Essex · London and the South East
Flat roof survey in Great Oakley, Essex
Find out the condition of the flat roof at your property in Great Oakley from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Water getting in at rooflights
- Upstands pulling away from walls
- Damaged trims at the roof edge
Leave it or get it looked at?
Caught early, a split or open seam in a flat roof is often a small repair. 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. Outbuildings and barns around Great Oakley are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
We offer three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why book with us
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- A written report with photos
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
How a flat roof survey works in Great Oakley
Many commercial buildings and blocks of flats have big 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 please call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and an idea of the roof’s size. We are often asked to look into outlets that hold water back and pools of water lying on the roof, on mastic asphalt, upstands and outlets and GRP fibreglass.
Older buildings in small places like Great Oakley may be listed or in a conservation area, which can shape what a new flat roof may look like. If you’re planning work, check with the council first. Knowing the roof’s condition is the starting point. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the coverings down to the gutters, each with a short note and a photo. It records what’s sound as well as what isn’t.
- Where
- Great Oakley (CO12)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
Once we’ve finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photos. On timing, most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours for an extension, garage or dormer roof, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial flat roof. Older rural homes like those around Great Oakley can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- 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.
- Each defect is photographed and its likely cause noted.
- The report explains the condition and recommends what to do first.
Getting ready for the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Arrange a survey
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details.
Read more
What a flat roof survey looks like in Great Oakley
The coast is about 2 miles or less from Great Oakley, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt in the air is hard on metal flashings and fixings, and wind catches any loose edge on a flat roof. Thorpe Hall, about 3.5 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Great Oakley. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you own a rental within reach of Wrabness station, a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak. For an older house near a landmark such as Parish Church of All Saints, flat-roofed rear additions and dormers added over the years are worth checking.
Great Oakley is about 4 miles south-west of Harwich, in Essex. Great Oakley is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Across Essex, we cover Great Oakley and the places around it. Chelmsford is in our area too.
Every address in CO12 is covered for flat roof surveys. Local streets include High Street, Orchard Close and Hamford Drive, and we cover them all. Nearby, we also carry out flat roof surveys in Wix Green (1 mile north-west), Wix (2 miles west), Wrabness (3 miles north), Bradfield (4 miles north-west) and Bradfield Heath (4 miles north-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Colchester (12 miles west), Clacton-on-Sea (7 miles south), Harwich (4 miles north-east), Camulodunum (13 miles west), Greenstead (11 miles west) and Wivenhoe (10 miles west).
Around Great Oakley
In Great Oakley, that means homes and buildings near The Maybush pub. Great Oakley’s nearest station is Wrabness station, roughly 2.6 miles north. Green spaces nearby include Stour Estuary RSPB reserve.
Tips that help
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Our tips:
- File the paperwork for the roof and any repairs
- Limit foot traffic on the covering
- Have the roof looked at again after a severe storm
- Check the outlets after the leaves fall
For landlords and building managers, the report is a dated record of the roof’s condition. It helps when planning maintenance budgets, and it gives a baseline to compare against next time.
Get splits, lifted seams and loose trims seen to while they’re small. Prompt repairs tend to add years to a flat roof.
What we cannot see
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Bear these in mind:
- Testing older roof sheets for asbestos
- An exact number of years the roof has left
- What’s under the membrane without opening it up
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer before you book. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- EPDM rubber
- GRP fibreglass
- Mastic asphalt
- Upstands and outlets
- Felt flat roofs
- Single-ply membranes
Landlords, agents and block managers in Great Oakley
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photographs included.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it when you book and we will plan the survey around it.
Great Oakley questions
Do you cover smaller places like Great Oakley?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Great Oakley, take more of a battering?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there’s more wind, and more salt in the air. Exposed details such as ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch.
Will this cover the whole house?
No. It’s a closer look at the flat roof, not a survey of the whole property. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one, and it is not a structural engineer’s report.
How do I arrange a flat roof survey in Great Oakley?
Simply ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. We will ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes, every report has them. Each finding is shown in a picture where possible, which makes the report easy to follow.
Do you need to get into the loft?
Normally, if there’s one and it can be reached safely. From inside, the underside of the roof frequently shows damp, staining or daylight that can’t be seen from outside.
How many surveys have you done?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
Different roofs, different checks
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.
Mastic asphalt
Asphalt roofs are common on older flats, walkways and commercial buildings. The survey checks for crazing, cracking, blistering and splits where the asphalt turns up the walls.