Greater London · London and the South East
Bickley Flat Roof Survey
Flat roof surveys across Bickley, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Failed seals around rooflight kerbs
- Pools of water lying on the roof
- A sagging deck under the covering
How a flat roof survey works in Bickley
A Basic Survey, from £150, covers a visual inspection, a condition report, photos and written recommendations. The Standard Survey, from £250, adds moisture detection and a structural check. On a flat roof, moisture readings can help show whether water has got under the covering. Bigger commercial roofs are priced on their size and access. If you’ve noticed splits, cracks and crazing and blisters and bubbles in the covering, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on single-ply membranes, upstands and outlets and EPDM rubber alike.
Across London, flat roofs are everywhere, from back additions and dormers to roof terraces, blocks of flats and offices. They’re covered in felt, asphalt, EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass or single-ply membranes, and each fails in its own way. Which one is on a roof in Bickley shapes how it’s checked. Many older flat roofs are felt or asphalt, and many newer ones EPDM rubber or GRP.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Location
- Bickley (BR1, BR2, BR7)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What this survey can’t tell you
Before you book, it is worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- A fixed date for when the roof will need replacing
- Parts of the roof that aren’t safe to walk on or view
- Hidden layers beneath the covering
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- EPDM rubber
- Mastic asphalt
- GRP fibreglass
- Upstands and outlets
- Single-ply membranes
- Felt flat roofs
Flat and commercial roofs around Bickley
In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. Mixed in with those pitched roofs are a good many flat ones, over rear extensions, dormers, garages and shops. With Bromley Palace about 1.1 miles west, Bickley sits in an area with a long building history. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof.
Take a building like Bullers Wood School for Boys: schools and public buildings often have big flat roofs, and their outlets and upstands need regular checks. Parking in Bickley, as in most of London, takes a little planning: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space as you book.
Bickley is about 1 mile east of Bromley, in Greater London. We carry out flat roof surveys in Bickley for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings. Our Greater London coverage includes Bickley. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
Every address in BR1, BR2 and BR7 is covered for flat roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Streets in the area include Golf Road, The Avenue and Canon Road, and we cover them all. Nearby, we also carry out flat roof surveys in Widmore (1 mile north), Elmstead (1 mile north), Chislehurst (1 mile north-east), Bromley (1 mile west) and Sundridge (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (9 miles north-west), City of Westminster (12 miles north-west), Marylebone (12 miles north-west), Kensington (13 miles north-west), St Pancras (11 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (10 miles north-west).
Around Bickley
In Bickley, that means homes and buildings near Bird In Hand Public House, Holy Trinity College Bromley and Jubilee Country Park and the streets around them. There’s a railway station in Bickley itself: Bickley station. Other landmarks nearby include Bethlem Museum of the Mind (1.5 miles south-west) and The Mall (1.3 miles west). For a walk, there is Summer Hill and The Tarn.
How the survey changes by roof type
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.
Felt and built-up roofs
A felt roof often lasts around 15 to 20 years, though quality and upkeep make a big difference. We record how yours is doing and where it’s weakest.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Bickley
Landlords, agents and building managers in Bickley and across Greater London can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, and the report can go to both. Access is agreed with the tenant in advance.
Your questions about flat roof surveys in Bickley
Is my home in Bickley listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Bickley?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and details are available on request.
How long does the survey take?
Expect it to take roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. You will then get the report by email, on the timescale of your package.
Is a flat roof survey the same as a building survey?
No. It is a survey of the flat roof. It is not a RICS Level 2 or 3 survey of the whole building, and it is not a structural engineer’s report. Many buyers use it alongside a building survey.
Can you tell me how long my flat roof will last?
A precise figure isn’t something we give, because it depends on upkeep, weather and how the roof was laid. We describe the condition and say which work is urgent and which can wait.
Do you check flat roofs for asbestos?
Asbestos testing isn’t part of our survey. Where a roof has materials that might contain asbestos, such as old cement sheeting, the report flags them so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check them.
What else we do in Bickley
What happens on the day
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. The whole visit usually takes roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so in Bickley we work round the house, using the street, the windows, the loft and any safe vantage point behind it. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Let us know who holds the keys.
- We agree the roof to be surveyed, its use and any leaks you know about.
- We look at the roof from the ground, windows and the roof where it’s safe.
- The covering is checked for wear, splits, blisters and standing water.
- Upstands, outlets, edge trims and rooflights are checked and photographed.
- A written report with photos and recommendations is emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Leave side gates unlocked
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
Booking a survey
You can call us seven days a week. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Read more
Common roof problems in Bickley
The surface of a flat roof heats up and cools down far more than the rooms below. That movement pulls at seams, laps and the joints between boards, which can open splits and cracks over the years. Older coverings that have lost their flexibility are the most likely to suffer.
Common reasons to book include:
- Edge trims that have lifted or split
- Failed upstands where the roof meets a wall
- A sagging deck under the covering
- Standing water left after rain
Shop and office owners around The Mall may find that outlets and upstands on commercial flat roofs are the places to check before trouble starts.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Their report turnaround times
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
What a survey costs
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Getting in touch
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- What’s prompted the survey
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Anything about access we should know
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
For a price for flat roof surveys in Bickley, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us price the survey accurately.