East Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in South Malling
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in South Malling. We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Tips that help
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Let us know your timetable
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Check we’ll be able to get into the roof space
Once the home is yours, the report becomes a maintenance list. Work through the urgent items before anything else, and keep the photographs to compare against later. The Premium Survey includes a 12-month follow-up to see how things have changed.
After strong winds, look at the roof from the ground. Slipped slates, lifted ridge tiles and debris on the ground are signs to act on. Dealing with them early keeps water out.
Pre-purchase roof survey in South Malling
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 often passed on through the service charge. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. Common reasons to book are blistered or split felt on a flat roof and damp timbers or stains in the loft, on chimney stacks, lead flashings and valleys and natural slate.
Houses in smaller places like South Malling 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 typically shows first. Whether you are buying or signing off new work, those edges deserve a careful look. On an exposed roof, a loose ridge or verge soon becomes a bigger job.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly.
- Where
- South Malling (BN7, BN8)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Other services in South Malling
FAQs for South Malling
Does a conservation area affect roof work in South Malling?
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.
Will you come out to South Malling?
Yes, South Malling is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. The report is most useful before exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
Do you go up on the roof?
Only where it is safe. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the roof space.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We carry out surveys on weekdays and at weekends. To arrange a date, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, if whoever owns or manages the building agrees access. We check the parts we are given access to, and the report makes that clear.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain is usually fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In strong wind or heavy rain, a drone cannot fly and access may not be safe, so we’d move the date with you.
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in South Malling
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- House, block, shop or office
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
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.
Helping us price your survey
We will normally ask about:
- What’s prompted the survey
- Anything about access we should know
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
For a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in South Malling, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us price the survey accurately.
Surveys for landlords and agents in South Malling
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed in advance. We survey on any day of the week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
When to book a survey in South Malling
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. It is frequently found in cement sheets, soffits and flue pipes. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before work starts.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
Historic houses such as Anne of Cleves House, about 0.8 miles south-west, show how far back building around South Malling goes. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- What they will not be able to tell you
Honest limits
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- A structural engineer’s report
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
How the survey works
The visit has one job: to see as much of the roof as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It typically takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Homes around South Malling often have gardens on more than one side, which gives us room to step back and see the roof. Mention any side of the property we can’t get to. Inside, the loft is checked where it can be reached safely.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
How to book
If you are buying, it is useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email whenever suits you.
Read more
South Malling homes and their roofs
Older houses across Sussex often have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging on their upper walls. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs, and oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of East Sussex’s older buildings. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
Landlords with a home close to Lewes 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 Church of St Michael, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
South Malling is about 1 mile north-east of Lewes, in East Sussex. In South Malling, as across East Sussex, every roof gets the same careful survey. Across East Sussex, we cover South Malling. For surveys nearby, see our Brighton page.
We cover every part of the BN7 and BN8 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Lee Road, New Road and Mill Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. South Malling sits on or near the A26 and A2029, which makes travel easy. Other places close to South Malling include Lewes (1 mile south-west), Cliffe (1 mile south-east), Southover (1 mile south), Hamsey (1 mile north) and Offham (1 mile north-west). Further out, we also cover Eastbourne (14 miles south-east), Seaford (8 miles south-east), Hailsham (11 miles east), Crowborough (14 miles north-east), Uckfield (7 miles north-east) and Newhaven (6 miles south).
Around South Malling
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Elephant and Castle pub, Priory School and Railway Land. For rail, the closest station is Lewes station, about 0.7 miles south. Nearby you’ll also find Lewes Victoria Hospital (0.8 miles south-west) and Lewes Castle (0.5 miles south-west). The countryside around South Malling includes Malling Down and Cliffe Hill.