East Sussex · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in Five Ash Down
Find out the condition of the flat roof at your property in Five Ash Down. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Blisters and bubbles in the covering
- A sagging deck under the covering
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
About our flat roof survey in Five Ash Down
Ponding is often the first sign that something on a flat roof isn’t right. It can point to poor falls, a blocked outlet or a deck that is deflecting. 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’ll recommend a structural engineer. If you’ve noticed leaks around rooflights and blisters and bubbles in the covering, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
In a small place like Five Ash Down, 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, typically show it first. EPDM rubber and GRP coverings last longer, but their edges and joints still need checking. Exposed edges are typically the first part of a flat roof to go.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Location
- Five Ash Down (TN22)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Single-ply membranes
On single-ply roofs, the welds between sheets are the key detail. Seams, corners and the details around outlets and upstands get a close look.
Rooflights and upstands
Upstands at walls and parapets need to stay watertight as the building moves. We look for splits, gaps and failed flashings over the top.
For landlords and managing agents
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Five Ash Down. To discuss a property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Leave it or get it looked at?
On a commercial building, a flat roof leak can disrupt tenants, staff and stock. A planned survey lets you budget for work rather than deal with an emergency around the people who use the building. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Five Ash Down, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both with VAT included. We confirm the price for your survey before booking.
Why us?
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Photos and a written report every time
Read what a roof survey costs or two real surveys.
Towns and villages near Five Ash Down
Also in Five Ash Down
Five Ash Down questions
Will you come out to Five Ash Down?
Yes, Five Ash Down is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
How do I find out if my home in Five Ash Down is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Do you cover flat roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. Commercial and residential flat roofs are both covered. Expect about 3 to 4 hours on site for most commercial roofs, and larger roofs are quoted for their size.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain does not typically stop a survey, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so we’ll agree a new date if the weather isn’t suitable.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you as you book.
What’s in the survey report?
It explains what we saw, what it means and what we’d suggest, with photos throughout. It also says if any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely.
Will this cover the whole house?
No. It is a survey of the flat roof. It is not a RICS Level 2 or 3 home survey or a structural engineer’s report. Many buyers use it alongside a building survey.
Flat roofs in Five Ash Down
Before planning roof work on an older home, find out whether it’s listed or in a conservation area. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs, and the county’s older buildings include oast houses and Wealden hall houses. Flat roofs fill the gaps in between, on extensions, garages, dormers and business premises.
Landlords with a home close to Buxted station may find that a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Buxted CofE Primary School, ponding and blocked outlets on a wide flat roof are worth catching before the next wet season. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Five Ash Down Independent Chapel, later flat-roofed additions are common on older houses, and their edges and upstands often show the first signs of wear.
Five Ash Down is about 2 miles north of Uckfield, in East Sussex. We carry out flat roof surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Five Ash Down and the surrounding area. Five Ash Down is one of the places in East Sussex we cover for flat roof surveys. Our Crawley page covers surveys nearby.
We work across TN22 for flat roof surveys. Local streets include Ashengate Way, Flaxen Fields and Olives Pit Lane. Neighbouring places we cover for flat roof surveys include High Hurstwood (1 mile north-east), Fairwarp (1 mile north), Sweethaws (3 miles north-east), Crowborough (4 miles north-east) and Jarvis Brook (5 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Seaford (15 miles south), Lewes (10 miles south-west), Hailsham (11 miles south-east), Newhaven (14 miles south), Peacehaven (15 miles south) and Telscombe (15 miles south).
Around Five Ash Down
Typical jobs here are in homes near Uckfield College. The closest station to Five Ash Down is Buxted station, roughly 1.2 miles south-east of the centre. A little further out are Tickerage Castle (2.8 miles south-east) and Uckfield Community Hospital (2.4 miles south). For a walk, there is Brickfield Meadow.
Before and after the survey
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Note where water lies after a downpour
- Keep records of when the roof was laid and what work has been done
- Keep outlets clear of leaves and moss
- Check new fixings through the roof are properly sealed
Landlords, owners and managing agents can keep the report as a dated record of the roof. It’s useful when planning upkeep and setting budgets, and it gives a baseline to compare against next time.
Book a survey every few years, and again after new fixings, units or rooflights go in. You’ll spot changes early and have a record to look back on.
What a flat roof survey doesn’t cover
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Whether the deck or joists are strong enough
- What’s under the membrane without opening it up
- Parts of the roof that aren’t safe to walk on or view
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll recommend the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Single-ply membranes
- Upstands and outlets
- Mastic asphalt
- EPDM rubber
- GRP fibreglass
- Felt flat roofs
How the survey works
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement. The whole visit usually takes an hour or two at a typical home, or half a day or so for a commercial building. For a village or hamlet like Five Ash Down, the journey is planned ahead of time: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect what can be seen safely, inside and out.
- 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Leave side gates unlocked
How to book
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will ask a few questions about the roof. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.