East Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Tile Hurst, East Sussex
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Tile Hurst, and put it all in a photo-illustrated written report.
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Tile Hurst
A full home survey looks at the whole property, and the roof is only one part of it. We don’t offer a RICS home survey, and ours is not a substitute for one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photos of what we find and written recommendations. You can have both if you want the fullest picture. If you’re worried about blistered or split felt on a flat roof and cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Some older homes in villages like Tile Hurst are listed or sit in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it’s worth knowing which applies. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. That way, it’s clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Where
- Tile Hurst (BN27)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Natural slate
Good slate is one of the longest-lasting roof coverings, yet the nails that fix it often give out first. Slipped or missing slates are a sign of ‘nail fatigue’.
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead-lined valleys and gutters are common on older homes in London and the South East. Splits in a lead valley send water inside, and missing lead is not unknown, as it’s a target for thieves.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it when you book and we will plan the survey around it.
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
When you need someone else
To be straight with you, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- The roof space
Common roof problems in Tile Hurst
Blocked or leaking gutters do damage that is not obvious at first. Overflowing water soaks walls and can rot the timber behind. Valley and parapet gutters can overflow inside the house. We check them as part of the survey.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Zoar Strict Baptist Chapel, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- How long the report takes to arrive
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
Places near Tile Hurst
Other services in Tile Hurst
Tile Hurst questions
How do I find out if my home in Tile Hurst is listed?
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.
Is Tile Hurst in the area you cover?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Do I need to be at home?
It depends on what we need to see. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. You need the report before you exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain is normally fine; heavy rain and wind are different. Strong wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, so we’d move the date with you.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We are a CAA-registered drone operator.
Do you go up on the roof?
Only where it’s safe. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the loft space, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where it applies.
What happens on the day
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the roof space if there is safe access. All told, expect roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Cottages and farmhouses around Tile Hurst frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed in advance.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations before you exchange.
Before the survey
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
How to book
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and give us a few details about the property and we’ll suggest the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
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Pre-purchase roof surveys around Tile Hurst
In Sussex, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. 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. The wider area around Tile Hurst has a long history of building, with Michelham Priory about 1.1 miles south-west. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you own a rental within reach of Polegate station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Tile Hurst is about 1 mile north-west of Hailsham, in East Sussex. We survey roofs in Tile Hurst and the rest of East Sussex. Tile Hurst is one of the towns and villages in East Sussex we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. You can also see our page for Brighton.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: BN27. Other places close to Tile Hurst include Lower Horsebridge (1 mile north), Hailsham (1 mile south-east), Upper Horsebridge (1 mile north-east), Lower Dicker (1 mile north-west) and Hellingly (1 mile north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Eastbourne (6 miles south), Hastings (14 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (10 miles east), Seaford (9 miles south-west), Lewes (10 miles west) and Crowborough (13 miles north).
Near you in Tile Hurst
Typical jobs here are in homes near Hailsham Community College, The Grenadier pub and Bede's Prep School and the streets around them. Tile Hurst’s nearest station is Polegate station, about 3.4 miles south. Other landmarks nearby include Herstmonceux Castle (4.5 miles east) and Hellingly Hospital Railway (1.6 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Combe Hill.
Why act early in Tile Hurst
Leaving it means judging the roof from the street. That will not show slipped slates on the rear slope, a worn valley or cracked flaunching. A survey fills that gap before you commit, with photos of anything that needs attention. For an older or listed building in a place like Tile Hurst, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report isn’t 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.
Why us?
- A written report with photographs
- Prices that include VAT
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- An independent look at the roof
See our cost guide and two real surveys.