Essex · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in Shelley
Flat roof surveys in Shelley, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Dips that suggest the deck is deflecting
- Edge trims that have lifted or split
- Blocked or damaged outlets
Flat roof survey in Shelley
If the house you’re buying has a flat roof on an extension, dormer or garage, it is worth knowing its condition before 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 photos of each. That gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. We survey GRP fibreglass, upstands and outlets and felt flat roofs, and people most frequently book us about upstands pulling away from walls and blisters and bubbles in the covering.
Some older homes in villages like Shelley are listed or in a conservation area, and that can affect how an extension roof or dormer is re-covered. Check with the council before planning any change of material. Knowing the roof’s condition is the starting point. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent.
We keep jargon out of it: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, along with how urgent it is.
- Location
- Shelley (CM5)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Your questions about flat roof surveys in Shelley
Is my home in Shelley listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you cover Shelley?
Yes, Shelley is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Shelley as anywhere else.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
How much is a survey?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the price for the job before booking, and it depends on the roof’s size, access and the package you choose. To get a price, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
How long is the visit?
It normally takes about one to two hours at a typical home, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. We’ll confirm the timing as you book.
What types of flat roof do you survey?
We survey felt and built-up roofs, mastic asphalt, EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass and single-ply PVC and TPO. Not sure what yours is? We will tell you in the report.
Will the survey show why my flat roof is leaking?
We check the whole roof, since water can travel before it shows inside. Every split, lap, upstand, outlet and rooflight we can see is looked at. If the cause can’t be seen, we will say so and suggest what would help.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Shelley
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Larger roofs take longer, and they’re priced for the size.
What this survey cannot tell you
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- A structural engineer’s assessment of the deck
- Parts of the roof that aren’t safe to walk on or view
- A promise that the roof won’t leak in future
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer before you book. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Upstands and outlets
- Single-ply membranes
- Mastic asphalt
- Felt flat roofs
- EPDM rubber
- GRP fibreglass
Other services in Shelley
What you can safely check yourself
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.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
How it works
Every roof is different, but as a rough guide the survey takes an hour or two for a house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. You’re welcome to ask questions while we are there. For a village or hamlet like Shelley, the journey is planned in advance: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- First you give us the address, what the roof covers and any leaks you’ve noticed.
- We view the roof from the ground, from windows and from the roof where it’s safe to do so.
- Every part of the roof we can see is looked at: covering, falls, upstands, outlets, trims and rooflights.
- Where there is safe access, we look at the ceilings and spaces below for signs of water.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
How to book
A quick phone call is typically the easiest start: call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Related advice
Flat and commercial roofs around Shelley
The wider area around Shelley has a long history of building, with Hill Hall about 4.8 miles south-west. 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. Older buildings in Essex often have clay tiles and weatherboarding, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Flat roofs fill the gaps in between, on extensions, garages, dormers and business premises.
The streets around a church such as Church of St Peter are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, any flat roof added at the back or on a dormer is likely to be far younger, and less durable, than the main roof.
Shelley is about 7 miles south-east of Harlow, in Essex. In Shelley, as across Essex, every roof gets the same careful survey. Shelley is one of the towns and villages in Essex where we work. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
All of CM5 is within our area for flat roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on St Peter's Avenue, Bewlay Close and Queensway. If you’re just outside Shelley, we cover Chipping Ongar (1 mile south), Greensted (1 mile south-west), High Ongar (1 mile south-east), Bobbingworth (1 mile north-west) and Greensted Green (2 miles west). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (11 miles east), Basildon (14 miles south-east), Harlow (7 miles north-west), Brentwood (7 miles south-east), Billericay (10 miles south-east) and Loughton (9 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Shelley
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Ongar Academy and The Cock Tavern. Well-known places in the area include Willingale Doe (4 miles north-east) and St. Margaret's Hospital (5.1 miles west). Not far away are Gernon Bushes.
What happens if roof problems are left?
By the time a flat roof leak shows indoors, water has already passed through the roof build-up. A survey can find worn areas and failing details before that point, so you can plan the work rather than react to it. In a small place like Shelley, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 including VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
Why us?
- 20+ years’ experience
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
What we’re asked to look at in Shelley
A buyer’s general survey frequently recommends a closer look at a flat roof. Owners and managing agents use a survey to plan upkeep, or ahead of a sale or a new lease. Either way, you get a clear record of the roof, with photos.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Splits and cracks in the covering
- Failed upstands where the roof meets a wall
- Pools of water lying on the roof
- Blocked or damaged outlets
Anyone responsible for a site like Ongar Primary School will know that a large flat roof with plenty of outlets and rooflights has many places where a membrane can fail.
Questions to ask before you book
- Their insurance cover
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?