West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Sompting, West Sussex
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Sompting, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Flashings that have lifted or split
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Sompting
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. At that point you can still ask questions, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when the chain is moving fast. The report comes within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Common reasons to book are cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing and old water stains in the roof space, on lead flashings and valleys, clay and concrete tiles and the roof space.
Houses in smaller places like Sompting can stand more in the open than those in a built-up town, so their roofs may take more wind and driving rain. Ridges, verges and flashings are where that weather usually shows first. For a purchase or a new roof, those exposed edges are looked at closely. On an exposed roof, a loose ridge or verge soon becomes a bigger job.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, and where it can wait, that’s said too.
- Where
- Sompting (BN15)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we’re asked to look at in Sompting
A chimney stack stands out in the wind and rain. Mortar erodes, the flaunching around the pots cracks and the flashings work loose. On terraced and semi-detached homes, a stack may be shared with next door, which matters if work is needed.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
For landlords with property near Lancing station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Whether VAT is added on top
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- What insurance they carry
The survey, step by step
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. The whole visit typically takes about one to two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. With a bit of garden around a house, as there often is around Sompting, the roof can be viewed from several angles. Mention any side of the property we cannot get to. The loft, where there is safe access, completes the picture.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from the ground, 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.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Getting ready for the survey
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Arrange a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will ask a few questions about the roof. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
Read more
Sompting homes and their roofs
Sompting is within about 2 miles of the coast, and wind near the sea can be strong. The weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead, as a small drone cannot fly safely in high wind or heavy rain. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
If you live in an older home near St Peter the Apostle, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Sompting is about 3 miles east of Worthing, in West Sussex. Sompting is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Sompting is one of the places in West Sussex we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. For surveys nearby, see our Brighton page.
Surveys in BN15 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. You will find streets like Osborne Drive, Western Road North and Osborne Close, and we cover them all. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Lancing (1 mile east), East Worthing (1 mile south), Broadwater (2 miles west), Offington (2 miles west) and Salvington (3 miles west). We also work in nearby towns such as Bognor Regis (15 miles west), Burgess Hill (13 miles north-east), Littlehampton (9 miles west), Shoreham-by-Sea (3 miles east), Rustington (8 miles west) and Storrington (8 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Sompting
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School, Brooklands Park and The Sir Robert Woodard Academy, among other places. The closest station to Sompting is Lancing station, roughly 0.8 miles south-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Old Castle (2.4 miles west) and Museum of Sussex Folklore (2.5 miles west). For a walk, there is Lancing Ring and Widewater Lagoon.
Sompting: your questions answered
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Sompting?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is the coastal weather around Sompting hard on roofs?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it usually shows, and Sompting is within about 2 miles of the coast.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it when you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
How long does the survey visit take?
The visit usually takes roughly 1–2 hours at most homes; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. We’ll confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, like cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys, across London and South East England.
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
We confirm the price for the job before you book. This is what makes a difference:
- The size of the roof
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
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.
Getting in touch
When you call or email, these details help:
- When you need the report by
- The property’s address and postcode
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Sompting, ring 07833 053749 or email us. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us give you an accurate price.
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- A structural engineer’s report
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in Sompting
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
Nearby places to Sompting
Other services in Sompting
What you can safely check yourself
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.
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when you book.
Different roofs, different checks
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.
Natural slate
Many older homes in London and the South East have slate roofs. We look for slates that have slid, cracked or gone, and for clips or tingles that show past repairs.