West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Plummers Plain, West Sussex
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you decide what to do next. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Plummers Plain.
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Old water stains in the roof space
- A ridge or slope that dips
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Plummers Plain: local notes
Tyes Place, about 2.9 miles east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Plummers Plain. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead. Older houses across Sussex often have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging on their upper walls. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new.
Landlords with a home close to Faygate station may find that a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Plummers Plain is about 4 miles east of Horsham, in West Sussex. If you’re in Plummers Plain, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Plummers Plain is one of the places in West Sussex we cover.
We survey roofs across the RH13 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. Whether your property is on Handford Way, Handcross Road and Hammerpond Road or a nearby road, we can help. Close by, we survey roofs in Slaugham (1 mile east), Lower Beeding (1 mile south-west), Handcross (2 miles north-east), Mannings Heath (2 miles west) and Crabtree (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Crawley (5 miles north-east), Horsham (4 miles west), Haywards Heath (7 miles south-east), Burgess Hill (8 miles south-east), East Grinstead (11 miles north-east) and Shoreham-by-Sea (14 miles south).
What’s near Plummers Plain
Around Plummers Plain, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Wheatsheaf pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Faygate station, roughly 3.8 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Horsham Hospital (4.4 miles north-west). Open spaces near Plummers Plain include Tilgate Lake and Warnham LNR.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Plummers Plain
If you’re buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. Depending on the lease, roof repairs may fall to the building owner or a management company, with costs frequently passed on through the service charge. We look at as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. If the building has a flat roof, we look at that too where access allows. Common reasons to book are chimney mortar that has eroded and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs, on flat-roofed extensions and dormers, clay and concrete tiles and the roof space.
Somewhere as small as Plummers Plain, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings often sit beside a few newer homes. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Whether you’re buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Plummers Plain (RH13)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. The whole visit usually takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Somewhere like Plummers Plain needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. On the day, we inspect what can safely be seen, inside and out.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Before the survey
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Leave side gates unlocked
Booking a survey
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or email us and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price before you book.
Read more
Roof by roof
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead-lined valleys and gutters are common on older homes in London and the South East. Splits in a lead valley send water inside, and lead is also a target for theft.
Gutters and parapets
Some older terraces have a butterfly roof with a central valley gutter. If the home you are buying has one, that gutter and its outlet get a careful look.
Places near Plummers Plain
Other services in Plummers Plain
Questions from Plummers Plain
Do you cover Plummers Plain?
Yes, Plummers Plain is within the area we cover. We cover the whole of London and South East England. You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details.
Is my home in Plummers Plain listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is frequently shared, so we need permission from the building owner or managing agent. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It works alongside a home survey.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where we can, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If we can’t get in, the report says so.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
It’s your choice, but the two do different jobs. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Our survey complements a RICS survey and doesn’t replace one.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. The report is most useful before exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Plummers Plain?
Many roofs have had quick fixes over the years. Bitumen over flashings, mortar fillets in place of lead and odd replacement tiles can point to a problem that keeps coming back. Our report records them so you can ask the seller what was done and when.
Look out for signs like these:
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Old water stains in the roof space
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near St Mary's Church, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
What to check before booking
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Which limits apply to the survey
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Plummers Plain
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Which survey package you book
- How big the roof is
- The shape of the roof and its details
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, with VAT included, and we can help you choose.
What we need to know
There’s no need for technical words. It is enough to tell us:
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- What made you get in touch
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
When you need someone else
Every survey has limits, and it’s better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
Landlords, agents and block managers in Plummers Plain
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, which helps when budgeting.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Plummers Plain and across West Sussex can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.