East Sussex · London and the South East
Roof Leak Investigation in Down Street
We take a careful look at the leaking roof at your property in Down Street, and put it all in a photo-illustrated written report.
- Water marks that spread in wet weather
- Leaks below a flat extension roof
- Drips from nail tips in a cold loft
Roof leak investigation in Down Street: what you get
We use moisture detection and thermal imaging where they help. Moisture readings show which materials are wet. Thermal imaging shows temperature differences that can point to wet areas, not water itself, so we confirm what it suggests with moisture readings. Thermal imaging is part of the Premium Survey, and moisture detection comes with Standard. Thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, on a dry roof with little wind. We survey rooflights and dormers, lead flashings and slate and tile slopes, and common reasons people get in touch are wet patches on loft insulation and brown rings on upstairs ceilings.
In a village or hamlet like Down Street, older cottages and farmhouses often have roofs that have been patched over many years. That makes it hard to tell new damage from old wear, and the difference matters, especially to an insurer. The report says what was seen and what it points to. Older walls and timbers hold water for a long time, so it’s worth finding the cause soon.
The report does not just list problems. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Place
- Down Street (TN22)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the price in Down Street
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- House, block, shop or office
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, from £400 inc. VAT. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Getting in touch
Before you get in touch, it’s useful to have:
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- The address and postcode of the property
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
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What we do, step by step
We’ll ask a few questions first, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes an hour or two for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. Cottages and farmhouses around Down Street frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- We start with your notes and photos of the leak.
- 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.
- You receive a report with the likely source, photos and recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
Getting a price
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from ground level or a window, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To get started, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
DIY checks: what’s safe
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when booking, as it helps us focus the survey.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Roof leak investigations around Down Street
What can be done to an older roof may depend on listing or a conservation area. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list, before anyone quotes for re-roofing. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings, alongside oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Different coverings let water in at different points, which shapes where the search starts.
If you live in an older home near The Parish Church of St Andrew and St Mary, the leak may come from a chimney, a valley or tired lead rather than the covering itself. For landlords with property near Uckfield station, finding the cause of a leak fast keeps a tenant’s home dry and the work focused. Living close to West Park is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Down Street is about 3 miles north-west of Uckfield, in East Sussex. We provide roof leak investigations for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Down Street. Our East Sussex coverage includes Down Street and the places around it. Crawley is in our area too.
Postcode districts we cover here for roof leak investigations: TN22. If you are just outside Down Street, we cover Maresfield (1 mile east), Budlett's Common (2 miles east), Newick (3 miles south-west), Founthill (3 miles south-west) and Ridgewood (3 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Seaford (15 miles south), Lewes (9 miles south), Hailsham (13 miles south-east), Crowborough (6 miles north-east), Uckfield (3 miles south-east) and Newhaven (14 miles south).
What’s near Down Street
Typical jobs here are in homes near West Park. The nearest railway station is Uckfield station, roughly 2.6 miles south-east. Other landmarks nearby include Uckfield Community Hospital (3 miles south-east) and Heaven Farm Museum (2.8 miles north-west). For a walk, there’s Brickfield Meadow.
Practical tips
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Put a bucket under the drip and move valuables
- Mention earlier attempts to fix the leak
- Write down the wind direction and rain when it leaks
- Keep water away from lights and sockets
If condensation is the cause, we explain it, and suggest how the loft space could be better ventilated. That avoids roof work that wouldn’t help.
Have flashings and flat roofs looked at every few years. Flashings, valleys and flat roof details are frequent weak points, and wear is easier to deal with before water gets in.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Guesswork repairs are a common reason leaks keep coming back. The real way in may be a metre or more away. An investigation finds the likely cause first. For older village homes like those around Down Street, the right replacement materials are not always easy to find quickly. That’s one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
Prices start from £150, with VAT included, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. We confirm the price for your roof before booking.
Why us?
- Surveys seven days a week
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Package prices that include VAT
Take a look at our cost guide or two real surveys.
Questions from Down Street
Will you come out to Down Street?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there as you book.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Down Street?
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.
What will the report tell me?
A photo-illustrated written report, explaining the condition of the leaking roof, any defects and our recommendations, by urgency where it matters. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
How do I arrange a roof leak investigation in Down Street?
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price and agree a day with you.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only where it’s safe to do so. We inspect whatever is safely visible: from the ground, from windows, from inside the loft space, from the roof where it’s safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we can’t see is noted in the report.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We carry out surveys on any day of the week. To find a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Why is the stain in a different place from the leak?
Rain that gets in will run along whatever it lands on. On a pitched roof it often runs down a rafter before it finds a way through the ceiling. Tracing that path is the heart of a leak investigation.
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney stacks
Chimneys let water in through pointing, flaunching, flashings and open pots. Each is checked from each safe vantage point, and look for damp on the breast inside.
Lead flashings
A leak at a flashing often shows some way from the joint. That’s why we check the flashings near a stain, not just the one directly above.