West Sussex · London and the South East
Cocking Roof Leak Investigation
Tracing where water is getting into your roof in Cocking. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Damp underlay across a wide area
- Damp on a chimney breast
- Staining where a gutter or parapet meets the wall
Landlords, agents and block managers in Cocking
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work around your tenants.
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed ahead of time. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Roof leak investigation in Cocking
We use moisture detection and thermal imaging where they help. Moisture detection confirms where timbers, plaster or insulation are damp. Thermal imaging shows temperature differences that can point to wet areas, not water itself, so its findings are checked with moisture readings. Thermal imaging is part of the Premium Survey, and moisture detection comes with Standard. The best thermal results come after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If you are worried about wet patches on loft insulation and water coming in around a roof light or dormer, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on the roof space, valleys and parapet gutters and chimney stacks alike.
Somewhere as small as Cocking, older roofs have often been repaired many times. That makes it hard to tell new damage from old wear, which matters if you’re thinking of an insurance claim. The report says what was seen and what it points to. Damp in old walls and timbers is slow to dry, so the sooner the cause is found the better.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Cocking (GU29)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Also in Cocking
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Write down the wind direction and rain when it leaks
- Protect furniture and flooring under the leak
- Move stored items away from the hatch
- Keep a photo record of the damp patch
The report gives whoever carries out the work a clear starting point. They’ll see exactly where the problem is, rather than at the stain.
After a storm, check the roof from the garden and the street. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Small faults dealt with quickly rarely become leaks.
Cocking: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Cocking is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Will you come out to Cocking?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We are roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it does not include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we’ll recommend one.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it is applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
Can you find a leak when it is not raining?
Typically, yes. Moisture detection shows where materials are damp even on a dry day. For leaks that only happen in certain storms, we report the most likely routes.
What do I do with the report?
The report comes by email, and what you do next is up to you: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
The survey, step by step
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes about one to two hours at a typical home, or half a day or so for a commercial building. You are welcome to ask questions while we are there. Rural addresses near Cocking can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You let us know where the water appears, when, and what the weather was doing.
- We examine the damp area and the rooms near it.
- In the loft, we follow any signs of water back towards the roof.
- Outside, we check flashings, valleys, chimneys, gutters and flat roof details from each safe vantage point.
- We email a written report showing where the water most likely gets in.
Preparing for the visit
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
Book a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or email us, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Advice
Can I check my roof myself?
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
Roof by roof
Valleys
Stains from a valley leak frequently show some distance off. From inside the loft space, we follow the water’s route back.
Flat roof upstands and outlets
On a flat roof, a leak can show some distance from the split. Where conditions allow, moisture readings and thermal imaging help narrow it down.
What affects the price in Cocking
We confirm the price for the job before booking. This is what makes a difference:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
- Basic, Standard or Premium
One thing that affects the price is the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What to tell us when you contact us
We will typically ask about:
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- The address and postcode of the property
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- What made you get in touch
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Wind, rain and roofs in Cocking
In Sussex, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. Each of these roof types has its own typical places for water to get in. The wider area around Cocking has a long history of building, with Cowdray House about 2.6 miles north. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near St Catherine of Siena Church, leaks on older roofs often start at lead flashings, valleys or around old chimney stacks.
Cocking is about 8 miles north of Chichester, in West Sussex. We survey roofs in Cocking and the rest of West Sussex. Cocking is one of the towns and villages in West Sussex we cover. We also survey roofs in Portsmouth.
Every address in GU29 is within our area for roof leak investigations. Whether your property is on Bell Lane, The Croft and Cherry Close or a nearby road, we can survey it. Close by, we survey roofs in Bepton (1 mile north-west), Heyshott Green (1 mile north-east), Cocking Causeway (1 mile north), Heyshott (1 mile east) and Bepton Common (2 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Bognor Regis (12 miles south), Chichester (8 miles south), Selsey (15 miles south), Littlehampton (14 miles south-east), Emsworth (11 miles south-west) and Rustington (14 miles south-east).
Near you in Cocking
Well-known places in the area include Midhurst Community Hospital (3 miles north) and Midhurst Museum (2.5 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Levin Down and Iping and Stedham Commons.