East Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Wilmington, East Sussex
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Wilmington, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Get in touch for a price.
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
Wilmington homes and their roofs
The coast is about 5 miles or less from Wilmington, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, and loose ridges, slates and tiles are the first to lift in a gale. If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
Historic houses like Alfriston Clergy House, about 1.9 miles south-west, show how far back building around Wilmington 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. If you own a rental within reach of Berwick (Sussex) station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in. Take an older house close to St Mary and St Peter's Church: the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Wilmington is about 4 miles south-west of Hailsham, in East Sussex. Wilmington gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a proper look at everything that’s safely in view, photographs and a clear written report. Our area takes in places right across East Sussex, large and small. We also survey roofs in Brighton.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: BN26. Whether your property is on The Street and Ades Field or a nearby road, we can survey it. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Milton Street (1 mile south-west), Winton (2 miles west), Arlington (2 miles north), Berwick (2 miles north-west) and Lullington (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Eastbourne (5 miles south-east), Bexhill-on-Sea (12 miles east), Seaford (5 miles south-west), Lewes (9 miles north-west), Hailsham (4 miles north-east) and Uckfield (11 miles north).
Around Wilmington
In Wilmington, that means homes and buildings near The Sussex Ox pub, among other places. Wilmington’s nearest station is Berwick (Sussex) station, roughly 1.8 miles north-west of the centre. A little further out are Agricultural Museum (within half a mile south) and Burlough Castle (1 mile west). Open spaces near Wilmington include Combe Hill.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Wilmington
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. 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. Choose the level that suits the home you are buying. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. We survey gutters and downpipes, natural slate and clay and concrete tiles, and common reasons people get in touch are standing water on a flat extension roof and roof slopes that look uneven or sagging.
In a village or hamlet like Wilmington, 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. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
It is not only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Location
- Wilmington (BN26)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
When you need someone else
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney stacks
A stack stands exposed above the roof line. The pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings are all checked, as far as we can see them safely.
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay and concrete tiles commonly last 50 years or more. Cracked, slipped or missing tiles are noted, along with odd replacement tiles that hint at earlier leaks.
What you can safely check yourself
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry, as it helps us focus the survey.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we check the roof.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Wilmington
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Larger roofs take longer.
Wilmington questions
Do you cover smaller places like Wilmington?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We survey roofs across London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
How do I find out if my home in Wilmington is listed?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
How many surveys have you done?
We have completed more than 5,000 surveys, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
Can I use the report to negotiate on price?
Yes. You will have photos and a written description of each defect, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. We can’t promise how the seller will respond.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it applies and safe. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It is included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where applicable, the Premium Survey.
Do you need to go inside the property?
If it can be arranged, yes. From the loft space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If access isn’t possible, we note it in the report.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
They do different things. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
What happens on the day
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: buying, a leak, storm damage, new work or just wanting to know where things stand. That way we can focus on what matters to you. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. For a village or hamlet like Wilmington, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect whatever is safely visible, inside and out.
- You book once your offer is accepted and tell us the address and your timetable.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from each safe vantage point, inside and out.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- We email a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Book a survey
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
Why get it checked now?
A mortgage valuation is not a roof survey. Its job is to check the property’s value for the mortgage, and it won’t look closely at the roof. A roof survey is carried out for the buyer. Older and listed buildings around Wilmington may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so leaving a defect until it is urgent leaves less time to plan.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
What you get with us
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Prices that include VAT
- Photographs and a written report every time
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance