Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in Bicester
Flat roof surveys in Bicester from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Blocked or damaged outlets
- Ponding water that does not drain away
- Water getting in at rooflights
What this survey can’t tell you
It is a careful look at the flat roof, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- Whether old sheeting or boards contain asbestos
- Fragile surfaces, which we do not walk on
- A structural engineer’s assessment of the deck
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Single-ply membranes
- GRP fibreglass
- Felt flat roofs
- EPDM rubber
- Mastic asphalt
- Upstands and outlets
Flat roof surveys for homes and businesses in Bicester
A flat roof survey looks at the covering, the edges, the outlets and the details where the roof meets walls and rooflights. Felt, asphalt, EPDM, GRP and single-ply PVC or TPO roofs are all part of the work. It suits a small roof over an extension or garage as well as a large one over flats, offices or units. You get a report with photographs and our recommendations. If you’ve noticed blistering in felt or asphalt and pools of water lying on the roof, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Around Bicester, many garages, porches and extensions have flat roofs of their own. Some older garages have cement sheet roofs, which on buildings from before 2000 may contain asbestos, which a specialist asbestos surveyor should check before anyone disturbs them. Felt, rubber and fibreglass coverings each need a different approach. Asbestos testing is not part of what we do, though a report may flag materials that could contain it.
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
- Bicester (OX26, OX27)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Rooflights and upstands
We do not walk on rooflights or fragile sheeting, and we treat older rooflights as fragile. They’re inspected from safe positions and recorded with photos.
GRP fibreglass
GRP roofs can last up to about 30 years when they’re laid well. Cracking where boards meet or where the deck moves is a common early sign of trouble.
What you can safely check yourself
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we look at the roof.
Flat roof surveys in Bicester: local notes
An older home may be listed, or stand in a conservation area. To find out, check Historic England’s list and ask the council about conservation areas. Re-roofing in different materials may need permission there. Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Alongside them, flat-roofed extensions, dormers, garages and commercial units are common almost everywhere.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Brookside Primary School, a large flat roof with plenty of outlets and rooflights has many places where a membrane can fail. The streets around a church such as Church of St Edburg are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, the flat roofs on later extensions tend to wear out long before the main roof. For landlords with property near Bicester North station, flat roofs on let property tend to be checked only when they fail, which is the costly way round.
Bicester is about 11 miles north of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. Bicester is part of the area we cover across London and South East England. Bicester is one of the places in Oxfordshire we cover. For surveys nearby, see our Oxford page.
Surveys in OX26 and OX27 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include Market Square, Market End Way and London Road, all of which we cover. Bicester is on the A4095 and B4100, so it’s easy for us to get to. Nearby, we also carry out flat roof surveys in Bure Park (1 mile north), Caversfield (1 mile north), Bucknell (2 miles north-west), Stratton Audley (3 miles north-east) and Stoke Lyne (3 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Oxford (11 miles south), Banbury (14 miles north-west), Thame (13 miles south-east), Kidlington (8 miles south-west), Headington Quarry (10 miles south) and St John Street area (11 miles south-west). Being one of Oxfordshire’s larger places, Bicester has homes, rented property and businesses of every kind.
Around Bicester
Around Bicester, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Bicester Technology Studio and The Plough pub and the streets around them. There is a railway station in Bicester itself: Bicester North station. A little further out are Bicester Community Hospital (less than half a mile south) and Bicester Village (0.7 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Graven Hill and Woodsides Meadow.
Useful tips for Bicester property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Ask contractors to protect the roof if they work on it
- Watch the ceilings below the flat roof for stains
- Check the outlets after the leaves fall
- Ask whoever fits equipment on the roof to make good the covering
You can use the report to ask roofers to quote for the same work. With each roofer working from the same list, comparing quotes is simpler. It is your choice who carries out the work and when.
Have the roof surveyed every few years, and after any work that goes through it. That catches changes early and builds up a record of the roof.
For landlords and managing agents
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, with the most urgent items set out first.
Nearby places to Bicester
More services for Bicester
How it works
We look at the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the loft space too. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. The whole visit normally takes roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In Bicester, parking is rarely complicated, though it helps to know about driveways or restrictions. We look at the roof from ground level and from windows, then from the loft where there is safe access.
- First you give us the address, what the roof covers and any leaks you’ve noticed.
- The roof is inspected from safe viewpoints, and from the roof itself where that is safe.
- We check and photograph the covering, the falls, the upstands, the outlets, the trims and any rooflights.
- We check the rooms or spaces under the roof for staining where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
How to prepare
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
Arrange a survey
To get a price for flat roof surveys in Bicester, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. The address, the type of property and what you need to know help us price the survey accurately.
Advice
Bicester: your questions answered
How should I get ready for a visit in Bicester?
Clear the way to the loft hatch if there is one, and let us know about any leaks, stains or past repairs. Let us know about parking and access in Bicester too.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Bicester?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Bicester as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
What happens next?
We email you the written report with photographs and recommendations. It is yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.
How fast do I get the report?
The Premium Survey report comes the same day, the Standard within 24–48 hours and the Basic within 48 hours. Each one is emailed.
Is a flat roof survey the same as a building survey?
No. We look closely at the flat roof rather than the whole building. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it, and structural calculations need a structural engineer.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones can’t fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. If the conditions aren’t right, we will talk to you about another date.
Does the survey cover asbestos?
We don’t test for asbestos. Where a roof has materials that might contain asbestos, like old cement sheeting, the report flags them so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check them.