East Sussex · London and the South East
Birling Gap Flat Roof Survey
Surveys of flat roofs on homes, extensions and commercial buildings in Birling Gap. We have completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Splits and cracks in the covering
- Failed upstands where the roof meets a wall
- Blocked or damaged outlets
FAQs for Birling Gap
Is the coastal weather around Birling Gap hard on roofs?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there’s more wind, and more salt in the air. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it normally shows, and Birling Gap is within about 1 mile of the coast.
Will you come out to Birling Gap?
Yes, Birling Gap is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Does a flat roof survey replace a RICS survey?
No. It’s a closer look at the flat roof, not a survey of the whole property. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one, and it is not a structural engineer’s report.
Do you cover flat roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. Offices, units, shops and blocks of flats are all part of our work. Larger commercial roofs are quoted for their size and access, so call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address.
Which flat roof coverings do you cover?
We cover the main flat roof coverings: felt, asphalt, EPDM, GRP and single-ply. The report names the covering and explains its condition.
How long is the visit?
Time on site depends on the roof, but most surveys take an hour or two on an ordinary house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. The written report follows by email.
Does the survey cover asbestos?
Our survey doesn’t include asbestos testing. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos, for instance in cement roof sheets. We note anything that could contain it, and a specialist asbestos surveyor should check it before it is disturbed.
Flat roof surveys for homes and businesses in Birling Gap
A flat roof does not shed water the way a pitched roof does. Because rain sits on it for longer, a small split, an open seam or a blocked outlet matters more. The surface, the falls, the upstands and the trims are all looked at closely, and we note any sign that the deck below has got wet. The aim is to find problems before they show up as a stain on a ceiling. We survey single-ply membranes, GRP fibreglass and mastic asphalt, and common reasons people get in touch are loose or cracked edge trims and dips that suggest the deck is deflecting.
Older buildings in small places like Birling Gap may be listed or in a conservation area, and that can affect how an extension roof or dormer is re-covered. If you are planning work, check with the council first. Finding out what state the roof is in gives you the facts to plan with. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent.
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.
- Place
- Birling Gap (BN20)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Do you need a flat roof survey in Birling Gap?
Many flat roof problems start at the details rather than the main surface. Upstands, edge trims, outlets and the kerbs around rooflights move and weather differently from the rest of the roof. If they were rushed when the roof was laid, they’re frequently the first things to fail.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Outlets that hold water back
- Leaks around rooflights
- Splits, cracks and crazing
- Blisters and bubbles in the covering
The streets around a church like The Parish Church of St Simon and St Jude are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, the joins between later flat roofs and the old walls are where problems typically start.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- What insurance they carry
- What they will not be able to tell you
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Is VAT included in the price?
Surveys for landlords and agents in Birling Gap
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer, and they’re priced for the size.
Other services in Birling Gap
How it works
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes roughly 1–2 hours for an extension, garage or dormer roof, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial flat roof. Older rural homes like those around Birling Gap can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely.
- You tell us about the roof, its covering if you know it, and any leaks.
- The roof is inspected from safe viewpoints, and from the roof itself where that is safe.
- Every part of the roof we can see is checked: covering, falls, upstands, outlets, trims and rooflights.
- Inside, we look for damp and staining under the roof where there’s access.
- You get a report with photographs and our recommendations.
Before the survey
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
How to book
To get a price for flat roof surveys in Birling Gap, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us price the survey accurately.
Read more
Different roofs, different checks
Felt and built-up roofs
Many extensions, garages and dormers have a felt roof laid in layers. We look for blistering, cracking, split laps and worn mineral surfacing.
Mastic asphalt
Mastic asphalt is a heavy, seamless covering frequently found on older blocks, balconies and commercial roofs. We look for crazing, cracks, blisters and splits at the skirtings.
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Make sure new fixings through the roof are properly sealed
- Keep records of when the roof was laid and what work has been done
- Keep people off the roof unless they need to be there
- Treat rooflights and old sheeting as fragile
If you’re buying, the report gives you something specific to take back to the seller or agent. You might ask for work to be done before completion, or discuss the price, depending on the findings.
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.
Can I check my roof myself?
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we look at the roof.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Flat roof surveys in Birling Gap: local notes
The coast is about 1 mile or less from Birling Gap, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. On a flat roof near the sea, edge trims and upstands take the brunt of the wind, and metal parts corrode faster. In Sussex, older roofs are frequently handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs, and the county’s older buildings include oast houses and Wealden hall houses. Flat roofs fill the gaps in between, on extensions, garages, dormers and business premises.
Alfriston Clergy House lies about 4.7 miles north-west, so building around Birling Gap goes back a long way. Older houses nearby often have flat roofs added much later, built to very different standards from the main roof. If you let a flat or house near Eastbourne station, a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak.
Birling Gap is about 5 miles south-east of Seaford, in East Sussex. Birling Gap is part of the area we cover across London and South East England. Birling Gap is one of the places in East Sussex where we work. For surveys nearby, see our Brighton page.
We survey roofs across BN20 for flat roof surveys. Nearby, we also carry out flat roof surveys in East Dean (1 mile north), Friston (1 mile north), Meads (3 miles east), Holywell (3 miles east) and Old Town (3 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Eastbourne (5 miles north-east), Bexhill-on-Sea (14 miles north-east), Seaford (5 miles north-west), Lewes (13 miles north-west), Hailsham (9 miles north) and Newhaven (8 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Birling Gap
The nearest railway station is Eastbourne station, roughly 3.9 miles north-east. A little further out are Eastbourne District General Hospital (4.1 miles north-east) and Rnli Eastbourne Lifeboat Museum (3.9 miles east). Open spaces near Birling Gap include Combe Hill.