Essex · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in Foster Street
Get a clear view of the flat roof at a property in Foster Street from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Blisters and bubbles in the covering
- Edge trims that have lifted or split
- Outlets that hold water back
What we’re asked to look at in Foster Street
The surface of a flat roof heats up and cools down far more than the rooms below. That movement pulls at seams, laps and the joints between boards, which can open splits and cracks over the years. Older coverings that have lost their flexibility are the most likely to suffer.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Signs of deflection in the roof deck
- Failed upstands where the roof meets a wall
- Loose or cracked edge trims
- Blistering in felt or asphalt
If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Church of All Saints, the joins between later flat roofs and the old walls are where problems typically start.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Their track record with similar roofs
Flat roof survey in Foster Street
We inspect a flat roof from wherever it can safely be seen: from the roof itself where that is safe, from windows and nearby vantage points, and from inside where there is access. We do not walk on fragile rooflights or fragile roof sheeting. If part of the roof can’t be seen or reached safely, the report says so, so the limits of the survey are clear. We survey GRP fibreglass, mastic asphalt and single-ply membranes, and people most frequently book us about splits and cracks in the covering and raised blisters across the surface.
In a small place like Foster Street, a flat roof can stand in the open, which is hard on edges, upstands and joins in the covering. Felt roofs, which frequently last around 15–20 years, usually show it first. Rubber and GRP last longer, though trims and joints still need a look. Exposed edges are normally the first part of a flat roof to go.
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.
- Where
- Foster Street (CM17)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlords, agents and block managers in Foster Street
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed in advance. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, which can make access easier.
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.
Flat and commercial roofs around Foster Street
England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings. If your home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission, so the council is the place to ask. Harlow, which Foster Street is part of, is one of England’s post-war new towns. Homes from the post-war decades are common in the new towns, many with low-pitched roofs in concrete tiles and flat-roofed garages or porches. Many of those flat roofs have been re-covered over the years, and some may still have older felt. Cement sheet roofs on buildings from before 2000 may contain asbestos, so a specialist asbestos surveyor should check them before they’re disturbed.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Henry Moore Primary School, a large flat roof with lots of outlets and rooflights has many places where a membrane can fail. Landlords with a home close to Harlow Mill station may find that the flat roof over a let home is worth a look before it becomes a tenant complaint.
Foster Street is about 2 miles east of Harlow, in Essex. Bookings from Foster Street are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Across Essex, we cover Foster Street and the places around it. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Postcode districts we cover here for flat roof surveys: CM17. We cover properties on Foster Street, Highfield Close and Hastingwood Park. We also cover Hastingwood (1 mile south), Newhall (1 mile north-west), Latton (1 mile west), Magdalen Laver (1 mile east) and Housham Tye (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (14 miles east), Brentwood (11 miles south-east), Billericay (15 miles south-east), Loughton (9 miles south-west), Waltham Abbey (8 miles south-west) and Great Dunmow (12 miles north-east).
Near you in Foster Street
In Foster Street, that means homes and buildings near John Barleycorn Public House, Passmores Academy and Brays Grove, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Harlow Mill station, about 2.3 miles north-west. Well-known places in the area include Princess Alexandra Hospital (3 miles west) and Harlow Mill (2.4 miles north-west). The countryside around Foster Street includes Gernon Bushes.
What we can’t see
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Areas we cannot see or reach safely, including fragile rooflights and sheeting
- Hidden layers beneath the covering
- A structural engineer’s assessment of the deck
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will recommend the right survey before you book. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Mastic asphalt
- Single-ply membranes
- Upstands and outlets
- EPDM rubber
- Felt flat roofs
- GRP fibreglass
Questions from Foster Street
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Foster Street?
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.
My home in Foster Street has a flat-roofed garage or porch. Is it worth having that looked at?
Yes, if you’d like it included, mention it when you book. On buildings from before 2000, cement sheet roofs may contain asbestos and should be checked by a specialist asbestos surveyor before anyone disturbs them.
What does ponding on a flat roof mean?
Ponding is worth looking into. It frequently means a blocked outlet, poor falls or a dipping deck, and it wears the covering faster. We record where it sits and the likely cause.
Which flat roof coverings do you cover?
We cover the main flat roof coverings: felt, asphalt, EPDM, GRP and single-ply. The report names the covering and explains its condition.
Can you tell me how long my flat roof will last?
There is no honest way to give an exact number of years. As a guide, felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM frequently 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30, but your report describes the actual condition.
How experienced are you?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys.
Is Foster Street in your area?
Yes. We survey roofs in Foster Street and the rest of Essex. To book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
The survey, step by step
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you’d like to know. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, from ground level, from windows, in the roof space and by drone where it applies. Most surveys take between one and two hours for a small flat roof at home, and longer for a large commercial one. Rural addresses near Foster Street can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- We start with the details: the address, the roof’s use and any leaks or stains.
- We view the roof from ground level, from windows and from the roof where it’s safe to do so.
- The covering, falls, upstands, outlets, edge trims and rooflights are checked and photographed.
- Where there is safe access, we check the ceilings and spaces below for signs of water.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
Booking a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Advice
Different roofs, different checks
Rooflights and upstands
We do not walk on rooflights or fragile sheeting, and we treat older rooflights as fragile. We view them from safe positions and photograph what we see.
Felt and built-up roofs
On felt, the upstands and edge details often fail before the main surface. Every upstand and edge is checked, with photos of any that have lifted or cracked.
Useful tips for Foster Street property owners
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Check from a window for ponding after heavy rain
- Check that new brackets or units haven’t damaged the covering
- Plan a survey before the covering reaches the end of its usual life
- Note any new marks on ceilings beneath the roof
If anything in the report is not clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation, 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 to keep well clear of rooflights and fragile sheeting.