East Sussex · London and the South East
Flat roof survey in Broad Street, East Sussex
Surveys of flat roofs on homes, extensions and commercial buildings across Broad Street, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Ponding water that doesn’t drain away
- Water getting in at rooflights
- Cracked or split membrane
Flat roof survey in Broad Street
Flat roofs deal with rain in a very different way from pitched ones. Because rain sits on it for longer, a small split, an open seam or a blocked outlet matters more. We check the surface, the falls, the upstands and the edge trims, 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’re frequently asked to look into ponding water that doesn’t drain away and leaks around rooflights, on mastic asphalt, single-ply membranes and GRP fibreglass.
Some older homes in villages like Broad Street are listed or in a conservation area, and that can affect how an extension roof or dormer is re-covered. Check with the council before planning any change of material. 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.
It isn’t only a list of defects. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Place
- Broad Street (TN36)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Keep outlets clear of leaves and moss
- Book a survey every few years
- Keep people off the roof unless they need to be there
- Never stand on rooflights or fragile sheeting
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 the findings.
Check the roof from a window after a downpour. If water is still there a day or two later, have it checked.
What happens on the day
You do not need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we will get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes roughly 1–2 hours for a small flat roof at home, and longer for a large commercial one. For a village or hamlet like Broad Street, the journey is planned beforehand: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- First we go through the roof, what’s beneath it and any problems so far.
- The roof is viewed from safe positions, including the roof itself where that’s safe.
- The covering is checked for wear, splits, blisters and standing water.
- Upstands, outlets, edge trims and rooflights are checked and photographed.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, comes to you by email.
How to prepare
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
How to book
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from the ground or a window, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Read more
Local flat roofs in Broad Street
Broad Street is within about 3 miles of the coast, 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. 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. Alongside them, flat-roofed extensions, dormers, garages and commercial units are common almost everywhere.
The streets around a church like The Parish Church of St Nicholas are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, the flat roofs on later extensions tend to wear out long before the main roof. If you look after a building such as Icklesham Church of England Primary School, a large flat roof with plenty of outlets and rooflights has many places where a membrane can fail.
Broad Street is about 5 miles north-east of Hastings, in East Sussex. Wherever you are in Broad Street, we can carry out flat roof surveys at your property. Broad Street is one of the places in East Sussex where we work. You can also see our page for Maidstone.
Here we cover the TN36 postcode area for flat roof surveys. Other places close to Broad Street include Icklesham (1 mile east), Udimore (1 mile north), Cock Marling (2 miles north-east), Three Oaks (2 miles south-west) and Broadland Row (2 miles north-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Hastings (5 miles south-west), Bexhill-on-Sea (9 miles south-west), St Leonards (6 miles south-west), Hastings Old Town (5 miles south-west), Belmont (5 miles south-west) and Hollington (5 miles south-west).
Around Broad Street
The nearest railway station is Doleham station, about 1.8 miles west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Camber Castle (3.7 miles east) and Winchelsea Court Hall Museum (2.5 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Flatropers Wood.
Signs you need a flat roof survey in Broad Street
Buyers often book after their home survey suggests a closer look at a flat roof. Owners and managing agents use a survey to plan upkeep, or ahead of a sale or a new lease. Either way, you get a clear record of the roof, with photos.
People normally book a survey when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Blocked or damaged outlets
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
- Failed seals around rooflight kerbs
- A sagging deck under the covering
If you own a rental within reach of Doleham station, the flat roof over a let home is worth a look before it becomes a tenant complaint.
What to check before booking
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- When you will get the report
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What the survey won’t cover
Why act early in Broad Street
A leak over an office, shop or unit can affect the people and stock underneath. Surveying the roof in good time means work can be planned and budgeted around the people who use the building. Around Broad Street, older homes frequently have old roof timbers, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it is left.
For a price for your roof in Broad Street, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and some details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why book with us
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Package prices that include VAT
- Photographs and a written report every time
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
Read what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
What a flat roof survey does not cover
It helps to know what a survey won’t do before booking:
- Whether the deck or joists are strong enough
- What’s under the membrane without opening it up
- Whether old sheeting or boards contain asbestos
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Broad Street
- Felt flat roofs
- Mastic asphalt
- EPDM rubber
- Upstands and outlets
- Single-ply membranes
- GRP fibreglass
Broad Street: your questions answered
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Broad Street?
Places near the sea get more wind and more salt in the air than inland, and both are hard on roofs. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Is Broad Street within the area you cover?
Yes. Broad Street is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there as you book.
What does ponding on a flat roof mean?
Ponding is worth looking into. It often means a blocked outlet, poor falls or a dipping deck, and it wears the covering faster. We record where it sits and the likely cause.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so whoever owns or manages the building needs to agree access. We inspect only the parts we are allowed to reach.
What does the report include?
It sets out what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, with photographs throughout. Anything we couldn’t see safely is noted too, so you know exactly what was covered.
Do you give a life expectancy for the roof?
There’s no honest way to give an exact number of years. As a guide, felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM often 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30, but the report tells you how your roof is really doing.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you when you book.
Different roofs, different checks
EPDM rubber
EPDM is a synthetic rubber membrane, often laid in a single sheet on smaller roofs. The survey looks at laps, edge trims, corners and signs of puncture.
Mastic asphalt
Older asphalt can become brittle and crack as the roof moves. The report shows where it is cracking and how far it seems to extend.