Essex · London and the South East
Flat roof survey in Great Saling, Essex
Surveys of flat roofs on homes, extensions and commercial buildings for Great Saling, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Standing water left after rain
- Splits and cracks in the covering
- Leaks around rooflights
FAQs for Great Saling
How do I find out if my home in Great Saling is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
Will you come out to Great Saling?
Yes, Great Saling is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
How do I book a survey in Great Saling?
The quickest way is to phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. Give us the address and a few details about the roof, and we will suggest the right survey. We survey on any day of the week.
Will the survey show why my flat roof is leaking?
Our survey looks across the whole roof, not only above the stain. Every split, lap, upstand, outlet and rooflight we can see is checked. If the cause can’t be seen, we’ll say so and suggest what would help.
Do you look in the loft space?
Typically, if there is one and it can be reached safely. The roof space can show things the outside can’t, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes. Photographs are part of every report, so you can see exactly what each finding refers to.
What happens next?
The report arrives by email. With Standard there’s a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
Flat roof surveys for homes and businesses in Great Saling
If the house you’re buying has a flat roof on an extension, dormer or garage, it’s worth knowing its condition before exchange. Many felt roofs need renewing after around 15 to 20 years, and EPDM and GRP often go on for longer. We set out the type of covering, its condition and the defects we found, with photos of each. You then have something specific to put to the seller or agent. We survey mastic asphalt, single-ply membranes and GRP fibreglass, and people most often book us about upstands pulling away from walls and raised blisters across the surface.
Flat roofs on exposed homes in small places like Great Saling take more wind and rain, 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. On an exposed roof, the edges tend to go first.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, sent by email. It sets out the condition of the flat roof, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Location
- Great Saling (CM7)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Do you need a flat roof survey in Great Saling?
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.
We are frequently asked to look at:
- Signs of deflection in the roof deck
- Upstands pulling away from walls
- Failed seals around rooflight kerbs
- Standing water left after rain
Take an older house close to Church of St James: the joins between later flat roofs and the old walls are where problems normally start.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What happens after the report arrives
- Their track record with similar roofs
- How long the report takes to arrive
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
Tips from our surveys
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Plan a survey before the covering reaches the end of its usual life
- Limit foot traffic on the covering
- Note the date and type of any roof work
- Treat rooflights and old sheeting as fragile
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.
Get splits, lifted seams and loose trims seen to while they’re small. A flat roof that’s looked after between surveys usually lasts longer.
Nearby places to Great Saling
Other services in Great Saling
When you need someone else
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Bear these in mind:
- A fixed date for when the roof will need replacing
- A structural engineer’s assessment of the deck
- What’s under the membrane without opening it up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Mastic asphalt
- Single-ply membranes
- EPDM rubber
- Felt flat roofs
- GRP fibreglass
- Upstands and outlets
Different roofs, different checks
Rooflights and upstands
Where a flat roof meets a wall, the upstand has to stay sealed as the building moves. We check for splits, gaps and loose flashings above the upstand.
Felt and built-up roofs
On felt, the upstands and edge details frequently fail before the main surface. Every upstand and edge is checked, with photos of any that have lifted or cracked.
Flat and commercial roofs around Great Saling
There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so check with the council. Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, and plenty of post-war and modern estates besides. Alongside them, flat-roofed extensions, dormers, garages and commercial units are common almost everywhere.
If you own a rental within reach of Braintree station, flat roofs over rear additions and dormers in rented property are worth checking between tenancies.
Great Saling is about 4 miles west of Braintree, in Essex. We survey roofs in Great Saling across London and South East England. Great Saling is one of the places in Essex we cover for flat roof surveys. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Surveys in CM7 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We also cover Crow's Green (1 mile north-west), Bardfield Saling (1 mile north), Great Bardfield (3 miles north-west), Wethersfield (4 miles north) and Little Bardfield (4 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (11 miles south), Braintree (4 miles east), Maldon (15 miles south-east), Witham (10 miles south-east), Saffron Walden (13 miles north-west) and Halstead (8 miles east).
What’s near Great Saling
In Great Saling, that means homes and buildings near The White Hart Inn. The nearest railway station is Braintree station, roughly 4.1 miles south-east of the centre. A little further out are Braintree Community Hospital (3.2 miles south-east) and Tudor House Museum (Braintree) (3.8 miles east). The countryside around Great Saling includes Phyllis Currie Nature Reserve.
The survey, step by step
We don’t take risks to get a closer look. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. The survey usually takes about one to two hours for a small flat roof at home, and longer for a large commercial one. Around Great Saling, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it is safe.
- We start with the address and, on larger roofs, the roof area and access.
- 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.
- The report explains the condition and recommends what to do first.
Preparing for the visit
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
Arrange a survey
Flat roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
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What happens if roof problems are left?
If you are buying, find out about the flat roof before you exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, any work on the roof is down to you. A report gives you facts to put to the seller or agent. Older and listed buildings around Great Saling may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. We confirm the price for your survey before you book.
Why us?
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- A written report with photos
- An independent look at the roof
See our cost guide or two real surveys.