West Sussex · London and the South East
Cootham Roof Leak Investigation
Roof leak investigations around Cootham, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Stains around a skylight
- Water that shows only in certain storms
- Drips in the loft during heavy rain
Roof leak investigation in Cootham: what you get
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. The pattern of the damp, the ventilation and the timing all help us decide. If you’ve noticed damp ceilings under a flat roof and water marks that spread in wet weather, we can find out what’s behind it, on rooflights and dormers, flat roof details and lead flashings alike.
Many homes in small places like Cootham face open ground, where storms hit ridges, verges and chimneys hardest. Once water gets into older walls, it takes a long time to dry, which makes finding the cause quickly worthwhile. A written record also helps if you need to explain it to anyone else.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Location
- Cootham (RH20)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Questions from Cootham
How do I find out if my home in Cootham is listed?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you cover Cootham?
Yes, Cootham is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Cootham as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We’re roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it does not include calculations. We will recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings.
How do you tell a leak from condensation?
Condensation can look very like a leak. Widespread damp on the underside of the roof in cold weather, with blocked vents, suggests condensation. We check the pattern of damp and the ventilation, then say which is most likely.
When does the report arrive?
That depends on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. Reports are sent by email.
When to book a survey in Cootham
Blocked gutters can look like a roof leak. Hidden gutters behind parapets cause the most trouble, because when they block, water backs up and runs inside.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Water through the ceiling under a flat roof
- Condensation that looks like a leak
- Wet patches on loft insulation
- Water coming in around a roof light or dormer
If you let a flat or house near Pulborough station, a clear finding on where water gets in helps you brief a roofer right away.
What to check before booking
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
What we do, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photographs as we go and record our findings for the written report. Most visits take about 1–2 hours, more where the leak is intermittent or the roof is large. Older roofs in small places like Cootham can have low, tight loft spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it’s safe.
- We help you choose the package that suits the leak.
- 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
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
Booking a survey
To get a price for roof leak investigations in Cootham, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. Some details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Read more
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used instead of lead. Fillets crack and pull away over time, and water runs down behind them.
Slate and tile slopes
Slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles let rain onto the underlay. Older felt may hold for a while, but it tears with age.
Nearby places to Cootham
Also in Cootham
Honest limits
No survey can tell you everything, and we’d rather be clear about that before booking. Bear these in mind:
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- Carrying out the fix
- An intermittent leak that shows no trace on the day
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Cootham
- Rooflights and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Slate and tile slopes
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Flat roof details
- Lead flashings
- The roof space
Why act early in Cootham
Wet insulation does not insulate well. Insulation can soak up water quietly before anything shows below. The sooner the cause is found, the less needs replacing. For an older or listed building in a place like Cootham, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
Why book us in Cootham
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Surveys seven days a week
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Prices that include VAT
Read what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
Useful tips for Cootham property owners
You do not need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Stay off ladders and the roof
- Record whether it leaks in every downpour or only some
- Keep water away from lights and sockets
- Let us know about any past repairs to the roof
With the Standard Survey you get a follow-up consultation, while Premium includes one in person. It is a chance to ask about anything in the report.
Keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, especially in autumn. Blocked outlets on parapet and flat roofs cause many leaks. Use a professional rather than climbing up yourself.
What a roof leak investigation looks like in Cootham
Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. Different coverings let water in at different points, which shapes where the search starts. The wider area around Cootham has a long history of building, with Parham House about 1.1 miles west. 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.
If you look after a building like Storrington Primary School, water through a big roof can travel a long way before it drips, so the search covers more than the obvious spot. Trees in and around Parham Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Cootham is about 7 miles north-west of Worthing, in West Sussex. We survey roofs in Cootham and the rest of West Sussex. Our area takes in places right across West Sussex. Brighton is in our area too.
Surveys in RH20 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We cover properties on Warren Croft, Pulborough Road and The Crescent and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover for roof leak investigations include Storrington (1 mile east), Wiggonholt (2 miles north-west), Sullington (2 miles south-east), West Chiltington Common (2 miles north) and Abingworth (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Horsham (12 miles north-east), Worthing (7 miles south-east), Bognor Regis (13 miles south-west), Chichester (15 miles west), Burgess Hill (15 miles east) and Littlehampton (8 miles south).
Local landmarks in Cootham
We work in homes and buildings around Rydon Community College, Parham Park and The Crown Inn and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Pulborough station, roughly 3.3 miles north-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include The Storrington And District Museum (1 mile east) and Amberley Castle (3.2 miles west). Open spaces near Cootham include Chanctonbury Hill and Amberley Wildbrooks RSPB Reserve.