Greater London · London and the South East
Flat roof survey in Finchley, Greater London
Surveys of flat roofs on homes, extensions and commercial buildings in Finchley, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Failed seals around rooflight kerbs
- Blocked or damaged outlets
- A sagging deck under the covering
How a flat roof survey works in Finchley
Many commercial buildings and blocks of flats have big flat roofs. A survey of a roof this size picks out worn covering, standing water and outlets that need attention. The photographed record helps you plan and budget for work. We quote commercial roofs on their size and how they’re reached, so it helps if you ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a rough idea of the roof area. If you’ve noticed damaged trims at the roof edge and raised blisters across the surface, we can find out what’s behind it.
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 Finchley, the flat roof is often a shared part of the building.
It is not only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can decide what to do next.
- Place
- Finchley (N3, N2, N12, NW11)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Common roof problems in Finchley
No flat roof covering lasts for ever. Felt roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, EPDM often 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.
Look out for signs like these:
- Splits, cracks and crazing
- Ponding water that does not drain away
- Failed seals around rooflight kerbs
- Upstands pulling away from walls
If you own a rental within reach of New Southgate station, the flat roof over a let home is worth a look before it becomes a tenant complaint.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Which limits apply to the survey
- What experience they bring
- What exactly goes into their report
- What insurance they carry
FAQs for Finchley
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Finchley?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when booking. That way the visit can be planned around it.
Do you cover Finchley?
Yes, Finchley is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Finchley as anywhere else.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are frequently shared, so we need permission from the building owner or managing agent. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys run on any day of the week. To arrange a date, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and it’s safe, yes. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
How long is the visit?
Expect it to take about 1–2 hours for a house, and more on a big or complicated roof. The written report follows by email, on the timescale of your package.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We’re roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it doesn’t include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we’ll recommend one.
What happens on the day
Every visit follows the same pattern: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and record our findings for the written report. It normally takes about 1–2 hours for a small flat roof at home, and longer for a large commercial one. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, tell us when booking.
- We start with the address and, on larger roofs, the roof area and access.
- We check the rooms or spaces under the roof for staining where there is access.
- We view the roof from safe positions and never walk on fragile surfaces.
- We record every defect with a photo and its likely cause.
- The report explains the condition and recommends what to do first.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets in another room
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Leave side gates unlocked
Getting a price
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from the ground or a window; never climb up to get a better view. To get started, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Related advice
How the survey changes by roof type
Felt and built-up roofs
On felt, the upstands and edge details often fail before the main surface. We check each one and photograph any that have split or pulled away.
Mastic asphalt
Mastic asphalt is a heavy, seamless covering often found on older blocks, balconies and commercial roofs. The survey checks for crazing, cracking, blistering and splits where the asphalt turns up the walls.
What we can’t see
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- A fixed date for when the roof will need replacing
- Asbestos testing, which needs a specialist asbestos surveyor
- Parts of the roof that are not safe to walk on or view
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will recommend the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Felt flat roofs
- Mastic asphalt
- GRP fibreglass
- Single-ply membranes
- Upstands and outlets
- EPDM rubber
Towns and villages near Finchley
Also in Finchley
Why act early in Finchley
Ponding seldom gets better on its own. It typically points to an outlet, the falls or a sagging deck, and every wet spell adds to the wear. Knowing the cause early gives you more choice over what to do. Many older London roofs have only old felt under the slates, or no underlay at all, so once the slates or flashings let water past, little stops it reaching ceilings. Left unchecked, water soaks into timber and plaster and the damage spreads.
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
What you get with us
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Packages from £150, with VAT included
- Photos and a written report every time
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
Read how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
Tips that help
There is plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Check ceilings under the roof for damp patches
- Note the date and type of any roof work
- Make sure new fixings through the roof are properly sealed
- Note where water lies after a downpour
You get the report by email and can pass it to a roofer, your solicitor, the seller or your managing agent. It’s written in plain English, with a photo of each defect, so others can follow it without going up to look.
Book a survey every few years, and again after new fixings, units or rooflights go in. You will spot changes early and have a record to look back on.
Local flat roofs in Finchley
Heath Hall, about 1.8 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Finchley. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older 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. Alongside them, flat-roofed extensions, dormers, garages and commercial units are common almost everywhere.
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. Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for Finchley, along with any off-street space.
Finchley is about 6 miles north of City of Westminster, in Greater London. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Finchley can all book flat roof surveys. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
Every address in N3, N2, N12 and NW11 is within our area for flat roof surveys. You’ll find streets like Station Road, Chaplin Square and Market Place, and we cover them all. Finchley is on the B1462, which makes it simple to reach. Neighbouring places we cover for flat roof surveys include Church End (1 mile west), Woodside Park (1 mile north), North Finchley (1 mile north), Friern Barnet (2 miles north-east) and Oakleigh Park (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover London (8 miles south-east), City of Westminster (6 miles south), Marylebone (6 miles south), Kensington (7 miles south), St Pancras (6 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (7 miles south-east).
What’s near Finchley
Around Finchley, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Elephant Inn, Bishop Douglass School and Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum and the streets around them. Other local landmarks include Victoria Park (within half a mile north) and Woodhouse College (1 mile north-east). The closest station to Finchley is New Southgate station, roughly 1.9 miles north-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Finchley Memorial Hospital (within half a mile north-east) and Grand Arcade (1 mile north). Open spaces near Finchley include Highgate Hill and Lakeside Nature Reserve.