West Sussex · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in Birdham
Flat roof surveys in Birdham from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us.
- Blistering in felt or asphalt
- Failed seals around rooflight kerbs
- Failed upstands where the roof meets a wall
Before and after the survey
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- File the paperwork for the roof and any repairs
- Book a survey every few years
- Keep outlets clear of leaves and moss
- Check new fixings through the roof are properly sealed
Buyers can take the findings back to the seller or the agent. It can support a request for work before completion or a conversation about price, depending on what we found.
Keep foot traffic on a flat roof to a minimum. If access is needed, boards or walkways help protect the covering, and to keep well clear of rooflights and fragile sheeting.
How a flat roof survey works in Birdham
Buying a home with a flat-roofed extension, dormer or garage? It helps to know that roof’s condition before you exchange. Many felt roofs need renewing after around 15 to 20 years, and EPDM and GRP often go on for longer. Our report records the covering, how it’s holding up and any defects we can see, with a photo of every defect. That gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. Typical surveys look at splits, cracks and crazing and outlets choked with leaves and silt, across EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass and upstands and outlets.
Flat roofs on exposed homes in small places like Birdham take more wind and rain, which is hard on edges, upstands and joins in the covering. Older felt roofs, often around 15–20 years in life, show it first. Rubber and GRP last longer, though trims and joints still need a look. Exposed edges are normally the first part of a flat roof to go.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, and where it can wait, that is said too.
- Where
- Birdham (PO20)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Birdham questions
How do I find out if my home in Birdham is listed?
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.
Is Birdham within the area you cover?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
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’ll talk about access when you book.
How many years has my flat roof got left?
There’s no honest way to give an exact number of years. As a guide, felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM frequently 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30, but the report tells you how your roof is really doing.
Will the survey show why my flat roof is leaking?
We check the whole roof, since water can travel before it shows inside. Every split, lap, upstand, outlet and rooflight we can see is checked. If the cause cannot be seen, we will say so and suggest what would help.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes. Photos are part of every report, so you can see each point for yourself.
Can you survey any kind of flat roof?
Felt, mastic asphalt, EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass and single-ply membranes are all part of the work. The report names the covering and explains its condition.
Prices for flat roof surveys in Birdham
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before you book. This is what makes a difference:
- How big the roof is
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, all including VAT. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
What to tell us when you get in touch
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- The address and postcode of the property
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
For a price for flat roof surveys in Birdham, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us give you an accurate price.
Why act early in Birdham
If you are buying, find out about the flat roof before you exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, any work on the roof is down to you. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Birdham, driving rain gets into any weakness, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. You’ll know the figure before booking.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Birdham
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Every finding written up with photos
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Package prices that include VAT
What we do, step by step
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings as a written report with photos. On timing, it normally takes about one to two hours at most homes, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Around Birdham, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it helps to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- We start with the address and, on larger roofs, the roof area and access.
- We check the rooms or spaces under the roof for staining where there is access.
- The roof is inspected from every safe viewpoint, without walking on fragile surfaces.
- We record every defect with a photo and its likely cause.
- You get a report setting out the condition and our recommendations, in order of urgency.
Before we arrive
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Note where any stains or damp appear
How to book
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Read more
What a flat roof survey doesn’t cover
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Hidden layers beneath the covering
- Parts of the roof that are not safe to walk on or view
- Structural calculations, which need a structural engineer
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Single-ply membranes
- EPDM rubber
- Mastic asphalt
- Felt flat roofs
- GRP fibreglass
- Upstands and outlets
Signs you need a flat roof survey in Birdham
A buyer’s general survey often recommends a closer look at a flat roof. Building owners and managing agents book to plan maintenance, or before a sale or a new lease. In each case, the report gives a written, photographed record of the roof’s condition.
Look out for signs like these:
- Loose or cracked edge trims
- Outlets choked with leaves and silt
- Cracked or split membrane
- Blisters and bubbles in the covering
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near St James' Church, later flat-roofed additions are common on older houses, and their edges and upstands often show the first signs of wear.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What exactly goes into their report
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Whether VAT is added on top
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
Local flat roofs in Birdham
Birdham is within about 2 miles of the coast, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Coastal wind works at the edges of flat roofs, and salt air wears metal trims and fixings. Before planning roof work on an older home, find out whether it’s listed or in a conservation area. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, and councils can also use Article 4 directions to control changes in conservation areas.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Birdham CE Primary School, ponding and blocked outlets on a wide flat roof are worth catching before the next wet season. If you let a flat or house near Fishbourne station, flat roofs over rear additions and dormers in rented property are worth checking between tenancies.
Birdham is about 4 miles south-west of Chichester, in West Sussex. We provide flat roof surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in Birdham. Our area takes in places right across West Sussex. Portsmouth is in our area too.
Flat roof surveys in PO20 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Old Common Close, Main Road and Walwyn Close, all of which we cover. Close by, we survey roofs in Somerley (1 mile south-west), Almodington (1 mile south), Shipton Green (1 mile west), Highleigh (2 miles south-east) and Earnley (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Bognor Regis (6 miles east), Chichester (4 miles north-east), Selsey (5 miles south-east), Littlehampton (13 miles east), Emsworth (6 miles north-west) and Rustington (14 miles east).
Around Birdham
In Birdham, that means homes and buildings near The Birdham Public House, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Fishbourne station, roughly 3.3 miles north of the centre. A little further out are Chichester Castle (4.1 miles north-east) and St Richard's Hospital (4.4 miles north-east). Open spaces near Birdham include Pilsey Island.