West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Walstead, West Sussex
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Walstead. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
The survey, step by step
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. The survey normally takes roughly 1–2 hours for a house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In a hamlet or village like Walstead, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
How to prepare
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
How to book
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Related advice
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Walstead
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. That is when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when the chain is moving fast. The report comes within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. We survey gutters and downpipes, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and chimney stacks, and people most frequently book us about loose pots and cracked flaunching and standing water on a flat extension roof.
Older buildings in small places like Walstead may be listed or 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 is worth knowing which applies, as well as what condition the roof is in. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
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.
- Location
- Walstead (RH16)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What else we do in Walstead
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Walstead
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
What we need to know
There is no need for technical words. Just tell us:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Dates you are working to, like exchange
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email, tell us about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
Walstead: your questions answered
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Walstead?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Walstead?
Yes, Walstead is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Walstead as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. What the seller agrees to is their decision.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the roof space.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
They do different things. A home survey looks at the whole property, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Our survey complements a RICS survey and does not replace one.
Do you need access inside the house?
Ideally, yes. We look in the loft space where there’s safe access, and views from upper windows help too. Access is normally arranged through the agent or seller.
What we look for on each type of roof
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, yet the nails that fix it frequently give out first. When slates start to slip, corroded nails are often the reason.
Gutters and parapets
Some older terraces have a butterfly roof with a central valley gutter. If yours does, we check that gutter and where it drains.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
Walstead homes and their roofs
Older houses across Sussex often have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging on their upper walls. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs. The covering on a house you are buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
With Ockenden Manor about 3.2 miles west, the area around Walstead has a long history. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area. If you own a rental within reach of Haywards Heath station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer. If you live in an older home near Church of the Good Shepherd, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Walstead is about 1 mile east of Haywards Heath, in West Sussex. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Walstead can all book pre-purchase roof surveys. Our area takes in places right across West Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Crawley page.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: RH16. We cover properties on Sage Avenue, Ivy Drive and Juniper Place and the roads around them. You’ll find Walstead on the B2111, so it is easy for us to get to. Close by, we survey roofs in Lindfield (1 mile north-west), Horsted Keynes (3 miles north-east), Ardingly (3 miles north), Furner's Green (4 miles east) and Highbrook (4 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Crawley (9 miles north-west), Horsham (12 miles west), Burgess Hill (4 miles south-west), East Grinstead (9 miles north), Shoreham-by-Sea (14 miles south-west) and Broadfield (9 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Walstead
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Oathall Community College, The Snowdrop Inn and Eastern Road Nature Reserve, among other places. Walstead’s nearest station is Haywards Heath station, about 1.5 miles west. Nearby you will also find Parish Museum (0.9 miles north-west) and Princess Royal Hospital (1.2 miles south-west). The countryside around Walstead includes Ashenground and Bolnore Woods.
Before and after the survey
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Some pointers:
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Let us know your timetable
- Book once your offer is accepted
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. The photos show the defects and where they are, which makes quotes easier to compare.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
What this survey cannot tell you
It helps to know what a survey won’t do before booking:
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll recommend the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks