East Sussex · London and the South East
Tide Mills Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Know where you stand with the roof before you decide what to do next. Pre-purchase roof surveys in Tide Mills, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Tide Mills
The roof is one of the most expensive parts of a home to repair, and one of the hardest for a buyer to see. A pre-purchase roof survey looks at it closely before you are tied in. We check the coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, and the loft space where it’s safe to get in. You get a written report with photographs. Common reasons to book are slipped or missing slates and tiles and old water stains in the roof space, across flat-roofed extensions and dormers, clay and concrete tiles and lead flashings and valleys.
For a small place like Tide Mills, the visit is planned like any other: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed in advance. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when booking, so the visit can be planned around them. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Where
- Tide Mills (BN25, BN9)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
FAQs for Tide Mills
Will you come out to Tide Mills?
Yes, we do. We work right across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it’s useful to know about access.
Is the coastal weather around Tide Mills 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 usually shows.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. We’re 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 applicable, the Premium Survey.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
It is your choice, but the two do different jobs. 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.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. It’s a roof survey by an experienced roof surveyor, with a written report and photos. It does not cover the rest of the property, which a RICS survey does.
How long does the survey visit take?
The visit normally takes between one and two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. We’ll confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Once you exchange, the roof’s problems become yours. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. A survey after you’ve moved in tells you the same things, but with far less room to act on them. For older village homes like those around Tide Mills, the right replacement materials are not always easy to find quickly. That’s one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both with VAT included. You’ll know the price for the job before booking.
Why us?
- 98% of clients satisfied
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Weekday and weekend surveys
Read what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
What we are asked to look at in Tide Mills
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. A felt roof frequently lasts around 15 to 20 years, and standing water, blisters and splits are typical signs of ageing. They’re easy to overlook on a viewing, especially when they’re only visible from an upper floor.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
Take an older house close to Church of St Andrew: the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What experience they bring
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
Should I look at the roof myself first?
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Tide Mills: local notes
Tide Mills is within about 1 mile of the coast, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof, which is worth knowing before you buy or pay for new work. 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. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
For landlords with property near Bishopstone (Sussex) station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. Alfriston Clergy House, about 4.1 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Tide Mills. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later.
Tide Mills is about 1 mile south-east of Newhaven, in East Sussex. Tide Mills is part of the area we cover across London and South East England. Tide Mills is one of the towns and villages in East Sussex where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. You can also see our page for Brighton.
Here we cover the BN25 and BN9 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We cover properties on Hurdis Road, Seaford Road and Newhaven Road. We also cover Bishopstone (1 mile north-east), Norton (1 mile north-east), Newhaven (1 mile north-west), Denton (1 mile north) and South Heighton (2 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Eastbourne (9 miles east), Lewes (7 miles north-west), Hailsham (10 miles north-east), Uckfield (13 miles north), Peacehaven (3 miles west) and Telscombe (4 miles west).
What’s near Tide Mills
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Hope Inn, Castle Hill and St Peter's School, among other places. Tide Mills’s nearest station is Bishopstone (Sussex) station, about 0.6 miles east of the centre. A little further out are Arlington Castle (4.8 miles north-east) and Chailey Heritage Marine Hospital (under half a mile south-west). Open spaces near Tide Mills include Itford Hill.
Honest limits
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
Also near Tide Mills
More services for Tide Mills
Roof by roof
Gutters and parapets
Gutters, downpipes and outlets carry water away from walls. We check for blockages, leaking joints and sagging runs.
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay plain tiles are common on older South East homes, and some still have peg tiles. Where pegs have rotted, tiles can slip.
What we do, step by step
We’ll ask a few questions first, like when any problem began and what work has been done before. The inspection then takes between one and two hours for most houses, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. For a village or hamlet like Tide Mills, the journey is planned in advance: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed ahead of time.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from the ground and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations before you exchange.
Before we arrive
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Arrange a survey
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before you book.