West Sussex · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in East Lavant
Wondering about the flat roof at a property in East Lavant? You can book a flat roof survey in East Lavant and across West Sussex, with plain-English findings.
- Damaged trims at the roof edge
- Blocked or damaged outlets
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
Different roofs, different checks
Single-ply membranes
Single-ply PVC and TPO membranes are common on commercial roofs and newer buildings. The survey looks at welded seams, edges, fixings and signs of damage.
EPDM rubber
EPDM is a synthetic rubber membrane, frequently laid in a single sheet on smaller roofs. The survey looks at laps, edge trims, corners and signs of puncture.
Flat roof survey in East Lavant: what you get
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. If the deck itself looks like a structural concern, we will recommend a structural engineer. Common reasons to book are failed upstands where the roof meets a wall and standing water left after rain, across mastic asphalt, single-ply membranes and EPDM rubber.
In a small place like East Lavant, a flat roof can stand in the open, which is hard on edges, upstands and joins in the covering. Felt roofs, which often last around 15–20 years, normally 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.
After the visit, you get a written report with photos, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the flat roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Where
- East Lavant (PO18)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What you can safely check yourself
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Tips that help
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Note where water lies after a downpour
- Keep clear of rooflights and fragile roof sheets
- Ask whoever fits equipment on the roof to make good the covering
- Note any new marks on ceilings beneath the roof
Many people send the report to two or three roofers for quotes. With each roofer working from the same list, comparing quotes is simpler. You stay in control of who does the work and when.
Clear leaves and silt from outlets and gutters, above all in autumn. Water that can drain away does far less harm than water that sits.
How the survey works
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes between one and two hours for most houses, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Somewhere as small as East Lavant, access is frequently the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- First you give us the address, what the roof covers and any leaks you’ve noticed.
- The roof is inspected from safe viewpoints, and from the roof itself where that is safe.
- Every part of the roof we can see is looked at: covering, falls, upstands, outlets, trims and rooflights.
- 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.
Before we arrive
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Getting a price
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Advice
Flat and commercial roofs around East Lavant
Historic houses such as Goodwood House, about 1.5 miles east, show how far back building in the area around East Lavant goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters. Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. Next to the main roofs there is typically a flat roof somewhere, whether on an extension, a garage or a commercial unit.
Landlords with a home close to Chichester station may find that flat roofs on let property tend to be checked only when they fail, which is the costly way round. Take an older house close to Church of St Mary: flat-roofed rear additions and dormers added over the years are worth checking.
East Lavant is about 2 miles north of Chichester, in West Sussex. From houses to flats and shops in East Lavant, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Across West Sussex, we cover East Lavant. Our Portsmouth page covers surveys nearby.
We cover every part of PO18 for flat roof surveys and the streets around it. Streets in the area include Pook Lane, Fordwater Road and Shop Lane. Close by, we survey roofs in Mid Lavant (1 mile north-west), Westerton (2 miles south-east), Westhampnett (2 miles south-east), Waterbeach (2 miles east) and Maudlin (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Bognor Regis (7 miles south-east), Selsey (9 miles south), Littlehampton (11 miles east), Emsworth (7 miles west), Rustington (12 miles east) and Storrington (15 miles east).
Landmarks near East Lavant
We work in homes and buildings around The Royal Oak Public House and Bishop Luffa School and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Chichester station, roughly 2.5 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Chichester Castle (2 miles south) and The Chichester City Museum (2.1 miles south). For a walk, there is Stoke Down and Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve.
Common roof problems in East Lavant
A flat roof lies open to sun, rain and frost, and water drains off it slowly. In time, the covering dries out, cracks and loosens at its edges and laps. Most people book a survey after a leak, before buying, or when they think the roof is getting old.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Upstands pulling away from walls
- Splits and cracks in the covering
- Water getting in at rooflights
- Pools of water lying on the roof
Take a building like Lavant CofE Primary School: schools and public buildings often have big flat roofs, and their outlets and upstands need regular checks.
Before you book anyone
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- Their insurance cover
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
Honest limits
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- A promise that the roof will not leak in future
- A structural engineer’s assessment of the deck
- Hidden layers beneath the covering
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you before booking. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Single-ply membranes
- GRP fibreglass
- Upstands and outlets
- Mastic asphalt
- Felt flat roofs
- EPDM rubber
East Lavant questions
Is East Lavant within the area you cover?
Yes, East Lavant is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Do you cover East Lavant?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We’re experienced roof surveyors, and visible signs like sagging are noted, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. The report will say if you need an engineer.
How experienced are you?
We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
What does ponding on a flat roof mean?
Water that lies on a flat roof for days is a sign that something needs attention. It could be the outlets, the falls or a deflecting deck. The survey looks at each and records the likely cause.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access.
What will the report tell me?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos, finishing with recommendations. The most urgent items are made clear.