Hertfordshire · London and the South East
West Leith Flat Roof Survey
Find out the condition of the flat roof at your property in West Leith. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Blisters and bubbles in the covering
- Failed upstands where the roof meets a wall
- Standing water left after rain
Flat roofs in West Leith
In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Flat roofs fill the gaps in between, on extensions, garages, dormers and business premises. Historic houses like Cholesbury Manor House, about 2.3 miles south-east, show how far back building in the area around West Leith goes. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
The streets around a church like Church of St Martha (Anglian Methodist) are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes 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. If you own a rental within reach of Tring station, the flat roof over a let home is worth a look before it becomes a tenant complaint.
West Leith is about 5 miles west of Berkhamsted, in Hertfordshire. We carry out flat roof surveys for homes and businesses in West Leith and nearby. West Leith is one of the towns and villages in Hertfordshire where we work for flat roof surveys. Milton Keynes is in our area too.
All of HP23 is within our area for flat roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Whether your property is on Duckmore Lane and West Leith or anywhere close by, we can help. We also cover Hastoe (1 mile south), Tring (1 mile north-east), Wigginton (1 mile east), St Leonards (2 miles south) and Buckland Common (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Watford (15 miles south-east), Hemel Hempstead (9 miles east), St Albans (15 miles east), Harpenden (14 miles east), Berkhamsted (5 miles east) and Rickmansworth (13 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in West Leith
Around West Leith, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Tring School, Tring Park and The Kings Arms Public House. The nearest railway station is Tring station, about 2.5 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include Trenchard Museum (2 miles west) and Stoke Mandeville Hospital (5.5 miles west). The countryside around West Leith includes Pavis Wood and Dancersend.
Flat roof survey in West Leith
A flat roof survey looks at the covering, the edges, the outlets and the details where the roof meets walls and rooflights. We cover felt, mastic asphalt, EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass and single-ply roofs. We survey extension, garage and dormer roofs as well as bigger roofs on flats, offices and units. You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations. We survey mastic asphalt, EPDM rubber and felt flat roofs, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are water getting in at rooflights and blisters and bubbles in the covering.
Some older homes in villages like West Leith 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.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Place
- West Leith (HP23)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Also near West Leith
What else we do in West Leith
The survey, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs, emailed to you. As for time on site, most surveys take an hour or two for an extension, garage or dormer roof, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial flat roof. Somewhere like West Leith needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- We start with the address and, on larger roofs, the roof area and access.
- We check the rooms or spaces under the roof for staining where there’s access.
- We view the roof from safe positions and never walk on fragile surfaces.
- We record every defect with a photo and its likely cause.
- The report explains the condition and recommends what to do first.
Getting ready for the survey
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Arrange a survey
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and give us a few details about the property and we will suggest the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
When you need someone else
Every survey has limits, and it’s better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- What’s under the membrane without opening it up
- Asbestos testing, which needs a specialist asbestos surveyor
- Fragile surfaces, which we don’t walk on
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll point you to the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in West Leith
- GRP fibreglass
- EPDM rubber
- Felt flat roofs
- Single-ply membranes
- Mastic asphalt
- Upstands and outlets
West Leith: your questions answered
Is West Leith within the area you cover?
Yes, West Leith is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Do you carry out roof surveys in West Leith?
Yes, West Leith is within the area we cover. We cover the whole of London and South East England. You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and some details, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and it’s safe, yes. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We are a CAA-registered drone operator.
What do I do with the report?
You’ll receive the report by email, and what you do next is up to you: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
Can you test old roof sheets for asbestos?
Our survey doesn’t include asbestos testing. Older buildings, from before 2000, may have asbestos in cement sheets or soffits. Anything that might contain it is flagged, so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before work starts.
Can you survey in bad weather?
A survey can normally go ahead in light rain, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so if conditions aren’t right we will arrange another day with you.
Which flat roof coverings do you cover?
We cover the main flat roof coverings: felt, asphalt, EPDM, GRP and single-ply. We record what the covering is and how it’s holding up.
What we’re asked to look at in West Leith
No flat roof covering lasts for ever. Felt roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, EPDM often 30 to 50 years and GRP up to about 30, though workmanship and upkeep make a big difference. We can tell you how your roof is doing, whatever its age.
Common reasons to book include:
- Pools of water lying on the roof
- Damaged trims at the roof edge
- Outlets that hold water back
- Dips that suggest the deck is deflecting
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Goldfield Infants' and Nursery School, schools and public buildings often have big flat roofs, and their outlets and upstands need regular checks.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Their report turnaround times
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
Roof by roof
Mastic asphalt
Without seams, asphalt tends to fail through cracking and at its skirtings. We record any crazing or splits and where water may be getting in.
GRP fibreglass
GRP roofs are laid as a resin and glass-fibre layer over boards. The survey checks for cracking at board joints, at the edge trims and where the roof meets walls.
Before and after the survey
Nothing here needs a ladder. Our suggestions:
- Ask whoever fits equipment on the roof to make good the covering
- Note where water lies after a downpour
- Treat rooflights and old sheeting as fragile
- Plan a survey before the covering reaches the end of its usual life
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer, the seller or a managing agent. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo, so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
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.