Brighton and Hove · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Seven Dials, Brighton and Hove
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Seven Dials. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
What happens if roof problems are left?
Without a survey, you’re relying on a glance from the pavement. That rarely shows the back slope, the valleys or the top of the chimney. We fill that gap before you’re tied in. Homes in smaller places like Seven Dials can face more weather, so a loose ridge or verge soon lets rain in. Each storm lifts it a little further.
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Why book us in Seven Dials
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- 20+ years’ experience
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Read what a roof survey costs or two real surveys.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Seven Dials: what you get
Older homes often have roofs that have been patched over the years. Corroded nails let slates slide, valley linings wear thin and chimney mortar erodes. Little of that is easy to judge from the pavement on a viewing. Our survey picks it out, with photos that show you exactly where. We explain each finding in plain English, so you know what it means for the house you are buying. Common reasons to book are worn or lifted lead flashings and patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem, across gutters and downpipes, natural slate and lead flashings and valleys.
Smaller places like Seven Dials often have bungalows and cottages as well as houses, many of them extended or given dormers over the years. Low roofs are easier to see from the ground, but dormer cheeks, valleys and flat-roofed additions still need close attention. The same goes for a purchase or a new roof around Seven Dials. Lead around a dormer and the edges of a flat roof are common places for snags and wear alike.
The written findings come by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Where
- Seven Dials (BN1, BN3, BN50)
- Region
- Brighton and Hove
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Also near Seven Dials
What else we do in Seven Dials
Can I check my roof myself?
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. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level.
Seven Dials questions
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Seven Dials, take more of a battering?
Often, yes. Within about 1 mile of the sea, as Seven Dials is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Is Seven Dials within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when booking.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and that is where a roof survey helps. It doesn’t stand in for a RICS survey.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it’s safe. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the loft space, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where it applies.
How quickly will I get the report?
Premium reports arrive the same day, Standard reports within 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email, with photos.
How experienced are you?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
How long will you be at the property?
On site, it typically takes about one to two hours on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Seven Dials
Most viewings never get near the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates, and a quick glance from the street misses a lot. New paint on a ceiling can hide old water stains, which is why buyers book a closer look before committing.
Common reasons to book include:
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near St Luke's Church Prestonville, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Before booking anyone
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Are they insured for the work?
- What follow-up you get after the report
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
Roof by roof
Flat roofs
A flat roof that has been coated over several times may hide problems underneath. We record what we can see and say where a closer look is needed.
Chimney stacks
We inspect the outside of the stack, and it isn’t a flue or gas safety check. We’ll say if the flue needs a specialist.
Useful tips for Seven Dials property owners
Getting the most from a pre-purchase roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
With the findings in hand, you can talk to the seller or their 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.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
Local roofs and buyers in Seven Dials
The coast is about 1 mile or less from Seven Dials, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof, so exposed details get a close look whether you are buying or signing off new work. With Royal Pavilion about 0.7 miles south-east, Seven Dials sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs often 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.
If you let a flat or house near Brighton station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Seven Dials is about 1 mile west of Brighton, in Brighton and Hove. We visit Seven Dials as part of our work across Brighton and Hove, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Across Brighton and Hove, we cover Seven Dials.
Here we cover the BN1, BN3 and BN50 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Dyke Road, Powis Road and York Avenue and the roads around them. With the A2010 close by, Seven Dials is easy for us to reach. We also cover the places around Seven Dials: West Hill (1 mile south-east), Prestonville (1 mile north), Brunswick (1 mile south-west), Brighton (1 mile east) and Hanover (1 mile east). We also work in nearby towns such as Hangleton (3 miles north-west), Saltdean (5 miles east), East Saltdean (6 miles east), Roedean (3 miles south-east), Rottingdean (4 miles east) and Ovingdean (3 miles east). Being one of Brighton and Hove’s larger places, Seven Dials has homes, rented property and businesses of every kind.
Landmarks near Seven Dials
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Stanford Junior School, The Cow pub and St. Ann's Well Gardens and the streets around them. Seven Dials has its own railway station: Brighton station. Other landmarks nearby include Montefiore Hospital (within half a mile west) and Brighton Transport Museum (0.6 miles north). The countryside around Seven Dials includes Newmarket Hill and Whitehawk Hill.
What happens on the day
Once we’ve finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photographs, emailed to you. On timing, most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Being in a smaller place like Seven Dials doesn’t change how the visit works: we look from ground level, from windows, from the loft and from the roof where it’s safe. Point out any stains, cracks or loose pieces you’ve spotted.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed beforehand.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from the ground and from vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations before you exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
How to book
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.