Greater London · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in Mottingham
Flat roof surveys in Mottingham from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us.
- Blistering in felt or asphalt
- Standing water left after rain
- Signs of deflection in the roof deck
DIY checks: what’s safe
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
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. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Flat roof surveys for homes and businesses in Mottingham
Buying a home with a flat-roofed extension, dormer or garage? It is useful to know that roof’s condition before you 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 photographs of each. That gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. If you’re worried about raised blisters across the surface and leaks around rooflights, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Offices, shops and blocks of flats across London often have large flat roofs with plant, rooflights and walkways. Every penetration and upstand is a place where a membrane can fail. In Mottingham, roof access is agreed with the building manager or owner beforehand. Rooflights, plant supports and pipe entries are common places for a membrane to fail.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Location
- Mottingham (SE9, SE12, BR1)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed ahead of time. We survey on any day of the week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Tips from our surveys
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Look for standing water a day after rain
- Ask whoever fits equipment on the roof to make good the covering
- Note the date and type of any roof work
- Watch the ceilings below the flat roof for stains
If you are buying, the report gives you something specific to take back to the seller or agent. It can support a request for work before completion or a conversation about price, depending on what we found.
Keep foot traffic on a flat roof to a minimum. Where someone does need access, ask them to use boards or a protected route, and to keep well clear of rooflights and fragile sheeting.
Flat and commercial roofs around Mottingham
About 1.1 miles north-east lies Eltham Palace, a reminder of how long the area around Mottingham has been built on. On older houses around here, roofs frequently 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. Outer London has plenty of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Flat roofs fill the gaps in between, on extensions, garages, dormers and business premises.
If you look after a building like Marvels Lane Primary School, ponding and blocked outlets on a wide flat roof are worth catching before the next wet season. If you live in an older home near Jubilee International Church, any flat roof added at the back or on a dormer is likely to be far younger, and less durable, than the main roof. For businesses in and around places such as The Glades, outlets and upstands on commercial flat roofs are the places to check before trouble starts.
Mottingham is about 1 mile south-west of Eltham, in Greater London. We cover Mottingham and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and South East England. Across Greater London, we cover Mottingham and the places around it. You can also see our page for London.
Surveys in SE9, SE12 and BR1 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Whether your property is on Horley Road, Dorset Road and Albert Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. Neighbouring places we cover for flat roof surveys include Chinbrook (1 mile south-west), Grove Park (1 mile west), Coldharbour (1 mile east), Middle Park (1 mile north) and Horn Park (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (7 miles north-west), City of Westminster (10 miles north-west), Marylebone (10 miles north-west), Kensington (11 miles north-west), St Pancras (9 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (8 miles north-west).
Near you in Mottingham
We work in homes and buildings around Colfe's School, Chinbrook Meadows and Haberdashers' Aske's Knights Academy. The nearest railway station is Grove Park station, about 0.7 miles west. Other landmarks nearby include Greenwich Castle (3.5 miles north-west) and Prefab Museum (1.7 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Summer Hill and The Tarn.
Leave it or get it looked at?
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 people who use the building. Blocked gutters and hoppers on London houses overflow and soak brickwork, which can lead to damp inside. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both inc. VAT. We confirm the price for the job before you book.
Why us?
- Surveys seven days a week
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- PI and public liability insurance
Read our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.
Questions from Mottingham
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Mottingham?
It rarely stops a survey, but it is worth planning. Tell us what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
Is my home in Mottingham listed or in a conservation area?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it is applicable. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Do you look in the loft space?
Normally, if there is one and it can be reached safely. The loft space can show things the outside can’t, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys run seven days a week. To arrange a date, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Do you give a life expectancy for the roof?
There is no honest way to give an exact number of years. As a guide, felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM often 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30, but your report describes the actual condition.
How experienced are you?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
Roof by roof
EPDM rubber
EPDM frequently lasts 30 to 50 years, but it relies on its seams, trims and upstands being well finished. We look closely at each of those details.
Mastic asphalt
Asphalt roofs are common on older flats, walkways and commercial buildings. The survey checks for crazing, cracking, blistering and splits where the asphalt turns up the walls.
Nearby places to Mottingham
Also in Mottingham
How the survey works
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photos as we go and record our findings for the written report. It normally takes an hour or two for an extension, garage or dormer roof, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial flat roof. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so in Mottingham we work round the house, using the street, the windows, the loft and any safe vantage point behind it. If other people live in the building, let us know who can let us into the shared parts.
- We start with the details: the address, the roof’s use and any leaks or stains.
- We check the roof from wherever it can be seen safely.
- 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.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects we found and what we recommend.
How to prepare
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Arrange a survey
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We will confirm the price before you book.