East Sussex · London and the South East
Ringmer Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Know where you stand with the roof before you decide what to do next. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Ringmer.
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Flashings that have lifted or split
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Ringmer
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium adds thermal imaging, a drone inspection where applicable and an in-person consultation. Pick the one that fits the property. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. If you’ve noticed roof slopes that look uneven or sagging and blistered or split felt on a flat roof, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Smaller places like Ringmer frequently have bungalows and cottages as well as houses, and many have been extended or had dormers added. Even on a low roof, dormers, valleys and flat-roofed additions need a careful look. That applies whether you are buying in Ringmer or checking a new roof there. Snags and wear both tend to show at dormer lead work and along flat-roof edges.
Where we cannot see part of the roof, the report says so. That way, it’s clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Location
- Ringmer (BN8)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlord and commercial surveys in Ringmer
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work with less disruption.
Nearby places to Ringmer
What else we do in Ringmer
What we look for on each type of roof
Natural slate
On a slate roof, the underlay may be old bitumen felt, or there may be none at all on very old roofs. From inside the loft space, we report what we can see of it.
Clay and concrete tiles
Concrete interlocking tiles are common on post-war and newer homes. They’re heavy and hard-wearing, but they weather and can crack, and low-pitched roofs need their laps to be right.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Ringmer
Is Ringmer in the area you cover?
Yes, Ringmer is within the area we cover. Our area covers London and South East England. Just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the property.
Is my home in Ringmer listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
It’s your choice, but the two do different jobs. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
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.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That way you can still act on what we find, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Ringmer?
The quickest way is to call 07833 053749 or send us an email. Let us know the address and a little about the roof. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
What happens on the day
Every roof is different, but as a rough guide the survey takes roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. You are welcome to ask questions while we are there. For a survey in Ringmer, we agree the time, the access and parking before the day. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. If there are outbuildings or garages you want looked at, mention them.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We look at the roof from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Getting a price
Unsure which package suits your roof? It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Advice
Tips that help
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
After you move in, keep the report somewhere safe. Work through the urgent items before anything else, and use the photos as a record of how the roof looked when you bought. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
When you need someone else
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Ringmer
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Ringmer
Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs, and oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of East Sussex’s older buildings. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. Glyndebourne, about 1.1 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Ringmer. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For landlords with property near Glynde station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it. The streets around a church such as The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Ringmer is about 3 miles north-east of Lewes, in East Sussex. Ringmer gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a proper look at everything that’s safely in view, photos and a clear written report. Ringmer is one of the places in East Sussex we cover. There’s also a page for Brighton.
Surveys in BN8 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Local streets include Ashcroft Close, Springett Avenue and Danforth Way, all of which we cover. If you are just outside Ringmer, we cover Ashton Green (1 mile east), Glyndebourne (1 mile south), Glynde (2 miles south), Cliffe (2 miles south-west) and South Malling (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Eastbourne (12 miles south-east), Seaford (8 miles south), Lewes (3 miles south-west), Hailsham (9 miles east), Crowborough (12 miles north-east) and Uckfield (6 miles north).
What’s near Ringmer
Around Ringmer, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Anchor pub and Ringmer Community College and Sixth Form. For rail, the closest station is Glynde station, about 2.4 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Museum of Agricultural Bygones (1.5 miles east) and Lewes Victoria Hospital (3 miles south-west). Open spaces near Ringmer include Cliffe Hill and Malling Down.