DIY checks: what’s safe
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we look at the roof.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work around your tenants.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Pett. For a price for a let property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.