Greater London · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in East Finchley
Surveys of flat roofs on homes, extensions and commercial buildings for East Finchley, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Standing water left after rain
- Loose or cracked edge trims
- Upstands pulling away from walls
Roof by roof
Single-ply membranes
Many offices, units and newer flats have a single-ply PVC or TPO roof. The survey looks at welded seams, edges, fixings and signs of damage.
Mastic asphalt
Asphalt roofs are common on older flats, walkways and commercial buildings. We look for crazing, cracks, blisters and splits at the skirtings.
Flat roof survey in East Finchley
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. On a flat roof, moisture readings can help show whether water has got under the covering. Larger commercial roofs are quoted for their size. If you are worried about water getting in at rooflights and raised blisters across the surface, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on mastic asphalt, felt flat roofs and EPDM rubber alike.
On a London roof terrace or a flat roof over a back addition, water often runs under the covering before it shows. Upstands against parapets, outlets and the edge where flat meets pitched are common entry points. In a block or conversion in East Finchley, the flat roof is often a shared part of the building.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- East Finchley (N2, N3, NW11)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to East Finchley
Other services in East Finchley
How the survey works
We don’t take risks to get a closer look. We inspect whatever is safely visible, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. Most visits take an hour or two for a house, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. In a London area like East Finchley, the main things to sort out are parking and access: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. We then look at everything that’s safely in view from ground level, windows, the loft and, where it’s safe, the roof itself.
- We start with the details: the address, the roof’s use and any leaks or stains.
- We check the roof from wherever it can safely be seen.
- The covering, falls, upstands, outlets, edge trims and rooflights are checked and photographed.
- We check the rooms or spaces under the roof for staining where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Booking a survey
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email when you’re ready.
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What a flat roof survey looks like in East Finchley
Outer London has plenty of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. 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 lots of flat ones, over rear extensions, dormers, garages and shops. Historic houses such as Heath Hall, about 1.1 miles south, show how far back building in the area around East Finchley goes. Older homes in the wider area often 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.
Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for East Finchley, along with any off-street space. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for example near Grand Arcade, the flat roofs over shops and commercial units are worth checking before a leak, not after. Anyone responsible for a site like Holy Trinity CofE Primary School will know that a large flat roof with a good many outlets and rooflights has many places where a membrane can fail.
East Finchley is about 5 miles north of Marylebone, in Greater London. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in East Finchley can all book flat roof surveys. East Finchley is one of the towns and villages in Greater London we cover for flat roof surveys. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Every address in N2, N3 and NW11 is covered for flat roof surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Oak Lane, Maya Road and High Road. Main roads around East Finchley include the A1. Nearby, we also carry out flat roof surveys in Hampstead Garden Suburb (1 mile south-west), Fortis Green (1 mile east), Temple Fortune (1 mile south-west), Muswell Hill (1 mile east) and Golders Green (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (7 miles south-east), City of Westminster (5 miles south), Marylebone (5 miles south), Kensington (6 miles south), St Pancras (5 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (6 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in East Finchley
Around East Finchley, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Tollington School, Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum and Bishop Douglass School Finchley. Also close by are Lyttelton Playing Fields (0.5 miles south) and The Bald Faced Stag pub (0.5 miles east). East Finchley’s nearest station is New Southgate station, about 2.2 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include Grand Arcade (1.6 miles north) and Jewish Museum - Finchley (0.7 miles north-west). The countryside around East Finchley includes Highgate Hill and Long Lane Pasture.
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.
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That part is for a survey.
Surveys for landlords and agents in East Finchley
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work.
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners. A written report with photos gives you a clear record of the flat roof.
Leave it or get it looked at?
If you are buying, find out about the flat roof before you exchange. After that, the cost of any work is yours. A report gives you facts to put to the seller or agent. In East Finchley, as across London, an overflowing gutter soaks the wall below, which can lead to damp inside. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why book with us
- An independent view of the roof
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Questions from East Finchley
Do you cover East Finchley?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Is parking a problem for a survey in East Finchley?
It depends on the street. If East Finchley has controlled parking where you are, a visitor permit is the easiest answer.
Do you take photos of the roof?
Yes. Photographs are taken throughout the survey, and they go into the written report alongside our recommendations.
Do you look for flat roof leaks?
The survey covers the covering and all the details where leaks typically begin, recording anything that could let water through. Where the source isn’t obvious, a roof leak investigation or electronic leak detection may be the next step.
Do you survey commercial flat roofs?
Yes. Offices, units, shops and blocks of flats are all part of our work. We quote bigger roofs on their size and how they’re reached, so ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address.
Can you test old roof sheets for asbestos?
We do not carry out asbestos surveys. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos, for example in cement roof sheets. We note anything that could contain it, and a specialist asbestos surveyor should check it before it’s disturbed.
What’s in the survey report?
It explains what we saw, what it means and what we’d suggest, with photographs throughout. Anything we couldn’t see safely is noted too, so you know exactly what was covered.
Tips that help
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Check that new brackets or units haven’t damaged the covering
- Clear roof outlets and gutters each autumn
- Never stand on rooflights or fragile sheeting
- Note where water lies after a downpour
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. You stay in control of who does the work and when.
Get splits, lifted seams and loose trims seen to while they’re small. A flat roof that is looked after between surveys usually lasts longer.