Greater London · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in Hornsey
We carry out flat roof surveys in Hornsey and the rest of Greater London. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Splits, cracks and crazing
- Upstands pulling away from walls
- Failed seals around rooflight kerbs
For landlords and managing agents
We survey roofs for landlords and letting agents as well as homeowners. A written report with photographs gives you a clear record of the flat roof, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Let us know about it as you book and we will plan the survey around it.
About our flat roof survey in Hornsey
Water through a flat roof doesn’t always come in where the stain is. It may start at a split, a lifted seam or a failed upstand well away from the damp patch. Our survey covers the whole roof, not just the part above the mark, with photos of anything that could be letting water in. Whoever carries out the work then has a clear starting point. We survey upstands and outlets, mastic asphalt and felt flat roofs, and the problems we are asked to look at most are raised blisters across the surface and outlets choked with leaves and silt.
Water getting through a flat roof in London can travel under the covering and appear some way from the hole. Outlets, upstands against parapet walls and joins with the main roof are frequent culprits. In a converted house in Hornsey, the roof above may belong to the building rather than one flat.
Findings are set out part by part, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Location
- Hornsey (N8, N22)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What else we do in Hornsey
Flat roof surveys in Hornsey: local notes
Inner London’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces often have Welsh slate roofs. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that can’t be seen from the pavement. In a house like that, shared stacks, party-wall upstands and lead flashings all need looking at as far as they can be seen. Alongside them, flat-roofed extensions, dormers, garages and commercial units are common almost everywhere. With Bruce Castle about 2 miles north-east, Hornsey sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you let a flat or house near Hornsey station, the flat roof over a let home is worth a look before it becomes a tenant complaint. For a London address like Hornsey, it helps to know about controlled parking before the day, along with any off-street space.
Hornsey is about 3 miles east of Finchley, in Greater London. We survey roofs in Hornsey and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and the South East. Our Greater London coverage includes Hornsey and the places around it. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
Surveys in N8 and N22 are booked the same way as anywhere else. You will find streets like High Street, Brandon Place and Cross Lane. Neighbouring places we cover for flat roof surveys include Turnpike Lane (1 mile east), Crouch End (1 mile south-west), Stroud Green (1 mile south-east), Wood Green (1 mile north-east) and Noel Park (1 mile north-east). Further out, we also cover London (6 miles south), City of Westminster (5 miles south), Marylebone (5 miles south), Kensington (7 miles south-west), St Pancras (4 miles south) and Shoreditch (5 miles south).
Landmarks near Hornsey
We work in homes and buildings around Great Northern Railway pub, Priory Park and Greek Secondary School of London. There’s a railway station in Hornsey itself: Hornsey station. Other landmarks nearby include Hornsey Central Hospital (0.7 miles west) and Broomfield House Museum (2 miles north). The countryside around Hornsey includes Darland's Lake and Highgate Hill.
Hornsey questions
Is Hornsey in the area you cover?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Hornsey as anywhere else.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Hornsey?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If it’s needed and safe to reach, yes. We look for staining, damp, daylight and signs of movement.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and it is safe, yes. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
Are you insured?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
What does the report include?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos, finishing with recommendations. Points are put by urgency where it matters.
What happens after the survey?
You will get the report by email, with photos and clear recommendations. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
What we can’t see
It helps to know what a survey won’t do before you book:
- Whether old sheeting or boards contain asbestos
- An exact number of years the roof has left
- Hidden layers beneath the covering
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- GRP fibreglass
- Upstands and outlets
- Felt flat roofs
- Single-ply membranes
- Mastic asphalt
- EPDM rubber
What happens on the day
The visit typically starts outside and finishes in the loft: outside views come first, then the loft space if there’s safe access. All told, expect about 1–2 hours for most houses, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In a London conversion, the way into the loft space is frequently from a communal landing or the top flat. Where that is the case, access needs agreeing with whoever controls that landing. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- 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.
- The roof is inspected from every safe viewpoint, without walking on fragile surfaces.
- Each defect is photographed and its likely cause noted.
- The report explains the condition and recommends what to do first.
Preparing for the visit
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
Arrange a survey
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Read more
What affects the price in Hornsey
Not every roof costs the same to survey, for these reasons:
- Height and safe access
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included.
Booking your survey
There is no need for technical words. It’s enough to let us know:
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Tips from our surveys
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Keep people off the roof unless they need to be there
- Keep clear of rooflights and fragile roof sheets
- Check that new brackets or units haven’t damaged the covering
- Keep outlets clear of leaves and moss
For landlords and building managers, the report is a dated record of the roof’s condition. It’s useful when planning upkeep and setting budgets, and it gives a baseline to compare against next time.
Book a survey every few years, and again after new fixings, units or rooflights go in. You’ll spot changes early and have a record to look back on.
Signs you need a flat roof survey in Hornsey
Many flat roof problems start at the details rather than the main surface. Upstands, edge trims, outlets and the kerbs around rooflights move and weather differently from the rest of the roof. Where they weren’t finished well, they tend to fail before anything else.
Problems we come across frequently include:
- Failed seals around rooflight kerbs
- Standing water left after rain
- Blocked or damaged outlets
- Blisters and bubbles in the covering
If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near The Mall Wood Green, a flat roof over a business is out of sight and out of mind until it leaks.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- What they will not be able to tell you