Brighton and Hove · London and the South East
Roof leak investigation in Brighton and Hove
Tracing where water is getting into your roof in Brighton and Hove, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photos.
- A leak that comes and goes with the weather
- Damp on a chimney breast
- Leaks below a flat extension roof
Roof leak investigations for homes and businesses in Brighton and Hove
Not every drip is a leak. Condensation in a cold, poorly ventilated loft can drip from nails and timbers, and the stains look much like a leak. Knowing which it is means the right fix can be done, since the cure for one won’t solve the other. We check the pattern of damp, the weather and the ventilation before reaching a view. If you’ve noticed staining around the chimney inside and water through the ceiling under a flat roof, we can find out what’s behind it.
In a town like Brighton and Hove, older houses and newer estates leak in different ways. Older roofs suffer slipped slates, worn mortar and tired lead, while later houses can leak at valleys, verges and flat-roofed additions. Knowing the cause tells you what to do next. It also tells you whether the problem is old wear or something more recent.
The report is written in plain words, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photo where possible, and recommendations are put in order of urgency where relevant.
- Where
- Brighton and Hove (BN3, BN41, BN1)
- Region
- Brighton and Hove
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Brighton and Hove roofs and the weather
Brighton and Hove is within about 1 mile of the coast, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Driving rain off the sea can be pushed into gaps that stay dry in calmer weather, and salt air slowly wears metal fixings. Historic houses such as Portslade Manor, about 1.3 miles west, show how far back building in the area around Brighton and Hove goes. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you own a rental within reach of Aldrington station, finding the cause of a leak fast keeps a tenant’s home dry and the work focused. If you run a business near Churchill Square, finding where water is getting in quickly keeps disruption down.
Brighton and Hove is in England. Brighton and Hove gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Our area takes in places right across the surrounding area, from the larger towns to small villages.
We work across BN3, BN41 and BN1 for roof leak investigations and the streets around it. We cover properties on New Church Road, Princes Square and Station Road and the roads around them. Brighton and Hove sits on or near the A270 and A293, so getting to you is simple. If you are just outside Brighton and Hove, we cover Aldrington (1 mile south-west), West Blatchington (1 mile north-east), Hove (1 mile south-east), Prestonville (2 miles east) and Brunswick (2 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Brighton (3 miles east), Carlton Hill (3 miles east), Hanover (3 miles east), Kemptown (3 miles south-east), Hollingdean (3 miles east) and Whitehawk (4 miles east).
Around Brighton and Hove
We work in homes and buildings around Hove Park, The Drive Prep School and Hove Park School, among other places. There is a railway station in Brighton and Hove itself: Aldrington station. Well-known places in the area include British Engineerium (0.7 miles north-east) and Churchill Square (2.1 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Thundersbarrow Hill and Ladies Mile.
Towns and villages near Brighton and Hove
Other services in Brighton and Hove
DIY checks: what’s safe
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
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. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
What happens on the day
The visit has one job: to look at the leaking roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It usually takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. Semi-detached and terraced homes in a town like Brighton and Hove frequently share a roof line with the neighbours, so we check what can be seen of the shared parts from your side. It is useful to know about previous repairs, leaks or recent work.
- You let us know where the water appears, when, and what the weather was doing.
- Inside, we look at the stain and the ceiling around it.
- From the roof space, we trace the water’s route where there is safe access.
- We inspect the likely entry points outside, from ground level, windows and the roof where safe.
- We email a written report showing where the water most likely gets in.
How to prepare
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
How to book
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will explain the options and the price.
Related advice
Tips from our surveys
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Put a bucket under the drip and move valuables
- Do not touch fittings that water is reaching
- Don’t climb onto the roof to look
- Record whether it leaks in every downpour or only some
Your report arrives by email, with photographs of what we found. 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.
Keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, especially in autumn. Many leaks start with a blocked outlet. Leave the clearing to someone with the right equipment.
Your questions about roof leak investigations in Brighton and Hove
Do you carry out roof surveys in Brighton and Hove?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos.
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Brighton and Hove, take more of a battering?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, while strong wind lifts anything already loose.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, if whoever owns or manages the building agrees access. We check the parts we’re given access to, and the report makes that clear.
Do you look in the roof space?
Where it’s relevant to the survey and there’s safe access, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch.
How long does a roof leak investigation take?
On site, it normally takes about 1–2 hours, more where the leak is intermittent or the roof is large. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. 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.
Will you fix the leak as part of this?
This service finds and reports the cause, not to carry out the repair. With the report, a roofer knows exactly where to look.
For landlords and managing agents
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed in advance. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which can make access easier.
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf, and the report can go to both. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
How the survey changes by roof type
Valleys
Valleys collect water from two roof slopes. Split lead, cracked linings or slipped tiles let water in.
Slate and tile slopes
Cracked mortar lets ridge and hip tiles move. Rain can then run in at the ridge.
Common roof problems in Brighton and Hove
A gutter that overflows can soak a wall and mark the ceiling inside. Hidden gutters behind parapets cause the most trouble, because when they block, water backs up and runs inside.
People normally book a survey when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Leaks below a flat extension roof
- Water coming in around a roof light or dormer
- Condensation that looks like a leak
- Leaks that appear only in driving rain
Living close to Hove Park is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Before you book anyone
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Which limits apply to the survey
- What exactly goes into their report