East Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Upper Hartfield
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Upper Hartfield and the rest of East Sussex. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends.
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
The survey, step by step
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. That way we can focus on what matters to you. Most visits take between one and two hours at most homes, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Around Upper Hartfield, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it helps to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. We only go where it’s safe.
- 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 is 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.
Before we arrive
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
How to book
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
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Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Upper Hartfield
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. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. If the building has a flat roof, we check that too where access allows. Typical surveys look at a ridge or slope that dips and worn or lifted lead flashings, across natural slate, lead flashings and valleys and chimney stacks.
For a small place like Upper Hartfield, the visit is planned like any other: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Visits can be booked on weekdays and at weekends.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Upper Hartfield (TN7)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Useful tips for Upper Hartfield property owners
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. What helps most:
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- Share the report with your solicitor
With Standard, you get a follow-up consultation, while Premium includes a consultation in person. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
Every so often, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
What this survey cannot tell you
A survey is a close look at the roof, but it can’t do everything. Its limits include:
- 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 phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
Leave it or get it looked at?
Without a survey, you are relying on a glance from the pavement. That will not show slipped slates on the rear slope, a worn valley or cracked flaunching. We fill that gap before you are tied in, with photos of anything that needs attention. Around Upper Hartfield, older homes often have old roof timbers, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it’s left.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, inc. VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both with VAT included. We confirm the exact price before booking.
What you get with us
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- 20+ years’ experience
Read how roof surveys are priced and our case studies.
Upper Hartfield questions
Is my home in Upper Hartfield listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Is Upper Hartfield in the area you cover?
Yes. We work right across London and South East England, and Upper Hartfield is part of that. You can phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details.
How long does the survey visit take?
It usually takes an hour or two for most houses; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where we can, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If we cannot get in, the report says so.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Upper Hartfield?
It is easiest to ring 07833 053749 or email us. Tell us the address and a little about the roof. We survey on any day of the week.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It works alongside a home survey.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Upper Hartfield
If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. The wider area around Upper Hartfield has a long history of building, with Bassetts Manor about 1.9 miles north. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Take an older house close to Holy Trinity Church: the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are. For landlords with property near Ashurst Kent station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Upper Hartfield is about 5 miles north-west of Crowborough, in East Sussex. Anywhere in Upper Hartfield, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Upper Hartfield is one of the towns and villages in East Sussex we cover. Crawley is in our area too.
Surveys in TN7 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include Parrock Lane, Cat Street and Gallipot Hill, and we cover them all. Other places close to Upper Hartfield include Coleman's Hatch (1 mile south-west), Forest Row (2 miles west), Wych Cross (3 miles south-west), Duddleswell (4 miles south) and Chelwood Gate (4 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Lewes (15 miles south), Crowborough (5 miles south-east), Uckfield (9 miles south), South Malling (15 miles south), Heathfield (11 miles south-east) and Cliffe (15 miles south).
Local landmarks in Upper Hartfield
For rail, the closest station is Ashurst Kent station, about 3.7 miles north-east. Other landmarks nearby include Bolebroke Castle (2 miles north-east) and Crowborough War Memorial Hospital (4.2 miles south-east).
For landlords and managing agents
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant.
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.
Places near Upper Hartfield
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What you can safely check yourself
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.