East Sussex · London and the South East
Hailsham Roof Leak Investigation
We take a careful look at the leaking roof at your property in Hailsham, and put it all in a written report with photographs.
- Stains around a skylight
- Damp underlay across a wide area
- Staining where a gutter or parapet meets the wall
Can I check my roof myself?
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Roof leak investigation in Hailsham: what you get
Older homes have more places for water to get in. Lead flashings crack or lift, valley linings wear and parapet gutters overflow when outlets block. If your home has a butterfly roof, the central valley gutter is a common culprit. We check parapets, valleys and flashings from each safe vantage point. Our report shows what we found, with photos. We survey rooflights and dormers, the roof space and flat roof details, and the problems we are asked to look at most are damp walls below an overflowing gutter and damp on a chimney breast.
When a storm passes over a town like Hailsham, loose tiles, slates and ridges are the first to move. What counts as a storm depends on your policy; many use gusts of around 55 mph. Photographs and a written account help you show what happened. Policies typically exclude wear and tear, which is why the age of the damage matters.
You receive the findings by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Where
- Hailsham (BN27)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it is worth a survey now in Hailsham
Water damage grows the longer it’s left. Damp spreads into rafters, ceilings and insulation. Finding the source early keeps the damage down. Around Hailsham, water from a roof defect often goes unseen for a while, soaking loft insulation, wall tops and timbers. By the time a stain appears on a ceiling, there is more to put right.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we’ll tell you which fits.
Why book with us
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- An independent view of the roof
- Visits on any day of the week
- A report with photos
Read our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.
Roof leak investigations around Hailsham
Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs, and oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of East Sussex’s older buildings. Where water gets in depends a good deal on what the roof is made of and how it’s detailed. Horselunges Manor, about 1.5 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Hailsham. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Landlords with a home close to Polegate station may find that finding the cause of a leak fast keeps a tenant’s home dry and the work focused. For hotels and guest houses around Hailsham, a roof problem found early is far less disruptive than one found by a guest, so it pays to find faults before guests do.
Hailsham is about 6 miles north of Eastbourne, in East Sussex. We survey roofs in Hailsham and the rest of East Sussex. Our East Sussex coverage includes Hailsham and the places around it. We also survey roofs in Brighton.
Here we cover the BN27 postcode area for roof leak investigations. We cover properties on High Street, Market Place and Station Road and the roads around them. Hailsham is on the A271 and A295, so it’s easy for us to get to. If you are just outside Hailsham, we cover Tile Hurst (1 mile north-west), Upper Horsebridge (1 mile north), Hellingly (1 mile north), Lower Horsebridge (1 mile north-west) and Magham Down (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Eastbourne (6 miles south), Hastings (13 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (9 miles east), Seaford (9 miles south-west), Lewes (11 miles west) and Crowborough (14 miles north). Hailsham is one of the larger places we cover in East Sussex.
Local landmarks in Hailsham
We work in homes and buildings around The Grenadier pub and White House Academy and the streets around them. The closest station to Hailsham is Polegate station, about 3 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Herstmonceux Castle (3.6 miles east) and Amberstone Hospital (1.5 miles north-east). Not far away are Combe Hill.
The survey, step by step
Once we’ve finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photos, sent to you by email. On timing, it normally takes an hour or two for most houses, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. In Hailsham, parking is rarely complicated, though it helps to know about driveways or restrictions. The inspection covers everything that’s safely in view from outside, from windows and from the loft space, and from the roof itself where it’s safe.
- We start with what you’ve seen: where the stain is and when it gets worse.
- The visit starts indoors, at the stain and in the loft.
- Outside, we check every likely route in.
- We use moisture detection, and thermal imaging where it is useful.
- Your report sets out where the water is most likely getting in, with photos and recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
How to book
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
Advice
What a roof leak investigation doesn’t cover
It is a careful look at the leaking roof, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- What’s under the covering or behind the plaster
- Plumbing leaks that look like roof leaks
- Whether rotten timbers meet design loads
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Chimney stacks
- Rooflights and dormers
- Slate and tile slopes
- Flat roof details
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Lead flashings
- The roof space
How the survey changes by roof type
Parapet and box gutters
Hidden gutters run behind parapets or between roofs. When their outlets block, water rises over the lining and runs indoors.
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used instead of lead. They crack as the roof and wall move, letting rain run behind the joint.
Common questions in Hailsham
What do I need to do before a survey in Hailsham?
Not much. Unlock side gates, keep pets in another room and dig out any invoices from past roof work, and the visit in Hailsham can get straight on.
Is Hailsham in the area you cover?
Yes. We work right across London and the South East, and Hailsham is part of that. You can phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details.
What happens next?
We email you the written report with photographs and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
What will the report tell me?
Written findings with photographs, explaining the condition of the leaking roof, any defects and our recommendations. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies and structural analysis.
When does the report arrive?
Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24–48 hours and Premium reports on the same day. All of them come by email, ready to forward.
How long does the visit take?
Allow about 1–2 hours, more where the leak is intermittent or the roof is large. We’ll give you an idea of timing when booking.
Will you definitely find the leak?
We cannot promise to find every leak on one visit. Most leave clues we can follow, but some only appear in certain weather. We report what we found and the likeliest sources.
Also near Hailsham
More services for Hailsham
Signs you need a roof leak investigation in Hailsham
Flashings are one of the commonest sources of roof leaks. Lead or mortar closes the gap wherever a roof meets a wall, chimney or dormer. When lead lifts or splits, or a mortar fillet cracks, rain runs straight in, often well away from where it shows.
Common reasons to book include:
- Damp underlay across a wide area
- Damp walls below an overflowing gutter
- Leaks below a flat extension roof
- Damp patches next to the stack
Anyone responsible for a site like Hailsham Community College will know that water through a big roof can travel a long way before it drips, so the search covers more than the obvious spot.
Before you book anyone
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one