East Sussex · London and the South East
St Helen's Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in St Helen's, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
About our pre-purchase roof survey in St Helen's
A roof report gives you something solid to take back to the seller or the agent. You might ask about past repairs, ask for work to be done before completion or think again about your offer. What the seller agrees to is up to them, but you’ll be asking from facts rather than guesses. It also helps you decide whether to go ahead at all. If you’ve noticed standing water on a flat extension roof and slipped or missing slates and tiles, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In a smaller place like St Helen's, homes are mostly houses and bungalows, from older cottages to more recent builds. Older roofs may still have their original slates or clay tiles, with fixings and underlay that have done a long stint. Whether you’re buying or have just had the roof replaced, that hidden layer is worth knowing about. Breathable membranes only appeared in the late 1990s, so older roofs frequently have bitumen felt or nothing at all.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- St Helen's (TN34, TN37)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in St Helen's
Is St Helen's within the area you cover?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Is the coastal weather around St Helen's hard on roofs?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there is more wind, and more salt in the air. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it normally shows, and St Helen's is within about 2 miles of the coast.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it applies and safe. We are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It is included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where possible, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and views from upper windows help too. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That way you can still act on what we find.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
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. Reports are emailed with photos included.
What you can safely check yourself
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Without a survey, you are relying on a glance from the pavement. That rarely shows the back slope, the valleys or the top of the chimney. A survey fills that gap before you commit, with photos of anything that needs attention. Around St Helen's, leaves and moss in gutters lead to overflowing water and damp walls, especially where trees overhang. It’s easy to sort the cause early and slow to dry a damp wall.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, access and the package you choose.
Why us?
- PI and public liability insurance
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- 98% customer satisfaction
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
Nearby places to St Helen's
More services for St Helen's
Honest limits
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will suggest the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in St Helen's
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
Pre-purchase roof surveys around St Helen's
St Helen's lies within about 2 miles of the sea, where wind off the sea can be strong. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs, and the county’s older buildings include oast houses and Wealden hall houses. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
For landlords with property near Ore station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
St Helen's is about 1 mile north-east of Hastings, in East Sussex. Anywhere in St Helen's, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our East Sussex coverage includes St Helen's and the places around it. You can also see our page for Maidstone.
We work across the TN34 and TN37 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We cover properties on Park Avenue, Keppel Road and Down's Road and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Blacklands (1 mile south), Hastings (1 mile south-west), Silverhill (1 mile south-west), Belmont (1 mile south-east) and Hollington (1 mile west). Further out, we also cover Eastbourne (14 miles south-west), Bexhill-on-Sea (5 miles west), Hailsham (14 miles west), Polegate (15 miles west), Old Town (15 miles south-west) and Heathfield (15 miles north-west).
Near you in St Helen's
In St Helen's, that means homes and buildings near William Parker Sports College, University School and The Duke pub. St Helen's’s nearest station is Ore station, roughly 0.8 miles south-east. A little further out are Priory Meadow Shopping Centre (1.2 miles south) and Hastings Old Town Hall Museum (1.3 miles south-east). For a walk, there’s Church Wood and Robsack Wood and Senlac Hill.
How the survey works
The aim of the visit is simple: to look at the roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photographs go into the written report. It normally takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. A visit to St Helen's is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed in advance. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. Tell us about any garages, outbuildings or extensions you want included.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- 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.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Before the survey
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Book a survey
When you are ready to go ahead, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
Read more
What we’re asked to look at in St Helen's
Gutter problems frequently look minor from the street. Water spilling over a gutter soaks brickwork and can rot fascias and rafter ends. Hidden gutters behind parapets or in roof valleys can send water indoors. We check them as part of the survey.
We are frequently asked to look at:
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
Take an older house close to St Peter & St Paul: the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Whether the price includes VAT
- What they will not be able to tell you
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Tips that help
You do not need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
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. The outcome is between you and the seller, and we can’t promise any result.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, especially after autumn. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.