Surrey · London and the South East
Burpham Flat Roof Survey
An experienced roof surveyor for flat roof surveys in Burpham. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
- Pools of water lying on the roof
- Signs of deflection in the roof deck
Useful tips for Burpham property owners
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Keep outlets clear of leaves and moss
- Look for standing water a day after rain
- Plan a survey before the covering reaches the end of its usual life
- Treat rooflights and old sheeting as fragile
Many people send the report to two or three roofers for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare. It is your choice who carries out the work and when.
Keep outlets, gutters and hoppers clear, particularly after the leaves fall. Water that can drain away does far less harm than water that sits.
Flat roof survey in Burpham: what you get
Standing water is one of the first things we look for on a flat roof. It can mean the falls were never right, an outlet is blocked or the deck has started to sag. The survey notes any ponding, the state of each outlet and any dips that hint at a sagging deck. If the deck itself looks like a structural concern, we’ll recommend a structural engineer. We survey upstands and outlets, single-ply membranes and GRP fibreglass, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are outlets that hold water back and pools of water lying on the roof.
In a smaller place like Burpham, some flat roofs sit in the open, so wind catches loose edges and trims. Sun on a flat roof also ages felt and bitumen. Splits, blisters and lifting edges are what to look out for, along with water that sits after rain. Standing water that lingers for days after rain is another sign worth watching for.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Where
- Burpham (GU4, GU1)
- Wider area
- Surrey
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we cannot see
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Keep these in mind:
- What’s under the membrane without opening it up
- Structural calculations, which need a structural engineer
- An exact number of years the roof has left
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll suggest the right survey before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Burpham
- EPDM rubber
- Felt flat roofs
- Mastic asphalt
- Single-ply membranes
- GRP fibreglass
- Upstands and outlets
Flat roof surveys in Burpham: local notes
Older houses across Surrey frequently have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging. Some old buildings in Surrey and Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Flat roofs fill the gaps in between, on extensions, garages, dormers and business premises. About 1.7 miles east lies Clandon Park, a reminder of how long the area around Burpham has been built on. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years.
If you let a flat or house near London Road (Guildford) station, the flat roof over a let home is worth a look before it becomes a tenant complaint. If you live in an older home near Church of the Holy Spirit, the flat roofs on later extensions tend to wear out long before the main roof.
Burpham is about 1 mile north-east of Guildford, in Surrey. We cover Burpham and the rest of Surrey, as part of our work across London and South East England. Burpham is one of the places in Surrey where we work for flat roof surveys.
Here we cover the GU4 and GU1 postcode area for flat roof surveys. Streets in the area include Clay Lane, Wells Road and London Road. We also cover the places around Burpham: Merrow (1 mile south-east), Jacobs Well (1 mile north-west), Abbotswood (1 mile south-west), Guildford (1 mile south-west) and Bellfields (1 mile west). We also work in nearby towns like Woking (4 miles north), Camberley (10 miles north-west), Epsom (13 miles north-east), Farnham (11 miles west), Ewell (14 miles north-east) and Egham (12 miles north).
Around Burpham
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Burpham Foundation Primary School, Riverside Park and St Peter's Catholic School. The nearest railway station is London Road (Guildford) station, about 1.4 miles south-west. Other landmarks nearby include Guildford Castle (2 miles south-west) and Surrey Infantry Museum (1.4 miles east). Open spaces near Burpham include Silent Pool and Pewley Down.
How the survey changes by roof type
Felt and built-up roofs
Many extensions, garages and dormers have a felt roof laid in layers. The survey checks for blisters, cracks, open laps and bare patches where the surfacing has worn.
EPDM rubber
Rubber roofs can shrink back from their edges or lift where the adhesive has failed. Any we find are noted and photographed.
Towns and villages near Burpham
Also in Burpham
How the survey works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes roughly 1–2 hours for a small flat roof at home, and longer for a large commercial one. You’re welcome to ask questions while we are there. Being in a smaller place like Burpham doesn’t change how the visit works: outside, inside and from any safe vantage point, in that order. It is useful to show us anything you’ve already noticed.
- You send us the address and, for commercial roofs, an idea of the roof’s size.
- Inside, we look for signs of water under the roof where we can reach.
- We view the roof from safe positions and never walk on fragile surfaces.
- We record every defect with a photo and its likely cause.
- The report explains the condition and recommends what to do first.
Preparing for the visit
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
How to book
When you are ready to go ahead, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Advice
Common questions in Burpham
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Burpham?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Is Burpham within the area you cover?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Does a flat roof survey replace a RICS survey?
No. It is a closer look at the flat roof, not a survey of the whole property. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it, and it isn’t a structural engineer’s report.
Do you check flat roofs for 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.
What does ponding on a flat roof mean?
Standing water on a flat roof deserves a closer look. It can point to blocked outlets, poor falls or a deck that is sagging, and water that sits wears the covering sooner. Our survey notes the ponding and what seems to be causing it.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
What will the report tell me?
A report with photos, explaining the condition of the flat roof, any defects and our recommendations, with the most urgent first where relevant. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
What you can safely check yourself
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
It’s useful to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.
When to book a survey in Burpham
People go onto flat roofs for all sorts of reasons: to clean windows, fit aerials or air conditioning units, or reach a gutter. A covering that wasn’t designed for foot traffic can crack or puncture. Fixings added through the covering often start leaks too.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Standing water left after rain
- Water getting in at rooflights
- Blistering in felt or asphalt
- Outlets choked with leaves and silt
Take a building like George Abbot School: a large flat roof with lots of outlets and rooflights has many places where a membrane can fail.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- What happens after the report arrives
- Their track record with similar roofs
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos