Greater London · London and the South East
St Giles Flat Roof Survey
Flat roof surveys in St Giles, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photos.
- Blocked or damaged outlets
- A sagging deck under the covering
- Upstands pulling away from walls
Flat roof survey in St Giles: what you get
Flat roofs deal with rain in a very different way from pitched ones. Because rain sits on it for longer, a small split, an open seam or a blocked outlet matters more. The surface, the falls, the upstands and the trims are all looked at closely, and we look for signs that water has reached the deck. The aim is to find problems before they show up as a stain on a ceiling. Common reasons to book are splits and cracks in the covering and raised blisters across the surface, on GRP fibreglass, EPDM rubber and mastic asphalt.
Water getting through a flat roof in London can travel under the covering and appear some way from the hole. Upstands against parapets, outlets and the edge where flat meets pitched are common entry points. In a block or conversion in St Giles, the flat roof is often a shared part of the building.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- St Giles (W1F, W1D, W1T)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Flat roof surveys in St Giles: local notes
Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. A butterfly roof with a central valley gutter, tucked behind a parapet wall, is common on these houses. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Flat roofs on extensions, dormers, garages and business units are found alongside them almost everywhere. There are several hotels within about a mile and a half of St Giles, and like offices and blocks, hotels often sit under flat roofs. If you look after one, a leak through a flat roof can put a room out of use.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as St Josephs Catholic Primary School, schools and public buildings often have big flat roofs, and their outlets and upstands need regular checks. Landlords with a home close to Tottenham Court Road station may find that flat roofs on let property tend to be checked only when they fail, which is the costly way round.
St Giles is about 1 mile east of City of Westminster, in Greater London. Anywhere in St Giles, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our area takes in places right across Greater London.
Postcode districts we cover here for flat roof surveys: W1F, W1D and W1T. You will find streets such as Duck Lane, Drury Lane and Bridle Lane. With the A301 and A400 close by, St Giles is simple for us to get to for flat roof surveys. Close by, we survey roofs in Seven Dials (1 mile south), West End (1 mile south-west), Soho (1 mile south-west), Covent Garden (1 mile south-east) and Chinatown (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Kensington (3 miles west), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (13 miles west), Stockwell (3 miles south) and Orpington (13 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in St Giles
Typical jobs here are in homes near LSE Shaw Library, The Crown pub and Mercers' School. Other local landmarks include London Nautical School (1 mile south-east) and St Anne's Churchyard (less than half a mile south-west). St Giles has its own railway station: Tottenham Court Road station. Nearby you will also find Montfichet's Tower (1.1 miles east) and Kingly Court (0.5 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Barnsbury Wood and Ludgate Hill.
What happens if roof problems are left?
If you are buying, find out about the flat roof before you exchange. After that, the cost of any work is yours. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. In St Giles, as across London, an overflowing gutter soaks the wall below. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and some details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why book us in St Giles
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Surveys on weekdays and at weekends
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Prices that include VAT
When you need someone else
Our survey isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- A structural engineer’s assessment of the deck
- What’s under the membrane without opening it up
- Whether old sheeting or boards contain asbestos
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Mastic asphalt
- Single-ply membranes
- GRP fibreglass
- EPDM rubber
- Upstands and outlets
- Felt flat roofs
Also near St Giles
More services for St Giles
St Giles questions
Is my home in St Giles 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. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is parking a problem for a survey in St Giles?
It can be, so it is useful to let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space when you book. That way the visit can be planned around it.
Can you test old roof sheets for asbestos?
Asbestos testing is not part of our survey. If we see materials that could contain it, such as cement sheets on a building from before 2000, we flag them and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We note visible signs like sagging or deflection, but we are not structural engineers and don’t carry out calculations. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
What does ponding on a flat roof mean?
Ponding is worth looking into. It can point to blocked outlets, poor falls or a deck that is sagging, and water that sits wears the covering sooner. Our survey notes the ponding and what seems to be causing it.
How long does the survey take?
It normally takes about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. The written report follows by email, on the timescale of your package.
What insurance do you have?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
How it works
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it is applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take about one to two hours for most houses; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. In converted houses and mansion blocks, the loft hatch is often on a shared landing. If that applies to your building, it is useful to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Otherwise, the visit in St Giles runs like any other.
- 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.
- The covering, falls, upstands, outlets, edge trims and rooflights are checked and photographed.
- Where there’s safe access, we check the ceilings and spaces below for signs of water.
- You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Getting a price
You can call us seven days a week. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Do you need a flat roof survey in St Giles?
Water that does not drain sits on the roof and speeds up wear. 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.
Most people get in touch after spotting something like this:
- Blocked or damaged outlets
- Cracked or split membrane
- Ponding water that doesn’t drain away
- Loose or cracked edge trims
For businesses in and around places such as Kingly Court, the flat roofs over shops and commercial units are worth checking before a leak, not after.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Their report turnaround times
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether VAT is added on top
Tips from our surveys
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Plan a survey before the covering reaches the end of its usual life
- Treat rooflights and old sheeting as fragile
- Ask whoever fits equipment on the roof to make good the covering
- Check ceilings under the roof for damp patches
After the visit, we write up the report with photos of what we found. It covers the type of covering, its condition and each defect, with our recommendations. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Keep foot traffic on a flat roof to a minimum. If access is needed, boards or walkways help protect the covering, and to keep well clear of rooflights and fragile sheeting.