West Sussex · London and the South East
Roof leak investigation in Houghton, West Sussex
An experienced roof surveyor for roof leak investigations in Houghton. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Water through the ceiling under a flat roof
- Water dripping from rafters or underlay
- Ceiling stains that grow after rain
How we price roof leak investigations
We confirm the price for your survey before booking. This is what makes a difference:
- The size of the roof
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
We offer three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you need to know.
Booking your survey
A little information up front helps. Please include:
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
When you’re ready to go ahead, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
About our roof leak investigation in Houghton
On older houses, leaks often start at lead work and hidden gutters. Worn lead, tired valley linings and blocked parapet outlets are frequent causes. If your home has a butterfly roof, the central valley gutter is a common culprit in heavy rain. We check parapets, valleys and flashings from every safe viewpoint. Our report shows what we found, with photos. If you’ve noticed a leak that comes and goes with the weather and leaks below a flat extension roof, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Many homes in small places like Houghton face open ground, where storms hit ridges, verges and chimneys hardest. Once water gets into older walls, it takes a long time to dry, which makes finding the cause quickly worthwhile. A record with photographs is useful if you need to show the damage to anyone else.
The report is written in plain words, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Photos show what each point refers to, and recommendations are put by urgency where it matters.
- Place
- Houghton (BN18)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near Houghton
What else we do in Houghton
The survey, step by step
Every visit follows the same pattern: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photographs as we go and make notes for the report. It normally takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. In a hamlet or village like Houghton, 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. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- We help you choose the package that suits the leak.
- We agree a date, including weekends.
- We inspect inside and out, starting from the stain.
- Moisture detection and thermal imaging are used where your package includes them and they help.
- You get photos, the likely cause and clear recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
Getting a price
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Read more
Houghton questions
Is Houghton within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We survey roofs across London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Is my home in Houghton listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We note visible signs such as sagging or deflection, but we are not structural engineers and do not carry out calculations. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
How long does a roof leak investigation take?
The visit normally takes about 1–2 hours for most houses; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. We’ll confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
When does the report arrive?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. Reports are sent by email.
Is there anything I need to do before the visit?
Note when the leak appears and what the weather was doing, and take photos. Clear access to the loft. If water is near any fittings, have an electrician check them.
Do you look in the roof space?
Where it’s relevant to the survey and there’s safe access, yes. A clear path to the hatch helps.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Houghton
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer, so they’re priced to suit.
Practical tips
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Don’t touch fittings that water is reaching
- Let us know what has already been tried
- Keep a photo record of the damp patch
- Catch drips in a bucket and protect the floor
We email the report to you, with photos of what we found. It explains the likely entry point, the route the water takes and our recommendations. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day.
Check the loft after heavy rain, with care and a good torch. Look for drips, damp patches and stains on timbers. Photograph anything new.
What a roof leak investigation looks like in Houghton
About 2.8 miles north-west lies Bignor Roman Villa, a reminder of how long the area around Houghton has been built on. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Knowing the roof type helps narrow down where water may be getting in.
Landlords with a home close to Amberley station may find that tracing a leak quickly matters when a tenant is living with it. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Dorset House School, a leak through a large roof is frequently found some distance from where the water shows inside. The streets around a church such as The Parish Church of St Nicholas are often among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, leaks on older roofs often start at lead flashings, valleys or around old chimney stacks.
Houghton is about 6 miles north of Littlehampton, in West Sussex. We survey roofs in Houghton and the rest of West Sussex. Houghton is one of the towns and villages in West Sussex we cover for roof leak investigations. You can also see our page for Brighton.
Surveys in BN18 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Nearby, we also carry out roof leak investigations in Arundel (3 miles south), Warningcamp (3 miles south-east), Crossbush (3 miles south), Tortington (4 miles south) and Poling (4 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns like Worthing (8 miles south-east), Bognor Regis (9 miles south-west), Chichester (11 miles west), Selsey (15 miles south-west), Littlehampton (6 miles south) and Shoreham-by-Sea (13 miles east).
Near you in Houghton
Typical jobs here are in homes near Arundel Park. The closest station to Houghton is Amberley station, roughly 0.5 miles north-east of the centre. A little further out are Arundel and District Hospital (2.7 miles south) and Amberley Castle (1.2 miles north-east). Open spaces near Houghton include Amberley Wild Brooks and Bignor Hill.
Can I check my roof myself?
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
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 do not climb up for a closer look.
Leave it or get it looked at?
If a leak has been ‘fixed’ before and has come back, the cause was probably missed. A careful investigation looks at every likely route, not just the obvious one. That’s often what breaks the cycle. Older cottages and farmhouses around Houghton can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it’s left.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Roof leak investigation starts from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why us?
- Visits on any day of the week
- Package prices that include VAT
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- 20+ years’ experience
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or two real surveys.