East Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in St Leonards, East Sussex
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in St Leonards, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Old water stains in the roof space
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or email us with the addresses.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in St Leonards. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Pre-purchase roof survey in St Leonards: what you get
Tall, steep or hidden roofs are hard to judge from the street. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, plus a drone inspection where it applies, and the report arrives the same day. If airspace rules or the weather rule out a flight, we’ll say so and inspect from every other safe vantage point. We survey gutters and downpipes, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and the roof space, and people most often book us about sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes and cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing.
St Leonards is the kind of town where older houses and newer estates sit side by side. Older houses frequently have slate or clay tiles on timbers that have done decades of work, while many later ones have concrete interlocking tiles. Whether you are buying or have just had a new roof, the checks depend on which you have, from fixings and underlay to ridges and valleys. Many older roofs also have felt underlay or none at all, which matters as much as the tiles.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, along with how urgent it is.
- Where
- St Leonards (TN38, TN37, TN34)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near St Leonards
More services for St Leonards
What we cannot see
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you before booking. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
What we are asked to look at in St Leonards
Most viewings never get near the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates, and a quick glance from the street misses a lot. Fresh decoration can also cover the marks an old leak left behind, which is why buyers book a closer look before committing.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
Landlords with a home close to St Leonards Warrior Square station may find that it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
What to check before booking
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Are they insured for the work?
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Which limits apply to the survey
How it works
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. The survey usually takes roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, and more on a big or complicated roof. A typical visit in St Leonards begins with the street side of the roof and then moves round the building. Rear gardens and side paths frequently give the best view of extensions and back slopes. The loft comes next, where there is safe access.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
How to prepare
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Leave side gates unlocked
Book a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email, and we will ask about the building and what you need. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Advice
Pre-purchase roof surveys around St Leonards
St Leonards is within about 1 mile 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 can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain. Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list.
The streets around a church like St John the Evangelist's Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
St Leonards is about 1 mile south-west of Hastings, in East Sussex. We cover St Leonards and the rest of East Sussex. We cover towns and villages across East Sussex. For surveys nearby, see our Maidstone page.
Every address in TN38, TN37 and TN34 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Sea Road, Fern Road and Dane Road or a nearby road, we can help. Main roads around St Leonards include the A259 and A2102, so getting to you is simple. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Silverhill (1 mile north), Hastings (1 mile north-east), America Ground (1 mile east), Bulverhythe (1 mile west) and Hollington (1 mile north). Within a short drive, we also cover Eastbourne (13 miles south-west), Bexhill-on-Sea (4 miles west), Hailsham (13 miles west), Polegate (13 miles west), Old Town (14 miles south-west) and Heathfield (15 miles north-west). St Leonards is one of the larger places we cover in East Sussex.
Near you in St Leonards
In St Leonards, that means homes and buildings near University School, Horse And Groom Public House and Summerfields Wood and the streets around them. St Leonards has its own railway station: St Leonards Warrior Square station. Other landmarks nearby include Priory Meadow Shopping Centre (1.2 miles east) and Conquest Hospital (2.2 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Church Wood and Robsack Wood and Senlac Hill.
How the survey changes by roof type
Clay and concrete tiles
Many post-war houses have concrete interlocking tiles. They’re heavy and hard-wearing, but they weather and can crack.
Lead flashings and valleys
Many older houses have lead in their valleys and hidden gutters. Worn or cracked lead lets water straight into the roof, and missing lead is not unknown, as it’s a target for thieves.
Tips from our surveys
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
With Standard, you get a follow-up consultation, while Premium includes a consultation in person. If anything in the report isn’t clear, ask us.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in St Leonards
Is St Leonards in the area you cover?
We do. The survey and report are the same in St Leonards as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in St Leonards?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. The report is most useful before exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
What insurance do you have?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and that is where a roof survey helps. It isn’t a replacement for a RICS survey.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and it is safe, yes. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes, you can. The report sets out what we found, with photos, which you can share with the seller or agent. How the seller responds is up to them.