East Sussex · London and the South East
Rodmell Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Know where you stand with the roof before you decide what to do next. Pre-purchase roof surveys in Rodmell, with photos and a clear written report.
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Flashings that have lifted or split
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Rodmell
If you’re buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that is often not the individual flat owner, with costs frequently passed on through the service charge. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. Where the building has a flat roof, it’s checked as far as access allows. If you’ve noticed gaps where slates or tiles have come loose and quick fixes on flashings and valleys, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on natural slate, lead flashings and valleys and flat-roofed extensions and dormers alike.
Somewhere as small as Rodmell, 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 are buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks. 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 goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Rodmell (BN7)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The roof’s overall size
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
Getting in touch
Some details help us recommend the right survey and price. When you contact us, let us know:
- The address and postcode of the property
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or email us. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Rodmell
Blocked or leaking gutters do damage that is not obvious at first. Overflowing water soaks walls and can rot the timber behind. Valley and parapet gutters can overflow inside the house. They’re part of what we look at.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
Monk's House lies about 0.4 miles north-east, so building around Rodmell goes back a long way. If you’re buying an older home nearby, it’s worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
Questions to ask before you book
- When you’ll get the report
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
Roof by roof
Gutters and parapets
Parapet and box gutters are hidden behind walls and can overflow inside. Where we can see them safely, we check the linings and outlets.
Flat roofs
Ponding, blistering, splits and worn upstands are the usual warning signs. Blocked outlets are checked as well.
What happens on the day
The aim of the visit is simple: to see as much of the roof as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Notes and photographs go into the written report. It usually takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Somewhere as small as Rodmell, access is frequently the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- 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.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
Arrange a survey
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Related advice
Surveys for landlords and agents in Rodmell
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.
Landlords and agents in Rodmell book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photos.
Local roofs and buyers in Rodmell
The coast is about 4 miles or less from Rodmell, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof, which is worth knowing before you buy or pay for new work. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Landlords with a home close to Southease station may find that a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer. If you live in an older home near St Peter's Church, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Rodmell is about 3 miles south of Lewes, in East Sussex. In Rodmell, as across East Sussex, every roof gets the same careful survey. Across East Sussex, we cover Rodmell and the places around it. Brighton is in our area too.
We survey roofs across BN7 for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. Local streets include Mill Lane, Badgers Dene and The Paddocks. We also cover Northease (1 mile north-west), Iford (1 mile north-west), Piddinghoe (2 miles south-east), Kingston near Lewes (2 miles north-west) and Telscombe (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Eastbourne (12 miles east), Seaford (6 miles south-east), Lewes (3 miles north), Hailsham (11 miles east), Uckfield (10 miles north-east) and Newhaven (3 miles south-east).
What’s near Rodmell
Around Rodmell, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Lewes and Laughton Levels and the streets around them. Rodmell’s nearest station is Southease station, about 0.9 miles east of the centre. Nearby you will also find Planet Earth Museum (2.8 miles south-east) and Lewes Castle (2.7 miles north). Open spaces near Rodmell include Southerham Farm and Itford Hill.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Rodmell
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Rodmell, take more of a battering?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there’s more wind, and more salt in the air. Exposed details like ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch, and Rodmell is within about 4 miles of the coast.
Will you come out to Rodmell?
Yes, Rodmell is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Ideally, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and views from upper windows help too. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you when you book.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
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, so we cannot promise any saving.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. The report is most useful before exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where applicable.
Also near Rodmell
What else we do in Rodmell
Checking the roof from ground level
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.