Isle of Wight · London and the South East
Princelett Flat Roof Survey
A careful look at the flat roof at your property in Princelett, with photographs and a written report.
- Standing water left after rain
- Failed seals around rooflight kerbs
- Blistering in felt or asphalt
Common roof problems in Princelett
Ponding keeps the covering wet and wears it faster. It usually comes from poor falls, a blocked outlet or a deck that has dipped. Where trees are close by, leaves and silt can block an outlet within a single autumn.
Problems we come across frequently include:
- Splits, cracks and crazing
- Pools of water lying on the roof
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
- Edge trims that have lifted or split
Landlords with a home close to Shanklin station may find that flat roofs over rear additions and dormers in rented property are worth checking between tenancies.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
How a flat roof survey works in Princelett
A flat roof leak frequently travels before it shows on the ceiling. It may start at a split, a lifted seam or a failed upstand well away from the damp patch. That’s why we check every detail across the roof, not only the area above the stain, with photographs of anything that could be letting water in. Whoever carries out the work then has a clear starting point. If you’ve noticed loose or cracked edge trims and ponding water that doesn’t drain away, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on felt flat roofs, EPDM rubber and upstands and outlets alike.
Somewhere as small as Princelett, flat roofs tend to be on extensions, garages and converted outbuildings. The checks are the same as anywhere: outlets, upstands, edges and the covering itself. The journey and access are planned beforehand. Garages and outbuildings are easy to forget, so mention any you want included when booking.
The report records the flat roof as we found it on the day. It’s useful straight away, and a good reference for later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Where
- Princelett (PO36)
- Wider area
- Isle of Wight
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Single-ply membranes
On single-ply roofs, the welds between sheets are the key detail. Seams, corners and the details around outlets and upstands get a careful look.
GRP fibreglass
GRP can crack if the deck beneath flexes or if the resin was laid too thin. Our report notes cracks and any sign that the deck is flexing.
Towns and villages near Princelett
Also in Princelett
What this survey can’t tell you
Before you book, it’s worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- An exact number of years the roof has left
- The condition of the deck or insulation hidden under the covering
- Whether the deck or joists are strong enough
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Princelett
- Mastic asphalt
- GRP fibreglass
- Felt flat roofs
- EPDM rubber
- Single-ply membranes
- Upstands and outlets
How the survey works
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so you can see in the report what we found and where. We take close-ups from wherever is safe. A typical visit takes about one to two hours at most homes; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Around Princelett, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it helps to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. We only go where it’s safe.
- First we go through the roof, what’s beneath it and any problems so far.
- The roof is viewed from safe positions, including the roof itself where that is safe.
- The covering is checked for wear, splits, blisters and standing water.
- Upstands, outlets, edge trims and rooflights are checked and photographed.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, comes to you by email.
Before the survey
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Getting a price
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email, let us know about the property and we will explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Tips that help
Getting the most from a flat roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Check that new brackets or units haven’t damaged the covering
- Plan a survey before the covering reaches the end of its usual life
- Keep clear of rooflights and fragile roof sheets
- Note where water lies after a downpour
Many people send the report to two or three roofers for quotes. With each roofer working from the same list, comparing quotes is simpler. You stay in control of who does the work and when.
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 remind them never to step on rooflights or fragile sheets.
Questions from Princelett
How do I find out if my home in Princelett is listed?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Will you come out to Princelett?
Yes, Princelett is covered. We work right across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We note visible signs like sagging or deflection, but we do not carry out calculations or give an engineer’s opinion. If we think you need an engineer, the report says so.
Can you find where water is getting through my flat roof?
The survey covers the covering and all the details where leaks usually begin, and photograph anything that could be letting water in. Where the source isn’t obvious, a roof leak investigation or electronic leak detection may be the next step.
Do you check flat roofs for asbestos?
Our survey doesn’t include asbestos testing. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos, for example in cement roof sheets. Anything that might contain it is flagged, so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before work starts.
Do you use drones?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where applicable.
Does the report include photos?
Yes. Photographs are part of every report, so you can see exactly what each finding refers to.
Checking the roof from the ground
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when you book, as it helps us focus the survey.
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Flat roof surveys in Princelett: local notes
The coast is about 2 miles or less from Princelett, so there is more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Coastal wind works at the edges of flat roofs, and salt air wears metal trims and fixings. The wider area around Princelett has a long history of building, with Haseley Manor about 1.8 miles north-west. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Sandown Bay Academy, large flat roofs, common on schools and other public buildings, need their outlets, upstands and coverings checked regularly.
Princelett is about 5 miles south-east of Newport, in the Isle of Wight. Surveys in Princelett work the same way as everywhere we cover: a close look at whatever is safely visible, photographs and a clear written report. Across the Isle of Wight, we cover Princelett and the places around it. Our Portsmouth page covers surveys nearby.
Here we cover the PO36 postcode area for flat roof surveys. We also cover the places around Princelett: Apse Heath (1 mile north-east), Branstone (1 mile north), Winford (1 mile north-east), Whiteley Bank (1 mile south-west) and Hale Common (1 mile north-west). Further out, we also cover Newport (5 miles north-west), Ryde (6 miles north), Cowes (9 miles north-west), Ventnor (3 miles south), East Cowes (8 miles north-west) and Oakfield (6 miles north-east). Remote addresses need a little more planning, so please mention your location when you ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Around Princelett
Princelett’s nearest station is Shanklin station, roughly 1.4 miles south-east of the centre. Nearby you will also find Wight Aviation Museum (1.3 miles north-east) and Arthur Webster Memorial Hospital for Children (1.4 miles south-east). The countryside around Princelett includes Alverstone Mead and Stenbury Down.