Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in Garston
Find out the condition of the flat roof at your property in Garston. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Raised blisters across the surface
- Pools of water lying on the roof
- Damaged trims at the roof edge
About our flat roof survey in Garston
Offices, shops, industrial units and blocks of flats frequently sit under large flat roofs. On a roof like this, a survey shows where the covering is wearing, where water is ponding and which outlets need attention. We record the condition with photographs so work can be planned and budgeted. Commercial roofs are quoted for their size and access, so it helps if you ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a rough idea of the roof area. If you are worried about dips that suggest the deck is deflecting and loose or cracked edge trims, we can find out what’s behind it.
In smaller places like Garston, flat roofs are mostly on extensions, garages, porches and dormers. Even a small flat roof can let lots of water into the room below. Knowing the covering and how it was laid tells you what to expect from it, from felt and asphalt to EPDM rubber and GRP. From an upstairs window, look for standing water, splits and edges coming away.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Garston (WD25, WD24, AL2)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Garston: your questions answered
Is my home in Garston listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Will you come out to Garston?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and the South East. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there as you book.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys, over more than 20 years, with 98% customer satisfaction.
What will the report tell me?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos. The most urgent items are made clear.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so the building owner or managing agent needs to agree access. We inspect only the parts we’re allowed to reach.
How do you inspect a flat roof?
Only where it is safe to do so. If not, we use safe viewpoints and look inside, and the report says if any part couldn’t be seen. We don’t walk on fragile rooflights or sheeting.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and visible signs such as sagging are noted, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. The report will say if you need an engineer.
The survey, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, inspect the roof from every safe vantage point, take photographs as we go and make notes for the report. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours for an extension, garage or dormer roof, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial flat roof. A visit to Garston is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed ahead of time. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. If there are outbuildings or garages you want looked at, mention them.
- You send us the address and, for commercial roofs, an idea of the roof’s size.
- We check the rooms or spaces under the roof for staining where there’s 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.
- You get a report setting out the condition and our recommendations, in order of urgency.
Preparing for the visit
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Booking a survey
For a price for flat roof surveys in Garston, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Some details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Advice
Roof by roof
Rooflights and upstands
Rooflights and fragile sheets are never walked on. They’re inspected from safe positions and recorded with photos.
GRP fibreglass
GRP can crack if the deck beneath flexes or if the resin was laid too thin. Our report notes cracks and any sign that the deck is flexing.
Practical tips
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. What helps most:
- Keep clear of rooflights and fragile roof sheets
- Check ceilings under the roof for damp patches
- Limit foot traffic on the covering
- Clear roof outlets and gutters each autumn
For landlords and building managers, the report is a dated record of the roof’s condition. It helps when planning maintenance budgets, and it makes changes easy to spot at the next survey.
Small defects are simpler to deal with while they’re still small. Prompt repairs tend to add years to a flat roof.
What else we do in Garston
Should I look at the roof myself first?
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Flat roof surveys in Garston: local notes
Historic houses such as High Elms Manor, about 1 mile north-west, show how far back building in the area around Garston goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Flat roofs on extensions, dormers, garages and business units are found alongside them almost everywhere.
Anyone responsible for a site like The Grove Academy will know that ponding and blocked outlets on a wide flat roof are worth catching before the next wet season. If you live in an older home near Stanborough Park Church, later flat-roofed additions are common on older houses, and their edges and upstands often show the first signs of wear.
Garston is about 2 miles north of Watford, in Hertfordshire. We carry out flat roof surveys in Garston for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings, with a written report and photographs every time. Across Hertfordshire, we cover Garston and the places around it. You can also see our page for London.
Surveys in WD25, WD24 and AL2 are booked the same way as anywhere else. You’ll find streets like First Avenue, Third Avenue and Fifth Avenue, all of which we cover. Neighbouring places we cover for flat roof surveys include Meriden (1 mile south), Leavesden (1 mile north-west), North Watford (1 mile south), Aldenham (2 miles south-east) and Watford (2 miles south). We also work in nearby towns such as Hemel Hempstead (6 miles north-west), St Albans (5 miles north-east), Welwyn Garden City (11 miles north-east), Harpenden (9 miles north), Cheshunt (14 miles east) and Hatfield (8 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Garston
Typical jobs here are in homes near Francis Combe Academy and Garston Park and the streets around them. Garston has its own railway station: Garston station. Other landmarks nearby include Leavesden Hospital (1.4 miles north-west) and Charter Place (2.3 miles south). The countryside around Garston includes Longspring Wood and Verulamium Lake.
What we’re asked to look at in Garston
Ponding keeps the covering wet and wears it faster. It normally comes from poor falls, a blocked outlet or a deck that has dipped. Leaves and silt from nearby trees can soon choke an outlet.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- A sagging deck under the covering
- Damaged trims at the roof edge
- Splits and cracks in the covering
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
Shop and office owners around Charter Place may find that the flat roofs over shops and commercial units are worth checking before a leak, not after.
Before you book anyone
- Are they insured for the work?
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether the price includes VAT
Why get it checked now?
A small split in a flat roof is usually a modest job when it’s found early. Left alone, water can soak the insulation and the deck, and the job grows. Surveying it now tells you where you stand. Around Garston, a leak in an older house can soak into timbers and plaster, which is far harder to put right than the roof fault itself.
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
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Photographs and a written report every time
- Surveys on any day of the week
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.