West Sussex · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in Colgate
Surveys of flat roofs on homes, extensions and commercial buildings in Colgate, using drones and thermal imaging where it applies. Call or email for a price.
- Dips that suggest the deck is deflecting
- Standing water left after rain
- Failed upstands where the roof meets a wall
What a flat roof survey looks like in Colgate
Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. Mixed in with those pitched roofs are lots of flat ones, over rear extensions, dormers, garages and shops. Tyes Place, about 4.5 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Colgate. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Take a building like Colgate Primary School: a large flat roof with a good many outlets and rooflights has many places where a membrane can fail. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near County Mall, flat roofs over shops and units are easy to forget until water comes through a ceiling.
Colgate is about 3 miles south-west of Crawley, in West Sussex. Wherever you are in Colgate, we can carry out flat roof surveys at your property. Colgate is one of the places in West Sussex where we work.
We cover every part of the RH13 and RH12 postcode area for flat roof surveys. Streets in the area include Forest Road, Vicarage Close and Blackhouse Road. Neighbouring places we cover for flat roof surveys include Kilnwood Vale (1 mile north), Faygate (1 mile north-west), Broadfield (2 miles north-east), Roffey (2 miles west) and Handcross (3 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Crawley (3 miles north-east), Horsham (4 miles west), Haywards Heath (9 miles south-east), Burgess Hill (10 miles south-east), East Grinstead (11 miles east) and Storrington (14 miles south-west).
Around Colgate
Around Colgate, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Dragon pub, Target Hill Park and Cottesmore School and the streets around them. Colgate’s nearest station is Faygate station, about 1.3 miles north-west. Nearby you’ll also find Crawley Museum (3.4 miles north-east) and County Mall (3.4 miles north-east). The countryside around Colgate includes Tilgate Lake and Warnham LNR.
Flat roof survey in Colgate: what you get
A Basic Survey, from £150, covers a visual inspection, a condition report, photos and written recommendations. The Standard Survey, from £250, adds moisture detection and a structural check. Moisture readings are useful on flat roofs, where water can spread under the covering before it shows inside. Bigger commercial roofs are priced on their size and access. We survey felt flat roofs, single-ply membranes and EPDM rubber, and people most often book us about outlets choked with leaves and silt and gaps at upstands and abutments.
Flat roofs on exposed homes in small places like Colgate take more wind and rain, so edges, upstands and laps take a beating. Felt roofs, which often last around 15–20 years, typically show it first. EPDM rubber and GRP coverings last longer, but their edges and joints still need checking. On an exposed roof, the edges tend to go first.
We write the report in plain English, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Each point is backed by a photo where possible.
- Location
- Colgate (RH13, RH12)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from the ground
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Water spilling over the edge can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Questions from Colgate
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Colgate?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Do you cover smaller places like Colgate?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Do you need to get into the loft?
Usually, if there is one and it can be reached safely. The roof space can show things the outside can’t, like damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys run seven days a week. To find a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Are you insured?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
What does the report include?
Written findings with photos, covering the condition of the flat roof, the defects we found and what we recommend, in order of urgency where relevant. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
Tips from our surveys
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Keep people off the roof unless they need to be there
- Keep outlets clear of leaves and moss
- Check from a window for ponding after heavy rain
- Note the date and type of any roof work
Buyers can take the findings back to the seller or the agent. You might ask for work to be done before completion, or discuss the price, depending on what we found.
Clear leaves and silt from outlets and gutters, above all in autumn. A flat roof that drains well wears much more slowly.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Colgate and across West Sussex can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Nearby places to Colgate
Other services in Colgate
What a survey costs
When we price a survey, we consider:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Roof area
For a price for your roof in Colgate, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and tell us about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
What we need to know
We’ll normally ask about:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
We survey roofs on weekdays and at weekends. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
What we are asked to look at in Colgate
The surface of a flat roof heats up and cools down far more than the rooms below. This constant movement works at laps, seams and board joints, and in time it can open up splits and cracks. Older coverings that have lost their flexibility are the most likely to suffer.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Loose or cracked edge trims
- Blistering in felt or asphalt
- Water getting in at rooflights
- Failed upstands where the roof meets a wall
The streets around a church such as St. Saviour's Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, any flat roof added at the back or on a dormer is likely to be far younger, and less durable, than the main roof.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Which limits apply to the survey
- When you’ll get the report
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
What we do, step by step
We don’t take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In a hamlet or village like Colgate, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- We start with the details: the address, the roof’s use and any leaks or stains.
- We view the roof from the ground, from windows and from the roof where it’s safe to do so.
- We check and photograph the covering, the falls, the upstands, the outlets, the trims and any rooflights.
- Where there is safe access, we look at the ceilings and spaces below for signs of water.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Booking a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will ask a few questions about the roof. You will have a price before anything is arranged.