West Sussex · London and the South East
Roof leak investigation in Fishbourne, West Sussex
Know where you stand with the leaking roof before you spend money on it. We carry out roof leak investigations in Fishbourne, with photos and a clear written report.
- Damp underlay across a wide area
- Leaks below a flat extension roof
- Water dripping from rafters or underlay
Fishbourne questions
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Fishbourne?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Fishbourne?
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.
How should I prepare for the leak investigation?
Clear the loft hatch so we can get into the loft space. Have any photos of the leak ready, plus details of past repairs. Keep catching drips and keep water away from electrics.
What’s in the report?
It explains what we saw, what it means and what we’d suggest, with photographs throughout. Anything we couldn’t see safely is noted too.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so we need permission from whoever owns or manages the building. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Will you definitely find the leak?
Not every leak can be pinned down in a single visit. Most leave clues we can follow, but intermittent leaks that need particular weather can be harder. The report sets out what we found and the most likely routes.
Why doesn’t the damp patch line up with the hole?
Because water travels. It can follow a timber or the underlay a long way first, so the stain may be some distance from where it gets in. We follow the route back instead of guessing.
Roof leak investigation in Fishbourne: 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. Moisture detection is included in the Standard Survey, and thermal imaging in Premium. The best thermal results come after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. We survey valleys and parapet gutters, chimney stacks and rooflights and dormers, and common reasons people get in touch are damp ceilings under a flat roof and brown rings on upstairs ceilings.
Around Fishbourne, chimneys on older homes are a common source of leaks, at the flashings, the pointing or the mortar round the pots. Damp in a chimney breast can have more than one cause, so it isn’t always obvious where it starts. It is worth looking at the stack from outside and at the timbers beside it in the loft.
We write the report in plain English, so you do not need to be a roofer to follow it. Photos show what each point refers to, with the urgent items made clear.
- Location
- Fishbourne (PO19, PO18)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
When you need someone else
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Leaks that only appear in weather we cannot recreate
- Putting the leak right
- What’s under the covering or behind the plaster
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll point you to the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings
- Slate and tile slopes
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Chimney stacks
- Flat roof details
- Rooflights and dormers
- The roof space
How we price roof leak investigations
We confirm the price for the job before you book. This is what makes a difference:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Roof area
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Height and safe access
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
What we need to know
What helps most when you contact us:
- The property’s address and postcode
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The kind of building and roof involved
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Fishbourne
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed beforehand. Surveys run seven days a week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
How the survey works
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. After that, we check everything we can see safely. The survey normally takes roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. With a bit of garden around a house, as there frequently is around Fishbourne, the roof can be viewed from several angles. Let us know if any side is fenced off or hard to reach. The loft, where there is safe access, completes the picture.
- You tell us where the water appears, when, and what the weather was doing.
- Inside, we check the stain and the ceiling around it.
- From the loft space, we trace the water’s route where there is safe access.
- 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.
Before the survey
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
Book a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
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Nearby places to Fishbourne
What else we do in Fishbourne
Leaks and storm damage in Fishbourne
Fishbourne is within about 3 miles of the coast, so there is more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Strong wind lifts anything already loose, and driving rain gets in wherever it can, 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. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Different coverings let water in at different points, which shapes where the search starts.
Hotels and guest houses near Fishbourne cannot easily close rooms for a leak, so it pays to find faults before guests do. Landlords with a home close to Fishbourne station may find that a clear finding on where water gets in helps you brief a roofer straight away. Goodwood House, about 3.9 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Fishbourne. On older roofs nearby, leaks frequently trace back to lead flashings, valleys and gutters.
Fishbourne is about 1 mile west of Chichester, in West Sussex. Fishbourne is part of the area we cover as part of our work across London and the South East. Across West Sussex, we cover Fishbourne and the places around it. Our Portsmouth page covers surveys nearby.
Roof leak investigations in PO19 and PO18 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Local streets include Creek End, Palatine Gardens and Claver Gardens, all of which we cover. Other places close to Fishbourne include Apuldram (1 mile south), Broadbridge (2 miles west), Bosham (2 miles west), East Ashling (2 miles north-west) and Bosham Hoe (2 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Bognor Regis (6 miles south-east), Selsey (7 miles south), Littlehampton (12 miles east), Emsworth (6 miles west), Rustington (13 miles east) and Angmering (15 miles east).
Landmarks near Fishbourne
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Central C of E Junior School and Bishop Luffa School and the streets around them. Fishbourne has its own railway station: Fishbourne station. Well-known places in the area include Chichester Castle (1.6 miles east) and St Richard's Hospital (1.9 miles east). Open spaces near Fishbourne include Stoke Down and Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve.
Useful tips for Fishbourne property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Take dated photos of the leak
- Record whether it leaks in every downpour or only some
- Leave roof access to professionals
- Have an electrician check any wet fittings
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.
Look at the roof from the ground after strong winds. Slipped slates, lifted ridge tiles and debris on the ground are signs to act on. Prompt repairs stop gaps turning into leaks.