Greater London · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in Little Venice
Flat roof surveys in Little Venice from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Upstands pulling away from walls
- Outlets choked with leaves and silt
- Leaks around rooflights
Flat roof survey in Little Venice
Buying a home with a flat-roofed extension, dormer or garage? It is useful to know that roof’s condition before you exchange. Felt roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, while EPDM and GRP often last longer. Our report records the covering, how it’s holding up and any defects we can see, with a photo of every defect. That gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. We survey EPDM rubber, mastic asphalt and upstands and outlets, and common reasons people get in touch are cracked or split membrane and edge trims that have lifted or split.
Across London, flat roofs are everywhere, from back additions and dormers to roof terraces, blocks of flats and offices. Coverings range from felt and asphalt to EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass and single-ply membranes, and each fails in its own way. Which one is on a roof in Little Venice shapes how it is checked. Older flat roofs are frequently felt or asphalt, newer ones rubber or GRP.
The report is written in plain words, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photograph where possible, with the urgent items made clear.
- Location
- Little Venice (W2, W9, NW8)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
For landlords and managing agents
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photos included.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Mention it when you contact us and we’ll plan the visit with that in mind.
Places near Little Venice
What else we do in Little Venice
DIY checks: what’s safe
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Don’t go up yourself.
How the survey works
The visit usually starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. All told, expect between one and two hours for an extension, garage or dormer roof, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial flat roof. In Little Venice, as in much of London, plenty of properties are flats or terraces without side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents as you book.
- 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 is safe to do so.
- We check and photograph the covering, the falls, the upstands, the outlets, the trims and any rooflights.
- We check the rooms or spaces under the roof for staining where we can reach them.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
Before the survey
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
Book a survey
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price before booking.
Advice
FAQs for Little Venice
Can you look at the flat roof of a hotel or office near Little Venice?
Yes, we cover commercial roofs as well as homes. Access to the roof is sorted out with whoever manages the building before the day.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Little Venice?
Parking in Little Venice, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day run more smoothly.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it is applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only where it’s safe to do so. We check everything that can safely be seen: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the loft space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where it applies. The report says if anything couldn’t be seen.
Will you check the loft?
Yes, where the survey calls for it and there is safe access. We look for staining, damp, daylight and signs of movement.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We’re roof surveyors, not structural engineers. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we’ll recommend one.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. It’s a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
What we are asked to look at in Little Venice
No flat roof covering lasts for ever. Felt roofs frequently last around 15 to 20 years, EPDM frequently 30 to 50 years and GRP up to about 30, although how well it was laid and looked after matters a great deal. We can tell you how your roof is doing, whatever its age.
Here are some of the things we see frequently:
- Raised blisters across the surface
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
- Splits, cracks and crazing
- Loose or cracked edge trims
If you run a business near Kensington Arcade, flat roofs over shops and units are easy to forget until water comes through a ceiling.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Will the report include photos?
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether VAT is added on top
Practical tips
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Some pointers:
- Keep outlets clear of leaves and moss
- Ask contractors to protect the roof if they work on it
- Note where water lies after a downpour
- File the paperwork for the roof and any repairs
Questions about the findings are always welcome. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one, giving you a chance to go through what we found.
Keep outlets, gutters and hoppers clear, especially after the leaves fall. Water that can drain away does far less harm than water that sits.
Why act early in Little Venice
Flat roofs can’t typically be seen from the street, so they’re often overlooked. Many owners only find out a roof is worn out when water comes through. A survey every few years stops that from catching you out. In Little Venice, as across London, an overflowing gutter soaks the wall below. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
Why us?
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- An independent view of the roof
- Photographs and a written report every time
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
Flat and commercial roofs around Little Venice
Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. A butterfly roof with a central valley gutter, tucked behind a parapet wall, is common on these houses. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Flat roofs fill the gaps in between, on extensions, garages, dormers and business premises. Historic houses such as Winfield House, about 1 mile north-east, show how far back building in the area around Little Venice goes. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Take a building like Ark Paddington Green Primary Academy: a large flat roof with lots of outlets and rooflights has many places where a membrane can fail. A roof leak in a hotel or guest house around Little Venice means lost rooms as well as repairs, so it’s worth knowing the roof’s condition.
Little Venice is about 1 mile west of City of Westminster, in Greater London. We provide flat roof surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Little Venice and the surrounding area. Little Venice is one of the places in Greater London we cover.
Every address in W2, W9 and NW8 is covered for flat roof surveys. You will find streets like Harrow Road, Alfred Road and Newton Road, all of which we cover. Little Venice is on the A5 and A40, which makes it straightforward to reach. Nearby, we also carry out flat roof surveys in Westbourne Green (1 mile west), Paddington Green (1 mile east), Paddington (1 mile south-east), Maida Vale (1 mile north-west) and Lisson Grove (1 mile north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as London (4 miles east), St Pancras (3 miles east), Shoreditch (5 miles east), Walthamstow (8 miles north-east), Hoxton (4 miles east) and Whitechapel (5 miles east).
Near you in Little Venice
We work in homes and buildings around International Community School, The Bridge House and Westminster Academy and the streets around them. Nearby too are Kensington Gardens (1 mile south) and Royal Society of Medicine Library (1.6 miles east). Little Venice has its own railway station: London Paddington station. A little further out are Maida Vale Hospital for Nervous Diseases (less than half a mile north) and Kensington Arcade (1.5 miles south). For a walk, there is Greville Place nature reserve and Campden Hill.