Greater London · London and the South East
Canning Town Flat Roof Survey
Surveys of flat roofs on homes, extensions and commercial buildings in Canning Town, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
- Blistering in felt or asphalt
- Cracked or split membrane
When to book a survey in Canning Town
Flat roofs often get walked on for other jobs: 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. New brackets and fixings through the roof are another common source of leaks.
We are often asked to look at:
- Failed seals around rooflight kerbs
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
- Blisters and bubbles in the covering
- Outlets that hold water back
Anyone responsible for a site like Rosetta Primary School will know that schools and public buildings often have big flat roofs, and their outlets and upstands need regular checks.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Is VAT included in the price?
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- How long the report takes to arrive
Flat roof survey in Canning Town: what you get
Buying a home with a flat-roofed extension, dormer or garage? It helps to know that roof’s condition before you exchange. Felt roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, while EPDM and GRP frequently last longer. We set out the type of covering, its condition and the defects we found, with a photo of every defect. That gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. If you’ve noticed a sagging deck under the covering and failed upstands where the roof meets a wall, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
On a London roof terrace or a flat roof over a back addition, water often runs under the covering before it shows. Outlets, upstands against parapet walls and joins with the main roof are frequent culprits. In a converted house in Canning Town, the roof above may belong to the building rather than one flat.
What you get is a clear record of the flat roof on the day we saw it. It’s useful right away, and a good reference for later, for instance when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Place
- Canning Town (E16, E13, E6)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near Canning Town
Also in Canning Town
Tips that help
Nothing here needs a ladder. Our suggestions:
- Keep people off the roof unless they need to be there
- Look for standing water a day after rain
- Clear roof outlets and gutters each autumn
- Ask whoever fits equipment on the roof to make good the covering
After the visit, we write up the report with photographs of what we found. It explains the covering, its condition and every defect, and what we recommend. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Small defects are simpler to deal with while they’re still small. Prompt repairs tend to add years to a flat roof.
What we do, step by step
The aim of the visit is simple: to see as much of the flat roof as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Notes and photos go into the written report. It typically takes roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no side access, so the back of the roof is frequently seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents when booking.
- 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 is safe.
- We check the covering for splits, blisters, ponding and wear.
- Upstands, outlets, edge trims and rooflights are checked and photographed.
- A written report with photos and recommendations is emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
Booking a survey
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form when you’re ready.
Read more
When you need someone else
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- A structural engineer’s assessment of the deck
- Asbestos testing, which needs a specialist asbestos surveyor
- Parts of the roof that are not safe to walk on or view
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will point you to the right survey. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in Canning Town
- EPDM rubber
- Upstands and outlets
- Mastic asphalt
- Single-ply membranes
- Felt flat roofs
- GRP fibreglass
Questions from Canning Town
Do you look at commercial flat roofs near Canning Town, like hotels?
Yes, commercial buildings, hotels included, are part of the work. Roof access is agreed with the building manager or owner beforehand.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Canning Town?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Do you cover Canning Town for flat roof surveys?
Yes. We carry out flat roof surveys in Canning Town, and the service is the same as everywhere else we work.
How much does a flat roof survey cost in Canning Town?
Flat roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Our Basic Survey starts from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Tell us which days suit you when booking.
Does the weather affect the survey?
A survey can typically go ahead in light rain. Strong wind or a downpour can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so if conditions aren’t right we will arrange another day with you.
Do I need to be at home?
Not necessarily. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Flat roof surveys around Canning Town
Queen's House, about 2.7 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Canning Town. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Inner London’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces often have Welsh slate roofs. A butterfly roof with a central valley gutter, tucked behind a parapet wall, is common on these houses. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Flat roofs on extensions, dormers, garages and business units are found alongside them almost everywhere.
The streets around a church such as St Cedd's Church 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 own a rental within reach of Custom House station, the flat roof over a let home is worth a look before it becomes a tenant complaint.
Canning Town is about 5 miles east of London, in Greater London. From houses to flats and shops in Canning Town, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Canning Town is one of the towns and villages in Greater London where we work for flat roof surveys.
We cover every part of E16, E13 and E6 for flat roof surveys and the streets around it. Streets in the area include Ivy Road, Star Lane and Bell Lane, all of which we cover. With the A1020 close by, Canning Town is simple for us to get to. If you are just outside Canning Town, we cover Custom House (1 mile south), Plaistow (1 mile north), Limmo Peninsula (1 mile west), West Silvertown (1 mile south) and Leamouth (1 mile west). Larger places within reach include London (5 miles west), City of Westminster (8 miles west), Marylebone (7 miles west), Kensington (10 miles west), St Pancras (6 miles west) and Shoreditch (5 miles west).
Around Canning Town
Around Canning Town, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Royal Docks Academy, Keir Hardie Park and The Royal Docks Community School and the streets around them. Canning Town has its own railway station: Custom House station. Other landmarks nearby include Greenwich Castle (2.8 miles south-west) and West Ham United Football Club Museum (1.4 miles north-east). For a walk, there is Gilbert's Pit and Hollow Pond.
Why act early in Canning Town
Most flat roofs are out of sight, so they’re easy to forget. Owners often learn the roof is at the end of its life only when it leaks. A survey every few years stops that from catching you out. London’s older roofs frequently have bitumen felt underlay or none at all, so a slipped slate can soon mean water inside. Left alone, that means wet timbers and plaster, which is a far bigger job than the roof fault itself.
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why us?
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- A written report with photographs
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can point to a blockage or a sagging run.