Brighton and Hove · London and the South East
Flat roof survey in Patcham, Brighton and Hove
Find out what’s going on with the flat roof before you spend money on it. Flat roof surveys in Patcham.
- Dips that suggest the deck is deflecting
- Standing water left after rain
- Splits and cracks in the covering
Why it is worth a survey now in Patcham
On a commercial building, a flat roof leak can disrupt tenants, staff and stock. Surveying the roof in good time means work can be planned and budgeted around the people who use the building. Around Patcham, a leak in an older house can soak into timbers and plaster, and that’s a much bigger job than the original defect.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. The price is always agreed first.
Why us?
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Prices that include VAT
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
Read our cost guide and our case studies.
Flat roof surveys for homes and businesses in Patcham
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 frequently last around 15 to 20 years, while EPDM and GRP often last 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. We survey single-ply membranes, mastic asphalt and felt flat roofs, and people most often book us about edge trims that have lifted or split and blisters and bubbles in the covering.
In smaller places like Patcham, flat roofs are mostly on extensions, garages, porches and dormers. They’re small, but a leak over a kitchen extension can do a lot of harm. What it is covered in, and how well it was laid, decides what it needs. From an upstairs window, look for standing water, splits and edges coming away.
The report records the flat roof as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for instance when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Location
- Patcham (BN1)
- Region
- Brighton and Hove
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near Patcham
More services for Patcham
Questions from Patcham
Do you cover smaller places like Patcham?
Yes, Patcham is covered. We work right across London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Patcham, take more of a battering?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Does a flat roof survey replace a RICS survey?
No. It’s a closer look at the flat roof, not a survey of the whole property. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one, and structural calculations need a structural engineer.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To arrange a date, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Do you need to get into the loft?
Typically, if there’s one and it can be reached safely. The loft space can show things the outside cannot, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. 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.
Is ponding on a flat roof a problem?
Standing water on a flat roof deserves a closer look. It often means a blocked outlet, poor falls or a dipping deck, and water that sits wears the covering sooner. We record where it sits and the likely cause.
What a flat roof survey does not cover
We only report everything that’s safely in view on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Testing older roof sheets for asbestos
- A fixed date for when the roof will need replacing
- What’s under the membrane without opening it up
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll point you to the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Single-ply membranes
- Upstands and outlets
- Mastic asphalt
- Felt flat roofs
- GRP fibreglass
- EPDM rubber
Practical tips
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Keep clear of rooflights and fragile roof sheets
- Ask whoever fits equipment on the roof to make good the covering
- Have the roof looked at again after a severe storm
- Check ceilings under the roof for damp patches
Once we have been, the findings are written up with photos. It covers the type of covering, its condition and each defect, with our recommendations. 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.
Book a survey every few years, and again after new fixings, units or rooflights go in. That catches changes early and builds up a record of the roof.
Local flat roofs in Patcham
The coast is about 3 miles or less from Patcham, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Salt in the air is hard on metal flashings and fixings, and wind catches any loose edge on a flat roof. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Flat roofs on extensions, dormers, garages and business units are found alongside them almost everywhere.
Historic houses such as Preston Manor & Gardens, about 1.5 miles south, show how far back building around Patcham goes. On a period home nearby, any flat roof is likely to be a later addition with its own lifespan. Shop and office owners around Churchill Square may find that a flat roof over a business is out of sight and out of mind until it leaks.
Patcham is about 2 miles north of Brighton, in Brighton and Hove. Anywhere in Patcham, we can carry out flat roof surveys at your property. Patcham is one of the towns and villages in Brighton and Hove we cover.
All of BN1 is within our area for flat roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Local streets include London Road, Vale Avenue and Eldred Avenue, all of which we cover. Other places close to Patcham include Waterhall (1 mile north-west), Westdene (1 mile south-west), Hollingbury (1 mile east), Withdean (1 mile south) and Preston (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover Carlton Hill (3 miles south), Hanover (3 miles south), Brunswick (3 miles south), Kemptown (4 miles south-east), Whitehawk (3 miles south-east) and Aldrington (3 miles south-west).
What’s near Patcham
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Withdean Park, Patcham High School and The Dharma Primary School, among other places. The nearest railway station is Preston Park station, about 1.3 miles south of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Clayton Castle (3.1 miles north) and Brighton Transport Museum (1.8 miles south). Not far away are Ditchling Beacon and Ladies Mile.
Can I check my roof myself?
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Common roof problems in Patcham
Flat roofs often get walked on for other jobs: to clean windows, fit aerials or air conditioning units, or reach a gutter. A covering that wasn’t designed for foot traffic can crack or puncture. New brackets and fixings through the roof are another common source of leaks.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Loose or cracked edge trims
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
- Failed seals around rooflight kerbs
- Standing water left after rain
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near All Saints Church, the joins between later flat roofs and the old walls are where problems typically start.
Before you book anyone
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- How long the report takes to arrive
How the survey works
Every roof is different; as a rough guide, the survey takes an hour or two for a small flat roof at home, and longer for a large commercial one. You are welcome to ask questions while we’re there. Some parts of a survey depend on the weather, so a visit to Patcham is booked with the forecast in mind: drone flights and thermal imaging need the right conditions, while a look from ground level and the loft can go ahead in most weather.
- You let us know about the roof, its covering if you know it, and any leaks.
- The roof is inspected from safe viewpoints, and from the roof itself where that’s safe.
- Every part of the roof we can see is looked at: 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.
Getting ready for the survey
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
Book a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from ground level or a window, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.