Essex · London and the South East
Great Canfield Flat Roof Survey
Surveys of flat roofs on homes, extensions and commercial buildings for Great Canfield and the rest of Essex. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends.
- Cracked or split membrane
- A sagging deck under the covering
- Pools of water lying on the roof
Flat roof survey in Great Canfield
Flat roofs deal with rain in a very different way from pitched ones. Water lies on the surface for longer, so a small split or a blocked outlet can soon lead to a leak. We check the surface, the falls, the upstands and the edge trims, and we note any sign that the deck below has got wet. The aim is to find problems before they show up as a stain on a ceiling. If you’ve noticed dips that suggest the deck is deflecting and pools of water lying on the roof, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Somewhere as small as Great Canfield, flat roofs tend to be on extensions, garages and converted outbuildings. They need the same care as any town roof: outlets, upstands, edges and the covering itself. We simply plan the journey and access ahead of time. If there are outbuildings or garages with flat roofs, mention them when you book.
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 Canfield (CM6)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Do you need a flat roof survey in Great Canfield?
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. Coverings that have hardened with age tend to suffer most.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Failed upstands where the roof meets a wall
- Leaks around rooflights
- Outlets that hold water back
- Damaged trims at the roof edge
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Parish Church of St Mary, the joins between later flat roofs and the old walls are where problems normally start.
Before booking anyone
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- What experience they bring
- Which limits apply to the survey
What you can safely check yourself
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
It is useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry.
Tips from our surveys
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Check ceilings under the roof for damp patches
- Book a survey every few years
- Limit foot traffic on the covering
- Note where water lies after a downpour
Buyers can take the findings back to the seller or the agent. You might ask for work to be done before completion, or discuss the price, depending on what we found.
Small defects are simpler to deal with while they’re still small. A flat roof that is looked after between surveys normally lasts longer.
Great Canfield: your questions answered
Is Great Canfield within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
How do I find out if my home in Great Canfield is listed?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Does a flat roof survey replace a RICS survey?
No. Our survey covers the flat roof only. It isn’t a RICS Level 2 or 3 survey of the whole building, and it isn’t a structural engineer’s report. It often sits alongside a buyer’s building survey.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We carry out surveys seven days a week. To find a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Does the survey cover asbestos?
Asbestos testing is not part of our survey. If we see materials that could contain it, such as cement sheets on a building from before 2000, we flag them so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check them.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and the report uses them to show each finding alongside our recommendations.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, if whoever owns or manages the building agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
Flat roof surveys in Great Canfield: local notes
About 2.9 miles west lies Barrington Hall, a reminder of how long the area around Great Canfield has been built on. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Mixed in with those pitched roofs are lots of flat ones, over rear extensions, dormers, garages and shops.
For landlords with property near Stansted Airport station, flat roofs over rear additions and dormers in rented property are worth checking between tenancies.
Great Canfield is about 3 miles south-west of Great Dunmow, in Essex. Great Canfield is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Great Canfield is one of the towns and villages in Essex where we work. There’s also a page for Chelmsford.
Surveys in CM6 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Whether your property is on The Street and Canfield Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. We also cover the places around Great Canfield: High Roding (1 mile east), Roundbush Green (2 miles south), Keeres Green (2 miles south), High Easter (2 miles south-east) and Stagden Cross (3 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (10 miles south-east), Braintree (11 miles east), Harlow (10 miles south-west), Brentwood (14 miles south), Billericay (15 miles south) and Witham (14 miles east).
Near you in Great Canfield
Around Great Canfield, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Black Lion Public House and the streets around them. The closest station to Great Canfield is Stansted Airport station, roughly 4.5 miles north-west. A little further out are Little Easton Moat (3.8 miles north). Open spaces near Great Canfield include Portingbury Hills.
What a flat roof survey doesn’t cover
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Structural calculations, which need a structural engineer
- Asbestos testing, which needs a specialist asbestos surveyor
- Hidden layers beneath the covering
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will suggest the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Great Canfield
- Felt flat roofs
- Upstands and outlets
- Single-ply membranes
- EPDM rubber
- GRP fibreglass
- Mastic asphalt
Towns and villages near Great Canfield
What else we do in Great Canfield
What happens if roof problems are left?
A small split in a flat roof is typically a modest job when it is found early. Leave it, and water can get into the insulation and deck, which can turn a patch into a replacement. Surveying it now tells you where you stand. In a small place like Great Canfield, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Flat roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can be seen safely and the package you choose.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Great Canfield
- Photographs and a written report every time
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Over 20 years’ experience
Read what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
The survey, step by step
Where it’s 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. All in, the survey usually takes between one and two hours for a small flat roof at home, and longer for a large commercial one. Cottages and farmhouses around Great Canfield often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- 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.
- The roof is inspected from every safe viewpoint, without walking on fragile surfaces.
- Each defect is photographed and its likely cause noted.
- You get a report setting out the condition and our recommendations, in order of urgency.
Before the survey
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Getting a price
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.