East Sussex · London and the South East
Roof Leak Investigation in Willingdon
Tracing where water is getting into your roof in Willingdon, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Staining where a gutter or parapet meets the wall
- Leaks that appear only in driving rain
- Condensation that looks like a leak
Common roof problems in Willingdon
Many leaks begin at a flashing. Lead or mortar closes the gap wherever a roof meets a wall, chimney or dormer. Once that seal cracks or lifts, water gets behind it.
Problems we come across often include:
- Leaks that appear only in driving rain
- Water through the ceiling under a flat roof
- Damp patches next to the stack
- Wet patches on loft insulation
Landlords with a home close to Hampden Park station may find that a tenant living with a leak needs the cause found, not just the stain painted over.
Questions to ask before you book
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Their report turnaround times
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Roof leak investigations for homes and businesses in Willingdon
Most roof leaks start at a joint rather than the middle of a slope. Flashings at chimneys and walls, valleys, gutters, parapets and flat roof upstands and outlets are the usual suspects. Each of these is checked in turn and we follow where the evidence leads. Every chimney, dormer and roof light adds more joints to check. Each one is checked from wherever it’s safe to see it. We are often asked to look into damp on a chimney breast and water through the ceiling under a flat roof, on rooflights and dormers, lead flashings and valleys and parapet gutters.
Many homes in small places like Willingdon face open ground, where storms hit ridges, verges and chimneys hardest. Damp in old stone, brick or timber walls is slow to dry out, which makes finding the cause quickly worthwhile. A written record also helps if you need to explain it to anyone else.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Willingdon (BN22, BN20)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs, sent to you by email. On timing, it normally takes roughly 1–2 hours for a house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Somewhere as small as Willingdon, access is frequently the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- We start with your notes and photos of the leak.
- We examine the damp area and the rooms near it.
- From the loft space, we trace the water’s route where there is safe access.
- We inspect the likely entry points outside, from ground level, windows and the roof where safe.
- We email a written report showing where the water most likely gets in.
Before the survey
- Tell us about parking before the day
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
Book a survey
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Advice
What affects the cost of roof leak investigations
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- Which survey package you book
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- House, block, shop or office
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
Getting in touch
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. It’s enough to tell us:
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Anything about access we should know
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you’re ready.
Towns and villages near Willingdon
Other services in Willingdon
Roof by roof
Parapet and box gutters
Some older terraces have a butterfly roof with a valley gutter in the middle. If that gutter or its outlet fails, water can come through the top-floor ceiling.
Slate and tile slopes
On slate roofs, corroded nails let slates slip. One slipped slate can be enough to cause a leak.
What this survey cannot tell you
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- 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 send us an email and we will point you to the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Lead flashings
- The roof space
- Rooflights and dormers
- Flat roof details
- Chimney stacks
- Slate and tile slopes
- Valleys and parapet gutters
Useful tips for Willingdon property owners
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Some pointers:
- Note the weather when the leak shows
- Mention earlier attempts to fix the leak
- Protect furniture and flooring under the leak
- Do not touch fittings that water is reaching
If condensation is the cause, we explain it, and suggest how the roof space could be better ventilated. It saves chasing a leak that isn’t there.
Look at the roof from the ground after strong winds. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Prompt repairs stop gaps turning into leaks.
Willingdon questions
How do I find out if my home in Willingdon is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Is the coastal weather around Willingdon hard on roofs?
Places near the sea get more wind and more salt in the air than inland, and both are hard on roofs. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
When does the report arrive?
The Premium Survey report comes the same day, the Standard within 24–48 hours and the Basic within 48 hours. All of them come by email, ready to forward.
Is thermal imaging part of a leak investigation?
It can, when the conditions are right. The best results come after a sunny day, on a dry roof with little wind. Damp areas can hold heat differently from dry ones. Its findings are confirmed with a moisture check.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We check the roof, not the whole building, so it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
Can you always find the source?
We cannot promise to find every leak on one visit. Most leave clues we can follow, but some only appear in certain weather. The report sets out what we found and the most likely routes.
Why does not the damp patch line up with the hole?
Rain that gets in will run along whatever it lands on. On a pitched roof it often runs down a rafter before it finds a way through the ceiling. Tracing that path is the heart of a leak investigation.
Willingdon roofs and the weather
Willingdon is within about 3 miles of the coast, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces, and driving rain finds any gap they leave, while salt slowly corrodes metal fixings and flashings. About 4.2 miles west lies Alfriston Clergy House, a reminder of how long the area around Willingdon has been built on. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, leaks on older roofs often start at lead flashings, valleys or around old chimney stacks. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Oakwood Primary Academy, water through a big roof can travel a long way before it drips, so the search covers more than the obvious spot.
Willingdon is about 2 miles north-west of Eastbourne, in East Sussex. We carry out roof leak investigations for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Willingdon and the surrounding area. Willingdon is one of the places in East Sussex where we work. There is also a page for Brighton.
We cover every part of BN22 and BN20 for roof leak investigations and the streets around it. If you need a roof leak investigation at a property on Downs Road, Eastbourne Road and Summerlands Road or anywhere close by, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for roof leak investigations include Lower Willingdon (1 mile north-west), Wannock (1 mile north-west), Filching (1 mile west), Polegate (1 mile north) and Folkington (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Hastings (14 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (10 miles east), Seaford (7 miles west), Lewes (12 miles north-west), Hailsham (4 miles north) and St Leonards (14 miles east).
Landmarks near Willingdon
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Eastbourne Academy and The Wheatsheaf Inn, among other places. The nearest railway station is Hampden Park station, roughly 1.2 miles east. Nearby you will also find Eastbourne District General Hospital (1.2 miles south-east) and Filching Manor And Motor Museum (1.3 miles west). Open spaces near Willingdon include Combe Hill.