West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Whitehall
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Whitehall and the rest of West Sussex. Surveys run on any day of the week.
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Old water stains in the loft space
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Whitehall
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium adds thermal imaging, a drone inspection where applicable and an in-person consultation. Pick the one that fits the property. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. Typical surveys look at slates or tiles that have slipped or gone and patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem, on natural slate, clay and concrete tiles and lead flashings and valleys.
In a village or hamlet like Whitehall, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Location
- Whitehall (RH13)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we are asked to look at in Whitehall
Viewings rarely include a proper look at the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates. Fresh decoration can also cover the marks an old leak left behind, so a closer look is worth having before you commit.
Most people get in touch after spotting something like this:
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- A ridge or slope that dips
Landlords with a home close to Billingshurst station may find that it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Whether the price includes VAT
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Their report turnaround times
- What insurance they carry
Tips that help
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
With Standard, you get a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey includes an in-person consultation. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, especially after autumn. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Whitehall
If your survey includes the drone, 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. The covering on a house you are buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
For an older house near a landmark like The Church of St Mary the Virgin, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Whitehall is about 6 miles south-west of Horsham, in West Sussex. Whitehall is one of many places we visit across West Sussex, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. We cover towns and villages across West Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. Our Crawley page covers surveys nearby.
Here we cover the RH13 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. If you’re just outside Whitehall, we cover Shipley (1 mile north-east), Broomer's Corner (1 mile west), Dragons Green (1 mile north), Dial Post (2 miles south-east) and West Grinstead (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns such as Crawley (12 miles north-east), Horsham (6 miles north-east), Worthing (11 miles south), Haywards Heath (12 miles east), Burgess Hill (11 miles east) and Littlehampton (13 miles south-west).
What’s near Whitehall
The nearest railway station is Billingshurst station, about 3.8 miles north-west. Open spaces near Whitehall include Knepp Wildland.
For landlords and managing agents
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work around your tenants.
What you can safely check yourself
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. Do not go up yourself.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.
Also near Whitehall
What else we do in Whitehall
Leave it or get it looked at?
Without a survey, you are relying on a glance from the pavement. That rarely shows the back slope, the valleys or the top of the chimney. A survey fills that gap before you commit. Outbuildings and barns around Whitehall are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. It’s worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
We offer three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why us?
- Packages from £150, inc. VAT
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- A photo-illustrated written report
See our cost guide or our case studies.
Questions from Whitehall
Do you cover smaller places like Whitehall?
Yes, Whitehall is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Do you cover Whitehall?
Yes. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and Whitehall is part of that. Just call 07833 053749 or send us an email and tell us about the property, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You will have photos and a written description of each defect, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. How the seller responds is up to them.
What if it rains on the day?
A survey can usually go ahead in light rain, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so we’ll agree a new date if the weather is not suitable.
How quickly will I get the report?
That depends on which survey you choose: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your timetable when you book.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We check the parts we’re given access to.
How the survey works
There is not much for you to do on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Cottages and farmhouses around Whitehall often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Before we arrive
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Keep pets in another room
- Let us know about parking near the property
Booking a survey
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know the cost up front. Our price is from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.