West Sussex · London and the South East
Highleigh Roof Leak Investigation
Roof leak investigations across Highleigh, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Drips from nail tips in a cold loft
- Leaks at a dormer or roof window
- Damp walls below an overflowing gutter
How a roof leak investigation works in Highleigh
Roof leaks rarely show up where you’d expect. It can run along a rafter, a batten or the underlay before it drips, so the stain on your ceiling is seldom right under the hole. Our leak investigation traces it back. A repair aimed only at the stain can miss the cause entirely. Finding the route first lets the repair go where it’s needed. We survey rooflights and dormers, the roof space and chimney stacks, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are water marks that spread in wet weather and leaks at a dormer or roof window.
Many homes in small places like Highleigh face open ground, where storms hit ridges, verges and chimneys hardest. Damp in old stone, brick or timber walls is slow to dry out, so it pays to find the cause quickly. A record with photographs is useful if you need to show the damage to anyone else.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters, with a note and a photo for each point. You’ll see the good as well as the bad.
- Place
- Highleigh (PO20)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Your questions about roof leak investigations in Highleigh
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Highleigh?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it normally shows, and Highleigh is within about 2 miles of the coast.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Highleigh?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. 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 do I do with the report?
You will get the report by email. With Standard there is a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation.
Can you always find the source?
We can’t 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.
Do you use thermal imaging to find leaks?
Thermal imaging is used where it is useful, and it’s part of the Premium Survey. It shows temperature differences, not water itself, so anything it suggests is checked with moisture readings.
How long does a roof leak investigation take?
On site, it normally takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. Report times depend on the package.
What insurance do you have?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
What we’re asked to look at in Highleigh
A chimney stack has a good many places for rain to get in. Water can enter through crumbling mortar, cracked flaunching, worn flashings or uncapped pots. The damp may appear on a chimney breast, a ceiling or in the loft.
Look out for signs like these:
- Damp ceilings under a flat roof
- Drips in the loft during heavy rain
- Wet patches high on an inside wall
- A leak that comes and goes with the weather
If you live in an older home near St Mary Our Lady Sidlesham, the leak may come from a chimney, a valley or tired lead rather than the covering itself.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- What they will not be able to tell you
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
Useful tips for Highleigh property owners
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Let us know what has already been tried
- Note the weather when the leak shows
- Have an electrician check any wet fittings
- Put a bucket under the drip and move valuables
Once the work is done, hold on to the report. If water appears again, it shows what was found before, which makes the next step quicker.
Do not block the vents at the eaves. Good airflow reduces condensation, which is often mistaken for a leak. Check insulation doesn’t block airflow at the eaves.
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used instead of lead. They crack as the roof and wall move, and water runs down behind them.
Valleys
A valley leak can appear well away from the valley inside. From inside the loft space, we follow the water’s route back.
What we do, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photos. As for time on site, it typically takes an hour or two for most houses, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In a hamlet or village like Highleigh, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- We start with your notes and photos of the leak.
- We examine the damp area and the rooms near it.
- From the roof space, we trace the water’s route where there’s safe access.
- We inspect the likely entry points outside, from ground level, windows and the roof where safe.
- You receive a report with the likely source, photos and recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Booking a survey
When you’re ready to go ahead, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Read more
What you can safely check yourself
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we check the roof.
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.
What this survey can’t tell you
Before you book, it’s worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- Carrying out the fix
- What’s under the covering or behind the plaster
- Water from pipes, tanks or heating systems
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll recommend the right survey before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Highleigh
- Lead flashings
- The roof space
- Flat roof details
- Rooflights and dormers
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Slate and tile slopes
- Chimney stacks
Roof leak investigations in Highleigh: local notes
The coast is about 2 miles or less from Highleigh, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Strong wind lifts anything already loose, and driving rain gets in wherever it can, while salt slowly corrodes metal fixings and flashings. There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. If your home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission, so check with the council.
Take a building like Sidlesham Primary School: tracing a leak on a big roof starts with where the water appears and works back. If you own a rental within reach of Chichester station, finding the cause of a leak fast keeps a tenant’s home dry and the work focused.
Highleigh is about 3 miles north of Selsey, in West Sussex. We cover Highleigh and the rest of West Sussex, as part of our work across London and the South East. Highleigh is one of the places in West Sussex where we work. For surveys nearby, see our Portsmouth page.
We cover every part of the PO20 postcode area for roof leak investigations. Local streets include Critchel's Lane, Highleigh Road and Green Lane, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for roof leak investigations include Almodington (1 mile west), Birdham (2 miles north-west), Somerley (2 miles west), Earnley (2 miles west) and Shipton Green (3 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Bognor Regis (5 miles east), Chichester (4 miles north), Selsey (3 miles south), Littlehampton (12 miles east), Emsworth (8 miles north-west) and Rustington (13 miles east).
Around Highleigh
The closest station to Highleigh is Chichester station, about 3.9 miles north of the centre. Nearby you will also find Chichester Castle (4.5 miles north) and Selsey Lifeboat Museum (3.5 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Pilsey Island.