West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in West Lavington, West Sussex
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you decide what to do next. Pre-purchase roof surveys in West Lavington, with photos and a clear written report.
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in West Lavington
With a written roof report, you can go back to the seller or agent with specifics. You might ask about past repairs, ask for work to be done before completion or think again about your offer. What the seller agrees to is up to them, but you’ll be negotiating from a clear picture rather than a hunch. It also helps you decide whether to go ahead at all. If you are worried about gutters choked with leaves and moss and blistered or split felt on a flat roof, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Some older homes in villages like West Lavington are listed or sit in a conservation area. That can affect what materials a new roof may use, so check with the council and Historic England’s list. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it is worth knowing which applies. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- West Lavington (GU29)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in West Lavington
If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most.
Cowdray House lies about 0.6 miles north, so building around West Lavington goes back a long way. If you are buying an older home nearby, it’s worth knowing whether it’s listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
West Lavington is about 9 miles east of Petersfield, in West Sussex. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in West Lavington and nearby. West Lavington is one of the towns and villages in West Sussex we cover. Our Portsmouth page covers surveys nearby.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: GU29. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Church Road, Selham Road and Highstanding Lane and the roads around them. If you are just outside West Lavington, we cover Midhurst (1 mile west), Cocking Causeway (1 mile south-west), Easebourne (1 mile north), Bepton Common (1 mile west) and Heyshott Green (1 mile south). Larger places within reach include Bognor Regis (13 miles south), Chichester (10 miles south), Littlehampton (14 miles south-east), Emsworth (13 miles south-west), Rustington (15 miles south-east) and Storrington (13 miles east).
Landmarks near West Lavington
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Midhurst Rother College, St Margaret's Convent and Crown House. Other landmarks nearby include Midhurst Museum (0.6 miles north-west) and Lodsworth Castle (2.5 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Levin Down and Graffham Common.
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- Asbestos testing of any kind
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
The survey, step by step
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. The inspection then takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical home, and longer for a large or complex roof. Rural addresses near West Lavington can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You book once your offer is accepted and let us know the address and your timetable.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- We inspect the roof from the ground, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Before the survey
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
Book a survey
For a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in West Lavington, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Some details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
Advice
DIY checks: what’s safe
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in West Lavington
Do you cover West Lavington?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs.
Do you cover smaller places like West Lavington?
Yes, West Lavington is covered. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. The report is most useful before exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Tell us about it when you book and we will explain what’s needed.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain is normally fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In high wind or heavy rain, a drone can’t fly and access may not be safe, so we’d move the date with you.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in West Lavington?
It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. Give us the address and some details about the roof. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
What a survey costs
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- The roof’s overall size
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
Getting in touch
A little information up front helps. It helps to include:
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- The address and postcode of the property
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Different roofs, different checks
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay plain tiles are common on older South East homes, and some still have peg tiles. Rotten pegs let tiles slide.
Gutters and parapets
Gutters, downpipes and outlets carry water away from walls. We check for blockages, leaking joints and sagging runs.
What we are asked to look at in West Lavington
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. It is frequently found in cement sheets, soffits and flue pipes. We do not test for it or carry out asbestos surveys, but we flag materials that might so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
Common reasons to book include:
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
The streets around a church like The Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene are frequently 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.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- How long the report takes to arrive