Essex · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in Hill Green
Flat roof surveys across Hill Green, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Splits, cracks and crazing
- Failed upstands where the roof meets a wall
- Blocked or damaged outlets
How a flat roof survey works in Hill Green
Every flat roof covering tends to fail in its own way. Built-up felt tends to blister and crack, asphalt crazes and splits, EPDM can lift at its laps, and GRP can crack at board joints and edge trims. On PVC and TPO single-ply roofs, we look closely at the welded laps, edges and fixings. Once you know the covering and its condition, planning the next step is far easier. We survey single-ply membranes, upstands and outlets and felt flat roofs, and common reasons people get in touch are splits, cracks and crazing and a sagging deck under the covering.
Some older homes in villages like Hill Green are listed or in a conservation area, and that can affect how an extension roof or dormer is re-covered. Check with the council before planning any change of material. Knowing the roof’s condition is the starting point. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, and where it can wait, that’s said too.
- Place
- Hill Green (CB11)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Roof by roof
Felt and built-up roofs
On felt, the upstands and edge details often fail before the main surface. Every upstand and edge is looked at, with photos of any that have lifted or cracked.
GRP fibreglass
GRP roofs are laid as a resin and glass-fibre layer over boards. We look for cracks at board joints, around trims and at upstands.
What happens on the day
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. The whole visit normally takes about 1–2 hours for a house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. For a village or hamlet like Hill Green, the journey is planned beforehand: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- You tell us about the roof, its covering if you know it, and any leaks.
- We view the roof from ground level, from windows and from the roof where it’s safe to do so.
- The covering, falls, upstands, outlets, edge trims and rooflights are checked and photographed.
- Inside, we look for damp and staining under the roof where there’s access.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
How to book
Once you know what you need, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Advice
Landlords, agents and block managers in Hill Green
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you get in touch and we will plan the survey around it.
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
Hill Green questions
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Hill Green?
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.
Is Hill Green in the area you cover?
Yes, Hill Green is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Hill Green as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Will I get photos?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and the report uses them to show each finding.
What happens after the survey?
The report comes by email, and you decide the next step: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
How soon will I get the report?
That depends on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. The report is emailed to you.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain is usually fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In strong wind or a downpour, a drone can’t fly and access may not be safe, and we’d agree another day.
How many years has my flat roof got left?
We do not put a figure on it. 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.
Flat and commercial roofs around Hill Green
Older buildings in Essex frequently have clay tiles and weatherboarding, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Flat roofs fill the gaps in between, on extensions, garages, dormers and business premises. Historic houses like Audley End House, about 4.2 miles north-east, show how far back building in the area around Hill Green goes. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you let a flat or house near Newport (Essex) station, flat roofs over rear additions and dormers in rented property are worth checking between tenancies. If you live in an older home near Church of St Mary and St Clement, the flat roofs on later extensions tend to wear out long before the main roof.
Hill Green is about 5 miles south-west of Saffron Walden, in Essex. Roofs in Hill Green get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Essex. Hill Green is one of the towns and villages in Essex where we work for flat roof surveys. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
We work across CB11 for flat roof surveys. We cover properties on Clatterbury Lane and Eldridge Close and the roads around them. If you are just outside Hill Green, we cover Wicken Bonhunt (1 mile east), Clavering (1 mile south-west), Arkesden (1 mile north), Starling's Green (2 miles south-west) and Berden (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Harlow (14 miles south), Saffron Walden (5 miles north-east), Great Dunmow (11 miles south-east), Stansted Mountfitchet (5 miles south), Newhall (14 miles south) and Elsenham (5 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Hill Green
We work in homes and buildings around The Cricketers pub, among other places. The closest station to Hill Green is Newport (Essex) station, about 2.6 miles east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Brent Pelham (3.6 miles west) and Saffron Walden Community Hospital (5.5 miles north-east). Not far away are Aubrey Buxton Nature Reserve.
What you can safely check yourself
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Do not go up yourself.
It’s useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
Nearby places to Hill Green
More services for Hill Green
Common roof problems in Hill Green
People go onto flat roofs for all sorts of reasons: to clean windows, fit aerials or air conditioning units, or reach a gutter. Each visit can damage a covering not made for regular foot traffic. New brackets and fixings through the roof are another common source of leaks.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Raised blisters across the surface
- Pools of water lying on the roof
- Outlets that hold water back
- Water getting in at rooflights
If you look after a building like Clavering Primary School, a large flat roof with a good many outlets and rooflights has many places where a membrane can fail.
Before you book anyone
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Their insurance cover
- Will the report include photos?
- What follow-up you get after the report
What we cannot see
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Asbestos testing, which needs a specialist asbestos surveyor
- Parts of the roof that aren’t safe to walk on or view
- A fixed date for when the roof will need replacing
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will suggest the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Felt flat roofs
- Single-ply membranes
- GRP fibreglass
- EPDM rubber
- Mastic asphalt
- Upstands and outlets