East Sussex · London and the South East
Roof Leak Investigation in Forest Row
Wondering about the leaking roof at a property in Forest Row? You can book a roof leak investigation in Forest Row and across East Sussex.
- Damp patches next to the stack
- Water coming in around a roof light or dormer
- Damp underlay across a wide area
Roof leak investigations around Forest Row
The wider area around Forest Row has a long history of building, with Standen about 2.3 miles west. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs, and the county’s older buildings include oast houses and Wealden hall houses. The covering and its details give the first clues when tracing where water is coming from.
Take a building like Forest Row Church of England Primary School: water through a big roof can travel a long way before it drips, so the search covers more than the obvious spot. The streets around a church such as The Parish Church of the Holy Trinity are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, water on an older roof tends to find its way in at the lead, the valleys or the chimney.
Forest Row is about 3 miles south-east of East Grinstead, in East Sussex. Whether the building in Forest Row is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, we can survey the roof. We cover towns and villages across East Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Crawley.
Postcode districts we cover here for roof leak investigations: RH18. We cover properties on Evelyn Clark Square, Station Road and London Road and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover for roof leak investigations include Coleman's Hatch (1 mile east), Wych Cross (2 miles south), Upper Hartfield (2 miles east), Chelwood Gate (3 miles south) and Birchgrove (3 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Lewes (15 miles south), Crowborough (6 miles south-east), Uckfield (9 miles south), South Malling (15 miles south), Heathfield (13 miles south-east) and Southover (15 miles south).
Local landmarks in Forest Row
Around Forest Row, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Foresters Arms and Greenfields School and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is East Grinstead station, roughly 3.2 miles north-west. Well-known places in the area include East Grinstead Museum (2.8 miles north-west) and Bolebroke Castle (3.6 miles north-east).
About our roof leak investigation in Forest Row
Our roof leak investigations cover Forest Row and the wider South East. Surveys are carried out on weekdays and at weekends. The investigation covers inside and out, from the stain to the likely entry points. You get a report with photographs and recommendations. If water is coming in now, catch it in a bucket and keep it away from lights and sockets, and then ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email to arrange a visit. We survey lead flashings, chimney stacks and flat roof details, and common reasons people get in touch are staining where a gutter or parapet meets the wall and ceiling stains that grow after rain.
In a smaller place like Forest Row, some roofs face open ground, where driving rain gets into any gap at a ridge, verge or flashing. If a leak shows only when the wind is in a certain direction, that’s a useful clue. Tell us when it happens when you contact us. Gutters and downpipes on the exposed side are worth a look as well.
After the visit, you get a written report with photos, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the leaking roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Where
- Forest Row (RH18)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to Forest Row
Other services in Forest Row
Questions from Forest Row
Do you carry out roof surveys in Forest Row?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Forest Row?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and visible signs such as sagging are noted, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. The report will say if you need an engineer.
Will I get photos?
Yes, every report has them. Pictures sit next to the findings they show, which makes the report easy to follow.
What does the report include?
A written report with photographs, 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.
Will you fix the leak as part of this?
This service finds and reports the cause, and the repair is separate. With the report, a roofer knows exactly where to look.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not always. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where it applies let us see the rest, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
What happens on the day
The visit has one job: to see as much of the leaking roof as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Notes and photos go into the written report. It typically takes about one to two hours for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. Some parts of a survey depend on the weather, so a visit to Forest Row is booked with the forecast in mind: the parts that need calm, dry weather are planned around it.
- 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 every safe vantage point.
- We email a written report showing where the water most likely gets in.
Before the survey
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Let us know where we can park nearby
Getting a price
If you’re buying, it is useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you’re ready.
Read more
What affects the price in Forest Row
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Height and safe access
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- How big the roof is
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Helping us price your survey
Before you get in touch, it’s useful to have:
- What’s prompted the survey
- The property’s address and postcode
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings
Some roofs have mortar where you’d expect lead. They crack as the roof and wall move, letting rain run behind the joint.
Slate and tile slopes
Ridge and hip tiles can loosen as their mortar cracks. Rain can then run in at the ridge.
When you need someone else
It is a careful look at the leaking roof, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- Faults hidden behind ceilings or boarding
- The repair itself (the investigation finds and reports the cause)
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Slate and tile slopes
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Lead flashings
- Rooflights and dormers
- Flat roof details
- Valleys and parapet gutters
Do you need a roof leak investigation in Forest Row?
Slipped or missing slates and tiles let rain reach the underlay. Ageing felt underlay eventually tears and lets water through, while some very old roofs have nothing under the coverings. On slate roofs, slipping is often caused by corroded nails.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Leaks below a flat extension roof
- Water coming in around a roof light or dormer
- Staining around the chimney inside
- Staining where a gutter or parapet meets the wall
For landlords with property near East Grinstead station, a clear finding on where water gets in helps you brief a roofer straight away.
Before you book anyone
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Whether the price includes VAT
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- What experience they bring
Tips that help
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Note the weather when the leak shows
- Leave roof access to professionals
- Mention earlier attempts to fix the leak
- Keep water away from lights and sockets
Keep the report after the work is done. If water appears again, it shows what was found before.
Have leaves and moss cleared from gutters, valleys and outlets, ideally once the leaves have fallen. Many leaks start with a blocked outlet. Use a professional rather than climbing up yourself.