Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Staines Green Flat Roof Survey
Flat roof surveys in Staines Green and the rest of Hertfordshire. We survey seven days a week.
- Blistering in felt or asphalt
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
- Water getting in at rooflights
How a flat roof survey works in Staines Green
A flat roof leak often 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. Our survey covers the whole roof, not just the part above the mark, and photograph anything that could let water in. Whoever carries out the work then has a clear starting point. We survey EPDM rubber, single-ply membranes and mastic asphalt, and the problems we are asked to look at most are water getting in at rooflights and cracked or split membrane.
Flat roofs on exposed homes in small places like Staines Green take more wind and rain, so edges, upstands and laps take a beating. Felt roofs, which often last around 15–20 years, normally show it first. EPDM rubber and GRP coverings last longer, but their edges and joints still need checking. Exposed edges are usually the first part of a flat roof to go.
Where we cannot see part of the flat roof, the report says so. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t.
- Where
- Staines Green (SG14)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
We look at the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there is safe access, from inside the roof space too. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. All in, the survey typically takes roughly 1–2 hours for a house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Somewhere like Staines Green needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect everything that’s safely in view, inside and out.
- You tell us about the roof, its covering if you know it, and any leaks.
- We look at the roof from wherever it can safely be seen.
- 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.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
How to book
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from ground level or a window; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
Places near Staines Green
Other services in Staines Green
For landlords and managing agents
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work with less disruption.
What a flat roof survey looks like in Staines Green
In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Flat roofs on extensions, dormers, garages and business units are found alongside them almost everywhere. With Digswell House about 4.2 miles north-west, Staines Green sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
For landlords with property near Hertford North station, the flat roof over a let home is worth a look before it becomes a tenant complaint. The streets around a church such as Church of St Mary and St John are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses 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.
Staines Green is about 2 miles west of Hertford, in Hertfordshire. From houses to flats and shops in Staines Green, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Across Hertfordshire, we cover Staines Green. You can also see our page for London.
Here we cover the SG14 postcode area for flat roof surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for flat roof surveys include Hertingfordbury (1 mile east), East End Green (1 mile south), Letty Green (1 mile south-west), Bayford (2 miles south) and Essendon (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Watford (15 miles south-west), Hemel Hempstead (15 miles west), Stevenage (9 miles north), St Albans (9 miles west), Bishop's Stortford (13 miles north-east) and Welwyn Garden City (3 miles west).
Local landmarks in Staines Green
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Sele School, Panshanger Park and White Horse Inn. For rail, the closest station is Hertford North station, roughly 1.3 miles north-east. Other landmarks nearby include Mcmullen & Sons Brewery Museum (1.8 miles east) and Hertford County Hospital (1.4 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Willowmead.
Signs you need a flat roof survey in Staines Green
Flat roofs take the full force of the weather on a surface that drains slowly. In time, the covering dries out, cracks and loosens at its edges and laps. People usually call us when a leak appears, before a purchase, or when the roof may be near the end of its life.
It is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Edge trims that have lifted or split
- Pools of water lying on the roof
- Leaks around rooflights
- Splits and cracks in the covering
If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near Howard Centre, a flat roof over a business is out of sight and out of mind until it leaks.
Questions to ask before you book
- Are they insured for the work?
- When you will get the report
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- What the survey will not cover
How the survey changes by roof type
Mastic asphalt
Without seams, asphalt tends to fail through cracking and at its skirtings. Our report notes crazing, cracks and any likely entry points.
Felt and built-up roofs
The edges and upstands of a felt roof are typically where trouble starts. Every upstand and edge is looked at, with photos of any that have lifted or cracked.
Your questions about flat roof surveys in Staines Green
How do I find out if my home in Staines Green is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you cover Staines Green?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Staines Green as anywhere else.
Does a flat roof survey replace a RICS survey?
No. It is a closer look at the flat roof, not a survey of the whole property. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it, and it isn’t a structural engineer’s report.
Do you go up onto the roof?
Where it is safe, the roof is inspected from the roof itself. Otherwise we use windows, vantage points and the spaces below, and the report says if any part couldn’t be seen. Fragile surfaces are never walked on.
What does ponding on a flat roof mean?
Standing water on a flat roof deserves a closer look. It frequently means a blocked outlet, poor falls or a dipping deck, and it wears the covering faster. We record where it sits and the likely cause.
How long will you be at the property?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof, but most surveys take an hour or two for a small flat roof at home, and longer for a large commercial one. The report is sent afterwards by email.
What do I do with the report?
The report comes by email, and what you do next is up to you: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
Checking the roof from ground level
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: 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.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Tips that help
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Check new fixings through the roof are properly sealed
- File the paperwork for the roof and any repairs
- Limit foot traffic on the covering
- Plan a survey before the covering reaches the end of its usual life
You can use the report to ask roofers to quote for the same work. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare. You stay in control of who does the work and when.
Book a survey every few years, and again after new fixings, units or rooflights go in. You will spot changes early and have a record to look back on.