East Sussex · London and the South East
Roof survey in Upper Dicker, East Sussex
A careful look at the roof at your property in Upper Dicker, and put it all in a report with photos.
- Torn or sagging underlay
- Worn lead at chimneys and abutments
- Loose chimney pots
How a roof survey works in Upper Dicker
People book a roof survey for all sorts of reasons. Some have seen a mark on a ceiling or bits of tile in the garden, while others just want to know where they stand. Whatever the reason, the survey works the same way: a careful look, then a clear written report. Visits run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, so it’s easy to find a day that suits. We’re often asked to look into leaning or weathered chimney stacks and ridge tiles that have lifted or moved, on natural slate, lead flashings and chimney stacks.
Older buildings in small places like Upper Dicker may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
After the visit, you get a written report with photographs, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Location
- Upper Dicker (BN27)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
We’ll ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. The inspection then takes about 1–2 hours for an ordinary house roof, and longer if there are extensions, dormers or several chimneys. In a hamlet or village like Upper Dicker, a postcode doesn’t 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.
- You pick the package that suits your roof.
- On the day, we start by hearing what you’ve noticed.
- Coverings, ridges, hips, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Extra checks are carried out where your package includes them.
- The report is emailed with findings and recommendations.
Before the survey
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Getting a price
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
Advice
Honest limits
It is a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- How the roof will behave in every kind of weather
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll point you to the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney stacks
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Flat roofs
- Lead flashings
- The roof space
Your questions about roof surveys in Upper Dicker
Can a landlord with a rental near Berwick (Sussex) station book a roof survey?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Do you cover smaller places like Upper Dicker?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We look at the parts we’re given access to.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We will talk about access when you book.
When will the report arrive?
That depends on which survey you choose: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. It’s emailed to you.
Can you check whether my roof contains asbestos?
No. Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999, so older buildings may have it. Our report notes any materials that might, and a specialist asbestos surveyor should check them.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We’re experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you will need a RICS survey as well.
For landlords and managing agents
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the addresses.
Before and after the survey
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Look for debris in the garden after high winds
- Make sure we can open the loft hatch
- Leave roof access to professionals
- Photograph stains when they appear
Keep the report with your property records. It gives you something to compare against later, and it can help when you sell.
Have gutters and valleys cleared regularly, ideally after the leaves have fallen. Leave the clearing to a professional. Clear gutters prevent a lot of damp.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
What a roof survey looks like in Upper Dicker
Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Older houses across Sussex frequently have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging on their upper 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. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
Landlords with a home close to Berwick (Sussex) station may find that a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. With Michelham Priory about 0.6 miles south-east, the area around Upper Dicker has a long history. If yours is one of the older homes, the roof may have been repaired many times, and the survey records how each part is holding up. If you live in an older home near Holy Trinity, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Upper Dicker is about 2 miles west of Hailsham, in East Sussex. We survey roofs in Upper Dicker and the rest of East Sussex. Our East Sussex coverage includes Upper Dicker. We also survey roofs in Brighton.
Postcode districts we cover here for roof surveys: BN27. Streets in the area include Camberlot Road, Old Forge Close and Coldharbour Road, all of which we cover. Neighbouring places we cover for roof surveys include Lower Dicker (1 mile north-east), Tile Hurst (1 mile east), Lower Horsebridge (2 miles north-east), Nash Street (2 miles north) and Upper Horsebridge (2 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Eastbourne (7 miles south-east), Bexhill-on-Sea (12 miles east), Seaford (8 miles south-west), Lewes (9 miles west), Crowborough (13 miles north) and St Leonards (15 miles east).
Around Upper Dicker
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Plough Inn, Park Mead Primary School and Hailsham Community College, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Berwick (Sussex) station, roughly 2.5 miles south-west. Nearby you’ll also find Agricultural Museum (3.6 miles south) and Hellingly Hospital Railway (2.8 miles north-east). Not far away are Firle Beacon.
Places near Upper Dicker
What else we do in Upper Dicker
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney stacks
Each chimney’s pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings are looked at, as far as we can safely see them. Leaning stacks and loose pots are recorded.
Natural slate
Inside the roof space, we check what’s under the slates. Older roofs may have bitumen felt underlay, and very old roofs none, and we note its condition.