Surrey · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in Great Bookham
Find out what’s going on with the flat roof before you decide what to do next. Flat roof surveys in Great Bookham.
- Failed upstands where the roof meets a wall
- Blistering in felt or asphalt
- Pools of water lying on the roof
Flat roof surveys for homes and businesses in Great Bookham
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 will recommend a structural engineer. We survey single-ply membranes, GRP fibreglass and upstands and outlets, and the problems we are asked to look at most are water getting in at rooflights and gaps at upstands and abutments.
Outbuildings, garden rooms and garages in places like Great Bookham often have flat roofs of their own. They’re easy to forget, but water through a garage roof can spoil whatever is stored inside. It’s worth mentioning them as you book, so the visit can include them. Felt, rubber and GRP coverings on garages and outbuildings age in just the same way as the main roof’s.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- Great Bookham (KT23, KT22)
- Region
- Surrey
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Common roof problems in Great Bookham
A flat roof lies open to sun, rain and frost, and water drains off it slowly. In time, the covering dries out, cracks and loosens at its edges and laps. People typically call us when a leak appears, before a purchase, or when the roof may be near the end of its life.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Failed seals around rooflight kerbs
- Blocked or damaged outlets
- A sagging deck under the covering
- Upstands pulling away from walls
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as The Dawnay School, ponding and blocked outlets on a wide flat roof are worth catching before the next wet season.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Whether the price includes VAT
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- How soon the report will arrive
- Will the report include photos?
Flat roof surveys around Great Bookham
With Polesden Lacey about 1.6 miles south, Great Bookham sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead. Many older homes in Surrey have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls. Some old buildings in Surrey and Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Alongside them, flat-roofed extensions, dormers, garages and commercial units are common almost everywhere.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Nicolas, the joins between later flat roofs and the old walls are where problems typically start. For landlords with property near Bookham station, a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak.
Great Bookham is about 6 miles south-west of Epsom, in Surrey. Great Bookham is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Great Bookham is one of the places in Surrey we cover for flat roof surveys. For surveys nearby, see our Guildford page.
Here we cover the KT23 and KT22 postcode area for flat roof surveys. Local streets include High Street, Church Road and Beeches Drive, all of which we cover. Other places close to Great Bookham include Fetcham (1 mile north-east), Little Bookham (1 mile south-west), Leatherhead (2 miles north-east), Mickleham (2 miles east) and Westhumble (3 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Guildford (9 miles west), Woking (9 miles west), Epsom (6 miles north-east), Horley (11 miles south-east), Redhill (9 miles east) and Ewell (7 miles north-east).
Near you in Great Bookham
We work in homes and buildings around Howard of Effingham School, Manor House School and The Old Crown pub. Great Bookham’s nearest station is Bookham station, roughly 0.8 miles north-west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Headley Court (4.1 miles east) and Betchworth Castle (4.4 miles south-east). The countryside around Great Bookham includes Box Hill and Jubilee Wood.
Towns and villages near Great Bookham
What else we do in Great Bookham
What a survey costs
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
What to let us know when you get in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- What’s prompted the survey
- When you need the report by
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The kind of building and roof involved
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from ground level or a window, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
FAQs for Great Bookham
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Great Bookham?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Is Great Bookham within the area you cover?
Yes, Great Bookham is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days when booking.
Should I worry about standing water on my flat roof?
Standing water on a flat roof deserves a closer look. It often 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.
Do you cover flat roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. Offices, units, shops and blocks of flats are all part of our work. We quote bigger roofs on their size and how they’re reached, so ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address.
What insurance do you have?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
How do you inspect a flat roof?
We inspect from wherever is safe: the roof itself where that is safe, plus windows, vantage points and the rooms below. Fragile rooflights and fragile sheets are never walked on.
Tips from our surveys
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Keep clear of rooflights and fragile roof sheets
- Ask whoever fits equipment on the roof to make good the covering
- Check from a window for ponding after heavy rain
- Check ceilings under the roof for damp patches
Landlords, owners and managing agents can keep the report as a dated record of the roof. It helps when planning maintenance budgets, and it gives a baseline to compare against next time.
Try not to let a flat roof become a walkway. If access is needed, boards or walkways help protect the covering, and to keep well clear of rooflights and fragile sheeting.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Great Bookham
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work around your tenants.
Different roofs, different checks
Felt and built-up roofs
A felt roof often lasts around 15 to 20 years, though quality and upkeep make a big difference. We record how yours is doing and where it is weakest.
Mastic asphalt
Asphalt has no laps, so its weak points are cracks and the skirtings at walls and upstands. We record any crazing or splits and where water may be getting in.
What we do, step by step
We don’t take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. The survey normally takes an hour or two for an extension, garage or dormer roof, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial flat roof. Homes around Great Bookham often have gardens on more than one side, which gives us room to step back and see the roof. Let us know if any side is fenced off or hard to reach. The loft, where there’s safe access, completes the picture.
- First we go through the roof, what’s beneath it and any problems so far.
- The roof is viewed from safe positions, including the roof itself where that is safe.
- We check the covering for splits, blisters, ponding and wear.
- Upstands, outlets, edge trims and rooflights are checked and photographed.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, comes to you by email.
How to prepare
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Book a survey
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and give us a few details about the property and we’ll recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.