Kent · London and the South East
Highstreet Flat Roof Survey
Flat roof surveys in Highstreet and the rest of Kent. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Pools of water lying on the roof
- Signs of deflection in the roof deck
- Blisters and bubbles in the covering
How a flat roof survey works in Highstreet
Offices, shops, industrial units and blocks of flats often 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. The photographed record helps you plan and budget for work. Commercial roofs are quoted for their size and access, so it helps if you call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a rough idea of the roof area. Typical surveys look at failed upstands where the roof meets a wall and edge trims that have lifted or split, across upstands and outlets, single-ply membranes and EPDM rubber.
Somewhere as small as Highstreet, flat roofs tend to be on extensions, garages and converted outbuildings. The checks are the same as anywhere: 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.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Place
- Highstreet (ME13)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from the ground
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we check the roof.
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
What happens if roof problems are left?
A leak over an office, shop or unit can affect the people and stock underneath. Surveying the roof in good time means work can be planned and budgeted around the business. Around Highstreet, older homes often have old roof timbers, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it’s left.
Prices start from £150, with VAT included, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both including VAT. We confirm the price for your survey before you book.
Why book with us
- Visits on any day of the week
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
See what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
What a flat roof survey does not cover
It’s a careful look at the flat roof, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- Testing older roof sheets for asbestos
- Fragile surfaces, which we don’t walk on
- A fixed date for when the roof will need replacing
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Mastic asphalt
- Felt flat roofs
- EPDM rubber
- Single-ply membranes
- Upstands and outlets
- GRP fibreglass
What else we do in Highstreet
Flat roof surveys in Highstreet: local notes
Highstreet lies within about 2 miles of the sea, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Coastal wind works at the edges of flat roofs, and salt air wears metal trims and fixings. Many older homes in Kent have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles held by pegs through two holes, and tile-hanging on their upper walls. Oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of the county’s older buildings too. Mixed in with those pitched roofs are plenty of flat ones, over rear extensions, dormers, garages and shops.
For any home in Highstreet, it is the small, early fault that is cheapest to put right.
Highstreet is about 3 miles south-west of Whitstable, in Kent. Bookings from Highstreet are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. We cover towns and villages across Kent, large and small.
We survey roofs across ME13 for flat roof surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on Thanet Way and Highstreet Road and the roads around them. Nearby, we also carry out flat roof surveys in Waterham (1 mile west), Dargate (1 mile south-west), Seasalter (1 mile north), Hernhill (2 miles south-west) and Slutshole (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Ashford (14 miles south), Canterbury (5 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (11 miles west), Whitstable (3 miles north-east), Faversham (4 miles west) and Herne Bay (7 miles north-east).
Near you in Highstreet
We work in homes and buildings around Foxes Cross Bottom and the streets around them. The closest station to Highstreet is Whitstable station, roughly 3 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include Whitstable and Tankerton Hospital (3.6 miles north-east) and Tankerton Castle (3.3 miles north-east). The countryside around Highstreet includes Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
Common questions in Highstreet
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Highstreet, take more of a battering?
It can do. Within about 2 miles of the sea, as Highstreet is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Highstreet?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Are you structural engineers?
No. Visible signs such as deflection or sagging are recorded, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. If one is needed, the report says so.
Do you give a life expectancy for the roof?
There is no honest way to give an exact number of years. Typical ranges are around 15 to 20 years for felt, 30 to 50 for EPDM and up to about 30 for GRP, but the report tells you how your roof is really doing.
Which flat roof coverings do you cover?
We cover the main flat roof coverings: felt, asphalt, EPDM, GRP and single-ply. The report names the covering and explains its condition.
Will you check the loft?
If it’s needed and safe to reach, yes. Inside, we look for damp, staining, gaps and sagging, as far as the space allows.
How do you inspect a flat roof?
Only where it’s safe to do so. Otherwise we use windows, vantage points and the spaces below, and we note any area we couldn’t see. We don’t walk on fragile rooflights or sheeting.
Common roof problems in Highstreet
Flat roofs take the full force of the weather on a surface that drains slowly. Over the years, coverings harden, crack and start to come away at the edges. Most people book a survey after a leak, before buying, or when they think the roof is getting old.
Problems we come across often include:
- Blistering in felt or asphalt
- Failed seals around rooflight kerbs
- Upstands pulling away from walls
- Dips that suggest the deck is deflecting
If you own a rental within reach of Whitstable station, flat roofs over rear additions and dormers in rented property are worth checking between tenancies.
Questions to ask before you book
- What the survey won’t cover
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
Useful tips for Highstreet property owners
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Check ceilings under the roof for damp patches
- Note the date and type of any roof work
- Ask whoever fits equipment on the roof to make good the covering
- Clear roof outlets and gutters each autumn
After the visit, we write up the report with photographs of what we found. It explains the covering, its condition and every defect, and what we recommend. Turnaround is within 48 hours for a Basic Survey, 24 to 48 hours for a Standard Survey and the same day for a Premium Survey.
Keep outlets, gutters and hoppers clear, especially after the leaves fall. Water that can drain away does far less harm than water that sits.
How it works
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. After that, we check everything we can see safely, from ground level, from windows, in the roof space and by drone where applicable. The survey usually takes about 1–2 hours at a typical home, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. For a village or hamlet like Highstreet, the journey is planned in advance: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect whatever is safely visible, inside and out.
- We start with the details: the address, the roof’s use and any leaks or stains.
- We view the roof from the ground, from windows and from the roof where it is safe to do so.
- Every part of the roof we can see is checked: covering, falls, upstands, outlets, trims and rooflights.
- We check the rooms or spaces under the roof for staining where we can reach them.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects we found and what we recommend.
How to prepare
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
Book a survey
Flat roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can ring 07833 053749 or email us to find out.