Kent · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Sandhurst, Kent
Know where you stand with the roof before you spend money on it. Pre-purchase roof surveys in Sandhurst.
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
What we are asked to look at in Sandhurst
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. A felt roof frequently lasts around 15 to 20 years, and ponding, blisters and splits are common signs of age. A buyer can easily miss them, because many can only be seen from an upstairs window.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
Historic houses such as Great Dixter, about 2.4 miles south-east, show how far back building around Sandhurst goes. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later.
What to check before booking
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- What experience they bring
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Sandhurst
If you are buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that’s often not the individual flat owner, with costs often passed on through the service charge. We check as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. If the building has a flat roof, we check that too where access allows. We survey lead flashings and valleys, chimney stacks and gutters and downpipes, and the problems we are asked to look at most are loose pots and cracked flaunching and patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem.
Some older homes in villages like Sandhurst 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. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it is worth knowing which applies. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
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
- Sandhurst (TN18)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
When you need someone else
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
Different roofs, different checks
Natural slate
Older slate roofs often have bitumen felt under them, and very old ones may have none. Where we can see it from the loft, we say what condition it is in.
Chimney stacks
A leaning stack, cracked flaunching or crumbling pointing can all need work. We photograph them so you can raise them before exchange.
Buying a home or a new roof in Sandhurst
Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest. If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
If you own a rental within reach of Robertsbridge station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in. The streets around a church such as Mission Church are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Sandhurst is about 11 miles north of Hastings, in Kent. Anywhere in Sandhurst, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property. Our area takes in places right across Kent, large and small. There’s also a page for Maidstone.
Every address in TN18 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on Bodiam Road, Poundfield Road and Queen Street. If you’re just outside Sandhurst, we cover Sandhurst Cross (1 mile south-west), Linkhill (1 mile east), Four Throws (2 miles north-west), Little Conghurst (2 miles north-west) and Bodiam (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Ashford (15 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (15 miles north-west), Paddock Wood (13 miles north-west), Tenterden (6 miles north-east), Park Wood (15 miles north) and Staplehurst (10 miles north).
What’s near Sandhurst
Typical jobs here are in homes near Sentido pub. For rail, the closest station is Robertsbridge station, about 4.9 miles south-west. Well-known places in the area include The C.M Booth Collection (3.5 miles north-east) and Benenden Hospital (4.8 miles north-east).
The survey, step by step
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof; as a rough guide, the survey takes an hour or two on an ordinary house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. You are welcome to ask questions while we are there. Rural addresses near Sandhurst can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You book once your offer is accepted and let us know the address and your timetable.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- The roof is inspected from every safe vantage point, inside and out.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Before the survey
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Keep pets in another room
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Arrange a survey
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or email us and give us some details about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
Sandhurst questions
Do you cover smaller places like Sandhurst?
Yes, Sandhurst is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Sandhurst?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
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 complements one rather than replacing it.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days as you book.
What’s the best way to book?
It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or send us an email. Let us know the address and a little about the roof. Surveys run on any day of the week.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
They do different things. 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.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Places near Sandhurst
What else we do in Sandhurst
Why act early in Sandhurst
It is tempting to skip the roof to keep a sale moving. Weekend visits are available as well as weekdays, and a Premium report comes the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. In a place like Sandhurst, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why book with us
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
What you can safely check yourself
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.