Greater London · London and the South East
Flat Roof Survey in West Hampstead
We take a careful look at the flat roof at your property in West Hampstead, with photos and a written report.
- Leaks around rooflights
- Outlets choked with leaves and silt
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
About our flat roof survey in West Hampstead
Flat roofs deal with rain in a very different way from pitched ones. Water lies on the surface for longer, so a small split or a blocked outlet can soon lead to a leak. We check the surface, the falls, the upstands and the edge trims, and we note any sign that the deck below has got wet. That way, defects are found before they reach the room below. Common reasons to book are upstands pulling away from walls and cracked or split membrane, on GRP fibreglass, single-ply membranes and felt flat roofs.
Commercial and residential blocks across London frequently have big flat roofs with plant, rooflights and access walkways. Every penetration and upstand is a place where a membrane can fail. For a building in West Hampstead, access is agreed with whoever manages the roof before the visit. Plant bases, rooflights and cable entries are all places where water can get in.
Where we cannot see part of the flat roof, the report says so. That way, it’s clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- West Hampstead (NW3, NW6, NW2)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we are asked to look at in West Hampstead
The surface of a flat roof heats up and cools down far more than the rooms below. This constant movement works at laps, seams and board joints, and in time it can open up splits and cracks. Coverings that have hardened with age tend to suffer most.
It is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Dips that suggest the deck is deflecting
- Standing water left after rain
- Failed seals around rooflight kerbs
- Upstands pulling away from walls
Landlords with a home close to Finchley Road & Frognal station may find that flat roofs on let property tend to be checked only when they fail, which is the costly way round.
Before you book anyone
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Their track record with similar roofs
Also near West Hampstead
What else we do in West Hampstead
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Bigger roofs take more time, and they’re priced for the size.
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
What happens on the day
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take between one and two hours for an extension, garage or dormer roof, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial flat roof. In converted houses and mansion blocks, the loft hatch is often on a shared landing. If that applies to your building, it helps to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Otherwise, the visit in West Hampstead runs like any other.
- First you give us the address, what the roof covers and any leaks you’ve noticed.
- We look at the roof from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Every part of the roof we can see is looked at: covering, falls, upstands, outlets, trims and rooflights.
- We check the rooms or spaces under the roof for staining where we can reach them.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects we found and what we recommend.
Getting ready for the survey
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Keep pets in another room
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
How to book
For a price for flat roof surveys in West Hampstead, phone 07833 053749 or email us. Some details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Related advice
West Hampstead: your questions answered
Is my home in West Hampstead listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Do you cover commercial flat roofs around West Hampstead?
Yes, we cover commercial roofs as well as homes. Access to the roof is sorted out with whoever manages the building before the day.
What’s the best way to book?
To book, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know the address and what you want to find out. We’ll confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only when it’s safe. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where applicable, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Will I get photos?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and they go into the written report alongside our recommendations.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If there is a loft and safe access to it, yes. From inside, the underside of the roof often shows damp, staining or daylight that cannot be seen from outside.
Do I need to be at home?
That depends on the survey. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in; we’ll agree the details as you book.
Practical tips
There is plenty you can do without going near the roof. What helps most:
- Check new fixings through the roof are properly sealed
- Note any new marks on ceilings beneath the roof
- Treat rooflights and old sheeting as fragile
- Have the roof looked at again after a severe storm
Many people send the report to two or three roofers for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare. You stay in control of who does the work and when.
After heavy rain, look at the roof from an upstairs window if you can. Water still lying a day or two later is worth getting looked at.
What this survey can’t tell you
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Testing older roof sheets for asbestos
- A structural engineer’s assessment of the deck
- Hidden layers beneath the covering
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll suggest the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Mastic asphalt
- EPDM rubber
- Felt flat roofs
- GRP fibreglass
- Upstands and outlets
- Single-ply membranes
How the survey changes by roof type
Felt and built-up roofs
Felt roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, depending on how they were laid and looked after. Our report sets out its condition and the areas most at risk.
Rooflights and upstands
Rooflights and fragile sheets are never walked on. They’re inspected from safe positions and recorded with photographs.
Flat roof surveys around West Hampstead
Within a mile and a half or so of West Hampstead there are several hotels, and hotels, like offices and blocks of flats, often have flat roofs. If you look after one, a leak through a flat roof can put a room out of use. Welsh slate on Victorian and Edwardian terraces is a familiar sight across inner London. From the street you may see only a parapet, with a butterfly roof and a valley gutter behind it draining to the back. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Next to the main roofs there’s usually a flat roof somewhere, whether on an extension, a garage or a commercial unit.
Take an older house close to Presbyterian Church Of St Andrew: later flat-roofed additions are common on older houses, and their edges and upstands often show the first signs of wear. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Emmanuel Church of England Primary School, schools and public buildings often have big flat roofs, and their outlets and upstands need regular checks.
West Hampstead is about 3 miles north-west of City of Westminster, in Greater London. West Hampstead is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, large and small. We also survey roofs in London.
Postcode districts we cover here for flat roof surveys: NW3, NW6 and NW2. If you need a flat roof survey at a property on Mill Lane, Acol Road and Ajax Road or anywhere close by, we can help. You’ll find West Hampstead on the A502, so it’s easy for us to get to. Close by, we survey roofs in Fortune Green (1 mile west), Hampstead (1 mile east), Greenhill (1 mile east), Childs Hill (1 mile north-west) and Vale of Health (1 mile north-east). Further out, we also cover London (6 miles south-east), City of Westminster (3 miles south-east), Marylebone (3 miles south-east), Kensington (4 miles south), St Pancras (4 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (5 miles east).
Landmarks near West Hampstead
Around West Hampstead, our work takes us to homes and buildings near South Hampstead High School, Holly Bush pub and Kilburn Grange Park, among other places. There’s a railway station in West Hampstead itself: Finchley Road & Frognal station. Well-known places in the area include Isokon Gallery (1.2 miles east) and New End Hospital (0.5 miles north-east). Open spaces near West Hampstead include Parliament Hill and Westbere Copse.