West Sussex · London and the South East
Roof leak investigation in Birdham, West Sussex
Tracing where water is getting into your roof for Birdham and the rest of West Sussex. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends.
- Water that shows only in certain storms
- Staining where a gutter or parapet meets the wall
- Leaks at a dormer or roof window
FAQs for Birdham
Will you come out to Birdham?
Yes, Birdham is covered. We survey roofs across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
How do I find out if my home in Birdham is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Will you go up on the roof?
Not always. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where applicable.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
Do you look in the loft space?
If it is needed and safe to reach, yes. We look for staining, damp, daylight and signs of movement.
What happens after the survey?
We email you the written report with photographs and recommendations. It’s yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you as you book.
Roof leak investigation in Birdham
Most roof leaks start at a joint rather than the middle of a slope. Common entry points include chimney and wall flashings, valleys, parapet and box gutters, and the upstands and outlets on flat roofs. Each of these is checked in turn and we follow where the evidence leads. Chimneys, dormers and roof lights each add joints of their own. We check all of them, from every safe viewpoint. We survey rooflights and dormers, lead flashings and slate and tile slopes, and people most frequently book us about leaks at a dormer or roof window and wet patches high on an inside wall.
Being in a small place like Birdham makes no difference to how a leak or storm damage is looked at: we simply plan the journey and access ahead. It’s useful to know where the water appears, in what weather, and what you’ve seen outside, plus any earlier repairs. Photos of the stain and of the roof from outside are helpful too.
What you get is a clear record of the leaking roof on the day we saw it. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later.
- Location
- Birdham (PO20)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Honest limits
It is a careful look at the leaking roof, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- A structural engineer’s report
- The repair itself (the investigation finds and reports the cause)
- Faults hidden behind ceilings or boarding
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Chimney stacks
- Rooflights and dormers
- Flat roof details
- Lead flashings
- Slate and tile slopes
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- The roof space
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in. We survey on any day of the week, which can make access easier.
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
Useful tips for Birdham property owners
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Note the weather when the leak shows
- Don’t climb onto the roof to look
- Take dated photos of the leak
- Let us know what has already been tried
We email the report to you. It explains the likely entry point, the route the water takes and our recommendations. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day.
Do not block the vents at the eaves. Air movement keeps condensation down, which is often mistaken for a leak. Make sure insulation does not block airflow at the eaves.
What we are asked to look at in Birdham
Blocked gutters can look like a roof leak. Hidden gutters behind parapets cause the most trouble, since a blocked outlet sends water over the lining and into the building.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Leaks that appear only in driving rain
- Drips in the loft during heavy rain
- Water marks that spread in wet weather
- Damp walls below an overflowing gutter
If you live in an older home near St James' Church, the leak may come from a chimney, a valley or tired lead rather than the covering itself.
What to check before booking
- What insurance they carry
- What happens after the report arrives
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
The survey, step by step
We don’t take risks to get a closer look. We inspect whatever is safely visible, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. The survey normally takes between one and two hours for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. Older roofs in small places like Birdham can have low, tight loft spaces, so it helps to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. We only go where it is safe.
- You pick a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey.
- A visit is booked for a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The investigation works from the stain back to the roof.
- Moisture detection and thermal imaging are used where your package includes them and they help.
- You get photos, the likely cause and clear recommendations.
How to prepare
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Getting a price
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or send us an email whenever suits you.
Read more
Roof leak investigations around Birdham
Birdham is within about 2 miles of the coast, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. In a coastal gale, rain is driven sideways into laps, verges and flashings, while salt slowly corrodes metal fixings and flashings. 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. Each of these roof types has its own typical places for water to get in.
Take a building like Birdham CE Primary School: on a building that size, finding the source of a drip means looking well beyond the stain. For landlords with property near Fishbourne station, tracing a leak quickly matters when a tenant is living with it.
Birdham is about 4 miles south-west of Chichester, in West Sussex. Bookings from Birdham are handled just like any other: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Our area takes in places right across West Sussex. There’s also a page for Portsmouth.
We cover every part of the PO20 postcode area for roof leak investigations and the streets around it. Local streets include Old Common Close, Main Road and Walwyn Close, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for roof leak investigations include Somerley (1 mile south-west), Almodington (1 mile south), Shipton Green (1 mile west), Highleigh (2 miles south-east) and Earnley (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Bognor Regis (6 miles east), Chichester (4 miles north-east), Selsey (5 miles south-east), Littlehampton (13 miles east), Emsworth (6 miles north-west) and Rustington (14 miles east).
Near you in Birdham
We work in homes and buildings around The Birdham Public House, among other places. Birdham’s nearest station is Fishbourne station, roughly 3.3 miles north. Nearby you’ll also find Chichester Castle (4.1 miles north-east) and St Richard's Hospital (4.4 miles north-east). Open spaces near Birdham include Pilsey Island.
Towns and villages near Birdham
More services for Birdham
How the survey changes by roof type
Valleys
A valley takes the rain from both sides of the roof. Split lead, cracked linings or slipped tiles let water in.
Chimney stacks
A stack has several possible ways in for rain. Each is looked at from every safe viewpoint.