Greater London · London and the South East
Flat roof survey in South Bermondsey, Greater London
Surveys of flat roofs on homes, extensions and commercial buildings for South Bermondsey and the rest of Greater London. Surveys run seven days a week.
- Blistering in felt or asphalt
- Standing water left after rain
- Splits and cracks in the covering
Before and after the survey
Small things make a difference. Our tips:
- Note the date and type of any roof work
- Ask whoever fits equipment on the roof to make good the covering
- Limit foot traffic on the covering
- Check ceilings under the roof for damp patches
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer, the seller or a managing agent. It’s written in plain English, with a photograph of each defect, so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
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.
About our flat roof survey in South Bermondsey
Water through a flat roof doesn’t always come in where the stain is. 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. A roofer can then start from a clear picture of the problem. We’re often asked to look into signs of deflection in the roof deck and upstands pulling away from walls, across single-ply membranes, mastic asphalt and upstands and outlets.
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, each with its own weak points. In South Bermondsey, as anywhere in London, the right approach depends on what the roof is made of. Older flat roofs are often felt or asphalt, newer ones rubber or GRP.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the coverings down to the gutters, each with a short note and a photograph. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Where
- South Bermondsey (SE16, SE15, SE1)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near South Bermondsey
Also in South Bermondsey
Flat and commercial roofs around South Bermondsey
South Bermondsey has a number of hotels within about a mile and a half, and like offices and blocks, hotels often sit under flat roofs. For hotels and other commercial buildings, finding the cause of a flat roof leak quickly keeps rooms in use. Welsh slate on Victorian and Edwardian terraces is a familiar sight across inner London. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that can’t be seen from the pavement. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Alongside them, flat-roofed extensions, dormers, garages and commercial units are common almost everywhere.
A roof leak in a hotel or guest house around South Bermondsey means lost rooms as well as repairs, so it pays to find faults before guests do. For landlords with property near South Bermondsey station, flat roofs over rear additions and dormers in rented property are worth checking between tenancies.
South Bermondsey is about 2 miles north-west of New Cross, in Greater London. In South Bermondsey, as across Greater London, every roof gets the same careful survey. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
We survey roofs across SE16, SE15 and SE1 for flat roof surveys. We cover properties on Tenda Road, Rolls Road and Simms Road and the roads around them. South Bermondsey sits on or near the A2208, which makes travel easy. We also cover the places around South Bermondsey: Surrey Canal (1 mile east), Surrey Quays (1 mile north-east), Bermondsey (1 mile north-west), Peckham (1 mile south) and Rotherhithe (1 mile north-east). Larger places within reach include City of Westminster (4 miles north-west), Marylebone (4 miles north-west), Kensington (6 miles west), St Pancras (4 miles north-west), Shoreditch (3 miles north) and Walthamstow (7 miles north).
Around South Bermondsey
In South Bermondsey, that means homes and buildings near The Kentish Drovers Public House, Paterson Park and City of London Academy and the streets around them. There’s a railway station in South Bermondsey itself: South Bermondsey station. A little further out are New Cross Hospital (0.6 miles south-east) and Surrey Quays Shopping Centre (0.8 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s St. James's Park Lake and Tower Hill.
What a survey costs
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Which survey package you book
- Roof area
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400. We confirm the exact price before booking.
What we need to know
There is no need for technical words. Just tell us:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- What’s prompted the survey
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Signs you need a flat roof survey in South Bermondsey
No flat roof covering lasts for ever. Around 15 to 20 years is common for felt, while EPDM often lasts 30 to 50 years and GRP up to about 30, although how well it was laid and looked after matters a great deal. A survey shows how yours is holding up, whatever its age.
It is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Dips that suggest the deck is deflecting
- Loose or cracked edge trims
- Splits and cracks in the covering
- Upstands pulling away from walls
Anyone responsible for a site like Ilderton Primary School will know that large flat roofs, common on schools and other public buildings, need their outlets, upstands and coverings checked regularly.
Before you book anyone
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- When you will get the report
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
Surveys for landlords and agents in South Bermondsey
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it when you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
The survey, step by step
Every visit follows the same pattern: we hear what you’ve seen, inspect the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and record our findings for the written report. It typically takes about one to two hours at a typical home, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. In a London area like South Bermondsey, the main things to sort out are parking and access: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. We then look at whatever is safely visible from ground level, windows, the loft and, where it is safe, the roof itself.
- You let us know 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.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
How to book
If you’re buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or email us when you’re ready.
Related advice
When you need someone else
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- A promise that the roof will not leak in future
- What’s under the membrane without opening it up
- Fragile surfaces, which we don’t walk on
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will suggest the right survey before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Felt flat roofs
- Mastic asphalt
- EPDM rubber
- Single-ply membranes
- Upstands and outlets
- GRP fibreglass
Your questions about flat roof surveys in South Bermondsey
Does a conservation area affect roof work in South Bermondsey?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Do you cover commercial flat roofs around South Bermondsey?
Yes. As well as homes, we check flat roofs on offices, hotels, blocks of flats and commercial units. Larger commercial roofs are quoted for the building.
What happens next?
We email you the written report with photographs and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only when it is safe. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. We use safe viewpoints, the loft space and a drone where it applies.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If the conditions are not right, we will talk to you about another date.
Do you work in South Bermondsey?
Yes. We cover South Bermondsey and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and the South East. For a price, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. We check the roof, not the whole building, so it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.