West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in West Preston, West Sussex
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in West Preston, using drones and thermal imaging where it applies. Call or email for a price.
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
Pre-purchase roof survey in West Preston: what you get
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, with the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium adds thermal imaging, a drone inspection where it applies and an in-person consultation. Choose the level that suits the home you are buying. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. Common reasons to book are patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem and blocked or leaking gutters, on flat-roofed extensions and dormers, lead flashings and valleys and clay and concrete tiles.
In a smaller place like West Preston, some houses face open ground, so their roofs may take more wind and driving rain. Ridges, verges and flashings are where that weather typically shows first. For a purchase or a new roof, those exposed edges are looked at closely. On an exposed roof, a loose ridge or verge soon becomes a bigger job.
The report is written in plain words, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photograph where possible, with the urgent items made clear.
- Location
- West Preston (BN16)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
West Preston questions
Does being near the coast affect roofs in West Preston?
It can do. Within about 1 mile of the sea, as West Preston is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Is West Preston within the area you cover?
Yes, West Preston is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
How long does the survey visit take?
Allow an hour or two 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.
When will the report arrive?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email with photos included.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it is safe. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the roof space, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where it applies.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in West Preston?
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or email us and let us know the address and what you want to find out. We’ll confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and that’s where a roof survey helps. It does not stand in for a RICS survey.
Nearby places to West Preston
Other services in West Preston
Roof by roof
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings are a common source of leaks, so they get close attention in a pre-purchase survey. We photograph any that need work.
Flat roofs
Standing water, blisters, splits and tired upstands all point to wear. Blocked outlets are checked as well, and we say what we see from wherever is safe.
Practical tips
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Findings are set out in plain English, and recommendations are ranked by urgency where that helps.
Keep the loft ventilated. Condensation in a roof space can look like a leak and can damage timbers over time. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air cannot flow.
When you need someone else
Every survey has limits, and it’s better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will suggest the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
West Preston homes and their roofs
West Preston lies within about 1 mile of the sea, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Corroded clips and nails and lifted ridge pieces are typical of exposed roofs near the sea. If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
The streets around a church such as The Parish Church of St Mary are often 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. Historic houses like Ecclesden Manor, about 1.6 miles north-east, show how far back building around West Preston goes. If you are buying an older home nearby, it is worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing. Landlords with a home close to Angmering station may find that the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
West Preston is about 4 miles west of Worthing, in West Sussex. From houses to flats and shops in West Preston, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. Across West Sussex, we cover West Preston. There is also a page for Brighton.
Here we cover the BN16 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Ash Lane, Mill Lane and Sea Avenue or a nearby road, we can help. Close by, we survey roofs in East Preston (1 mile east), Angmering-on-Sea (1 mile south-east), Angmering (1 mile north-east), West Kingston (1 mile east) and Kingston Gorse (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Worthing (4 miles east), Bognor Regis (8 miles west), Chichester (13 miles west), Selsey (14 miles south-west), Shoreham-by-Sea (10 miles east) and Lancing (8 miles east).
Near you in West Preston
In West Preston, that means homes and buildings near The Angmering School and Mewsbrook Park and the streets around them. The closest station to West Preston is Angmering station, about 0.5 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include Lyminster Siege Castle (3.3 miles north-west) and Zachary Merton Hospital (within half a mile south-west). For a walk, there’s Highdown Hill and WWT Arundel.
What we do, step by step
The visit has one job: to see as much of the roof as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It usually takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical home, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Being in a smaller place like West Preston doesn’t change how the visit works: outside, inside and from any safe vantage point, in that order. Point out any stains, cracks or loose pieces you’ve spotted.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Getting ready for the survey
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Arrange a survey
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Advice
Landlord and commercial surveys in West Preston
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it when booking and we’ll plan the survey around it.
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
Leave it or get it looked at?
A mortgage valuation isn’t a roof survey. It looks at whether the property is suitable security for the loan, and it will not look closely at the roof. A roof survey is carried out for the buyer, and the report is written for you to use. Homes in smaller places like West Preston can face more weather, so a loose ridge or verge soon lets rain in. Wind gets under it and lifts more.
Every price we give includes VAT. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for the job before booking.
Why us?
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
See what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.