Greater London · London and the South East
Flat roof survey in Downe, Greater London
Surveys of flat roofs on homes, extensions and commercial buildings around Downe, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Standing water left after rain
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
- Splits, cracks and crazing
About our flat roof survey in Downe
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. Where the deck may be a structural issue, our report says a structural engineer should look at it. If you’ve noticed blistering in felt or asphalt and edge trims that have lifted or split, we can find out what’s behind it, on GRP fibreglass, EPDM rubber and felt flat roofs alike.
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 block or conversion in Downe, the flat roof is often a shared part of the building.
The report is written in plain words, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Each point is backed by a photo where possible.
- Place
- Downe (BR6)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. Most surveys take between one and two hours for a house, and more on a big or complicated roof. In converted houses and mansion blocks, the loft hatch is often on a shared landing. Where that is the case, access needs agreeing with whoever controls that landing. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- We agree the roof to be surveyed, its use and any leaks you know about.
- 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.
- We photograph and record the outlets, upstands, trims and rooflights.
- A written report with photos and recommendations is emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Let us know about parking near the property
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Arrange a survey
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
Read more
What affects the cost of flat roof surveys
Not every roof costs the same to survey, and it comes down to:
- The shape of the roof and its details
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both with VAT included. We confirm the exact price before you book.
Getting in touch
These details help when you contact us:
- The property’s address and postcode
- When you need the report by
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
When you’re ready to go ahead, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Downe
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or email us with the addresses.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Downe. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
FAQs for Downe
Do you carry out roof surveys in Downe?
Yes, Downe is within the area we cover. We cover the whole of London and South East England. You can ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details.
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Downe?
It depends on the street. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and visible signs like sagging are noted, but we don’t provide calculations or an engineer’s opinion. The report will say if you need an engineer.
How many years has my flat roof got left?
We don’t put a figure on it. Typical ranges are around 15 to 20 years for felt, 30 to 50 for EPDM and up to about 30 for GRP, but your report describes the actual condition.
Can you survey any kind of flat roof?
Felt, mastic asphalt, EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass and single-ply membranes are all part of the work. We record what the covering is and how it is holding up.
Is a flat roof survey the same as a building survey?
No. We look closely at the flat roof rather than the whole building. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it, and it is not a structural engineer’s report.
What’s the best way to book?
Just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We will ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date, weekday or weekend.
Do you need a flat roof survey in Downe?
Water that does not drain sits on the roof and speeds up wear. It normally comes from poor falls, a blocked outlet or a deck that has dipped. Leaves and silt from nearby trees can soon choke an outlet.
People normally book a survey when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Cracked or split membrane
- Blisters and bubbles in the covering
- Ponding water that does not drain away
- Failed upstands where the roof meets a wall
Take a building like Downe Primary School: large flat roofs, common on schools and other public buildings, need their outlets, upstands and coverings checked regularly.
Questions to ask before you book
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
Towns and villages near Downe
What else we do in Downe
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Keep outlets clear of leaves and moss
- Treat rooflights and old sheeting as fragile
- Ask whoever fits equipment on the roof to make good the covering
- Limit foot traffic on the covering
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer, the seller or a managing agent. It’s written in plain English, with a photograph of each defect, so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Try not to let a flat roof become a walkway. If access is needed, boards or walkways help protect the covering, and remind them never to step on rooflights or fragile sheets.
Flat roofs in Downe
About 0.6 miles south lies Down House, a reminder of how long the area around Downe 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, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Further from the centre, London’s housing takes in interwar semis with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles as well as slate-roofed terraces. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. Mixed in with those pitched roofs are a good many flat ones, over rear extensions, dormers, garages and shops.
The streets around a church like St Mary's Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, later flat-roofed additions are common on older houses, and their edges and upstands often show the first signs of wear. If you let a flat or house near Chelsfield station, a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak.
Downe is about 4 miles south-west of Orpington, in Greater London. Bookings from Downe are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Across Greater London, we cover Downe and the places around it. There’s also a page for London.
Postcode districts we cover here for flat roof surveys: BR6. Whether your property is on High Street, North End Lane and Belle Vue Road or a nearby road, we can help. We also cover Farthing Street (1 mile north-west), Hazelwood (1 mile east), Luxted (1 mile south), Leaves Green (1 mile west) and Single Street (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover London (13 miles north-west), City of Westminster (15 miles north-west), Marylebone (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (15 miles north-west), Shoreditch (14 miles north-west) and Hoxton (15 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Downe
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Queens Head pub, Charles Darwin School and South Park, among other places. The closest station to Downe is Chelsfield station, about 2.6 miles north-east. Nearby you’ll also find Crofton Roman Villa (2.7 miles north-east) and Princess Royal University Hospital (1.8 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Downe Bank Nature Reserve and Betsom's Hill.
Leave it or get it looked at?
For a buyer, the best time to learn about a flat roof is before contracts are exchanged. Once you’ve exchanged, any work on the roof is down to you. A report gives you facts to put to the seller or agent. Behind a London parapet, a blocked gutter can sit full of water without anyone seeing it. When the stain finally shows, the damage underneath is often older than it looks.
All our prices include VAT. Prices start from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for your survey before booking.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Downe
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
Read what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.