West Sussex · London and the South East
Flat roof survey in East Dean, West Sussex
We take a careful look at the flat roof at your property in East Dean, and put it all in a written report with photographs.
- A sagging deck under the covering
- Splits and cracks in the covering
- Pools of water lying on the roof
Should I look at the roof myself first?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Don’t go up yourself.
Flat roof surveys for homes and businesses in East Dean
A flat roof leak frequently travels before it shows on the ceiling. It can run along the deck from a split, an open lap or a failed upstand some distance away. Our survey covers the whole roof, not just the part above the mark, with photos of anything that could be letting water in. A roofer can then start from a clear picture of the problem. If you’ve noticed splits, cracks and crazing and blistering in felt or asphalt, we can find out what’s behind it, on GRP fibreglass, single-ply membranes and upstands and outlets alike.
In a small place like East Dean, a flat roof can stand in the open, so edges, upstands and laps take a beating. Felt roofs, which often last around 15–20 years, usually show it first. Rubber and GRP last longer, though trims and joints still need a look. On an exposed roof, the edges tend to go first.
The written findings come by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Location
- East Dean (PO18)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What a flat roof survey doesn’t cover
It’s useful to know what a survey won’t do before booking:
- What’s under the membrane without opening it up
- An exact number of years the roof has left
- Testing older roof sheets for asbestos
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will suggest the right survey. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in East Dean
- EPDM rubber
- Mastic asphalt
- GRP fibreglass
- Felt flat roofs
- Upstands and outlets
- Single-ply membranes
Flat roof surveys around East Dean
Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. Flat roofs fill the gaps in between, on extensions, garages, dormers and business premises. With West Dean House about 2.6 miles west, East Dean sits in an area with a long building history. 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 the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
East Dean is about 6 miles north-east of Chichester, in West Sussex. From houses to flats and shops in East Dean, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. East Dean is one of the places in West Sussex we cover for flat roof surveys. There is also a page for Portsmouth.
Here we cover the PO18 postcode area for flat roof surveys. We offer flat roof surveys to properties on Main Road, Chapel Row and Charlton Road. Neighbouring places we cover for flat roof surveys include Charlton (1 mile west), Singleton (2 miles west), West Dean (3 miles west), Heyshott (3 miles north) and Cocking (3 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Worthing (15 miles south-east), Bognor Regis (8 miles south), Chichester (6 miles south-west), Selsey (13 miles south), Littlehampton (11 miles south-east) and Emsworth (10 miles south-west).
What’s near East Dean
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Star And Garter Public House, among other places. Well-known places in the area include Weald and Downland Gridshell (1.8 miles west) and Chichester Centre (5 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Graffham Common and Levin Down.
Do you need a flat roof survey in East Dean?
Every flat roof covering has a working life. Around 15 to 20 years is common for felt, while EPDM frequently lasts 30 to 50 years and GRP up to about 30, although how well it was laid and looked after matters a great deal. A survey shows how yours is holding up, whatever its age.
We’re frequently asked to look at:
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
- Splits and cracks in the covering
- Water getting in at rooflights
- Outlets that hold water back
The streets around a church such as The Parish Church of All Saints are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among 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.
What to check before booking
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Whether VAT is added on top
- How long the report takes to arrive
- What exactly goes into their report
More services for East Dean
For landlords and managing agents
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps with budgets and planning.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the addresses.
The survey, step by step
The visit has one job: to see as much of the flat roof as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It usually takes an hour or two at a typical home, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. In a hamlet or village like East Dean, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- We start with the address and, on larger roofs, the roof area and access.
- 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.
- You get a report setting out the condition and our recommendations, in order of urgency.
Before the survey
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Leave side gates unlocked
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Booking a survey
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and give us a few details about the property and we’ll recommend the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Read more
Useful tips for East Dean property owners
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Plan a survey before the covering reaches the end of its usual life
- Check ceilings under the roof for damp patches
- File the paperwork for the roof and any repairs
- 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 what we found.
After heavy rain, look at the roof from an upstairs window if you can. Water still lying a day or two later is worth getting looked at.
East Dean: your questions answered
Is my home in East Dean listed or in a conservation area?
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.
Will you come out to East Dean?
Yes, we do. We cover the whole of London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
What’s in the survey report?
It sets out what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, with photographs throughout. It also says if any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We carry out surveys seven days a week. To arrange a date, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Will you check the loft?
If the survey needs it and the loft space can be reached safely, yes. A clear path to the hatch helps.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Tell us about it as you book and we will plan the survey around it.
Is ponding on a flat roof a problem?
Ponding is worth looking into. It can point to blocked outlets, poor falls or a deck that is sagging, and it wears the covering faster. We record where it sits and the likely cause.