West Sussex · London and the South East
Flat roof survey in Fishbourne, West Sussex
Get a clear view of the flat roof at a property in Fishbourne. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Leaks around rooflights
- Raised blisters across the surface
- Pools of water lying on the roof
Roof by roof
GRP fibreglass
A GRP fibreglass roof is a hard, resin-bonded surface over a timber deck. We look for cracks at board joints, around trims and at upstands.
Felt and built-up roofs
Many extensions, garages and dormers have a felt roof laid in layers. We look for blistering, cracking, split laps and worn mineral surfacing.
About our flat roof survey in Fishbourne
Our Basic Survey, from £150, gives you a visual inspection with photographs and written recommendations. The Standard Survey, from £250, adds moisture detection and a structural check. Moisture readings are useful on flat roofs, where water can spread under the covering before it shows inside. Bigger commercial roofs are priced on their size and access. We survey mastic asphalt, upstands and outlets and single-ply membranes, and common reasons people get in touch are pools of water lying on the roof and upstands pulling away from walls.
Flat roofs in smaller places like Fishbourne can be more exposed, especially where nothing shelters them, so wind catches loose edges and trims. Felt and bitumen also age in strong sun. The signs are splits, blisters and edges coming away, along with water that sits after rain. A flat roof that still holds water days after rain is also worth a closer look.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Location
- Fishbourne (PO19, PO18)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs, emailed to you. On timing, it usually takes about 1–2 hours for an extension, garage or dormer roof, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial flat roof. In a smaller place like Fishbourne, parking is seldom the issue; lanes, gates and long drives are worth mentioning. Low roofs on bungalows can often be seen well from the ground, and the loft shows the rest.
- You send us the address and, for commercial roofs, an idea of the roof’s size.
- 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.
- The report explains the condition and recommends what to do first.
Getting ready for the survey
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
Book a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Advice
Surveys for landlords and agents in Fishbourne
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photos included.
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer, so they’re priced to suit.
Practical tips
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Keep outlets clear of leaves and moss
- Check ceilings under the roof for damp patches
- Check new fixings through the roof are properly sealed
- Have the roof looked at again after a severe storm
If anything in the report is not clear, just ask us. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one, so you can talk the findings through.
Try not to let a flat roof become a walkway. Where someone does need access, ask them to use boards or a protected route, and remind them never to step on rooflights or fragile sheets.
Questions from Fishbourne
Will you come out to Fishbourne?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Fishbourne?
Places near the sea get more wind and more salt in the air than inland, and both are hard on roofs. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Do you give a life expectancy for the roof?
There is no honest way to give an exact number of years. Typical ranges are around 15 to 20 years for felt, 30 to 50 for EPDM and up to about 30 for GRP, but the report tells you how your roof is really doing.
Will you check the loft?
Yes, where the survey calls for it and there is safe access. Inside, we look for damp, staining, gaps and sagging.
Can you test old roof sheets for asbestos?
Our survey doesn’t include asbestos testing. Older buildings, from before 2000, may have asbestos in cement sheets or soffits. We note anything that could contain it, and a specialist asbestos surveyor should check it before it is disturbed.
How long does the survey take?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof; most visits take about 1–2 hours for a house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. The written report follows by email.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, if whoever owns or manages the building agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
Towns and villages near Fishbourne
What else we do in Fishbourne
What we’re asked to look at in Fishbourne
Buyers often book after their home survey suggests a closer look at a flat roof. Owners and managing agents use a survey to plan upkeep, or ahead of a sale or a new lease. Either way, you get a clear record of the roof, with photographs.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Edge trims that have lifted or split
- Raised blisters across the surface
- Failed upstands where the roof meets a wall
- Leaks around rooflights
If you run a hotel or guest house in or near Fishbourne, a roof problem can mean rooms out of use, so it pays to find faults before guests do.
Before you book anyone
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Their report turnaround times
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Will the report include photos?
DIY checks: what’s safe
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. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
What a flat roof survey looks like in Fishbourne
The coast is about 3 miles or less from Fishbourne, so there is more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. On a flat roof near the sea, edge trims and upstands take the brunt of the wind, and metal parts corrode faster. With Goodwood House about 3.9 miles north-east, Fishbourne sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Take a building like Fishbourne CofE Primary School: large flat roofs, common on schools and other public buildings, need their outlets, upstands and coverings checked regularly. If you live in an older home near Church of St Peter and St Mary, the joins between later flat roofs and the old walls are where problems usually start.
Fishbourne is about 1 mile west of Chichester, in West Sussex. Whether the building in Fishbourne is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Our area takes in places right across West Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. Our Portsmouth page covers surveys nearby.
Here we cover the PO19 and PO18 postcode area for flat roof surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Creek End, Palatine Gardens and Claver Gardens and the roads around them. We also cover the places around Fishbourne: Apuldram (1 mile south), Broadbridge (2 miles west), Bosham (2 miles west), East Ashling (2 miles north-west) and Bosham Hoe (2 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns like Bognor Regis (6 miles south-east), Selsey (7 miles south), Littlehampton (12 miles east), Emsworth (6 miles west), Rustington (13 miles east) and Angmering (15 miles east).
Near you in Fishbourne
Typical jobs here are in homes near Central C of E Junior School and Bishop Luffa School and the streets around them. Fishbourne has its own railway station: Fishbourne station. Nearby you will also find Chichester Castle (1.6 miles east) and St Richard's Hospital (1.9 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Stoke Down and Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve.