West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Sidlesham
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Sidlesham, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photos.
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Sidlesham
Older homes frequently have roofs that have been patched over the years. Slates slip when their nails corrode, lead valleys and flashings wear, and chimney pointing crumbles. Little of that is easy to judge from the pavement on a viewing. We look closely and record what we see, with photos that show you exactly where. Each finding is explained in plain words, so it is clear what it means for your purchase. We survey the roof space, chimney stacks and lead flashings and valleys, and people most often book us about roof slopes that look uneven or sagging and cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing.
Older buildings in small places like Sidlesham may be listed or in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you’re buying or signing off new roofing, it is worth knowing where you stand, as well as what condition the roof is in. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
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
- Sidlesham (PO20)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Useful tips for Sidlesham property owners
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Share the report with your solicitor
After you move in, keep the report somewhere safe. Work through the urgent items before anything else, and keep the photos to compare against later. The Premium Survey includes a 12-month follow-up.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Sidlesham
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it as you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
What we do, step by step
The visit has one job: to see as much of the roof as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Notes and photographs go into the written report. It normally takes about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. In a small place like Sidlesham, access is normally the main thing to plan. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Before the survey
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Arrange a survey
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Sidlesham, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. A few details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
Advice
What happens if roof problems are left?
A mortgage valuation isn’t a roof survey. It looks at whether the property is suitable security for the loan, not at the condition of each slate and flashing. A roof survey is carried out for the buyer. Outbuildings and barns around Sidlesham are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
Why us?
- Visits on any day of the week
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- A written report with photos
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
Local roofs and buyers in Sidlesham
The coast is about 1 mile or less from Sidlesham, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, and loose ridges, slates and tiles are the first to lift in a gale. Older houses across Sussex frequently have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging on their upper walls. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
If you own a rental within reach of Chichester station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it. If you live in an older home near St Mary Our Lady Sidlesham, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Sidlesham is about 3 miles north of Selsey, in West Sussex. Anywhere in Sidlesham, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Sidlesham is one of the places in West Sussex we cover. For surveys nearby, see our Portsmouth page.
All of PO20 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. You’ll find streets like Rookery Lane, Selsey Road and Manhood Lane, and we cover them all. With the B2145 close by, Sidlesham is simple for us to get to for pre-purchase roof surveys. We also cover the places around Sidlesham: Keynor Estate (1 mile south-west), Street End (1 mile north), Sidlesham Common (1 mile north), Fisher (2 miles north-east) and Church Norton (2 miles south). We also work in nearby towns such as Bognor Regis (4 miles east), Chichester (4 miles north), Selsey (3 miles south), Littlehampton (11 miles east), Emsworth (8 miles north-west) and Rustington (12 miles east).
Around Sidlesham
For rail, the closest station is Chichester station, about 3.9 miles north. A little further out are St Richard's Hospital (4.7 miles north) and Chichester Castle (4.4 miles north).
Nearby places to Sidlesham
More services for Sidlesham
FAQs for Sidlesham
Is my home in Sidlesham listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Sidlesham, take more of a battering?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Exposed details like ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch.
Do you go up on the roof?
Only where it is safe. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft.
How long will you be at the property?
It usually takes about one to two hours for most houses, or half a day or so for a commercial building. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Does someone need to be in?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the loft space, someone has to give us access, while outside access can be discussed as you book.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
They do different things. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney stacks
A stack stands exposed above the roof line. We check the pots, the flaunching, the pointing and the flashings, as far as we can see them safely.
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, yet the nails that fix it often give out first. Slipped or missing slates are a sign of ‘nail fatigue’, and we note how widespread it looks.
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- House, block, shop or office
- Roof area
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
What to tell us when you contact us
A little information up front helps. Please include:
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- The address and postcode of the property
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or email us.