East Sussex · London and the South East
Westdean Flat Roof Survey
Know where you stand with the flat roof before you spend money on it. Flat roof surveys in Westdean.
- Raised blisters across the surface
- Standing water left after rain
- Gaps at upstands and abutments
Westdean: your questions answered
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Westdean?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there is more wind, and more salt in the air. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it usually shows.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Westdean?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
What will the report tell me?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos, and ends with what we recommend. The most urgent items are made clear.
Do you work in Westdean?
Yes. We cover Westdean and the rest of East Sussex. For a price, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Will you walk on the flat roof?
Where it’s safe, the roof is inspected from the roof itself. If not, we use safe viewpoints and look inside, and the report says if any part couldn’t be seen. Fragile surfaces are never walked on.
How long does the survey take?
Time on site depends on the roof, but most surveys take about 1–2 hours for an extension, garage or dormer roof, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial flat roof. The report is sent afterwards by email.
Are you insured?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and details are available on request.
Flat roof surveys for homes and businesses in Westdean
Each flat roof is looked at from the safest viewpoints we have: on the roof where it’s safe, from windows and higher ground, and from the rooms below where we can reach them. Fragile rooflights and fragile sheets are never walked on. If part of the roof cannot be seen or reached safely, the report says so, so you know exactly what was covered. We survey EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass and upstands and outlets, and people most frequently book us about leaks around rooflights and blisters and bubbles in the covering.
Flat roofs on exposed homes in small places like Westdean take more wind and rain, which is hard on edges, upstands and joins in the covering. Older felt roofs, often around 15–20 years in life, show it first. Rubber and GRP last longer, though trims and joints still need a look. On an exposed roof, the edges tend to go first.
The written findings come by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Place
- Westdean (BN25)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof; as a rough guide, the survey takes about one to two hours for a small flat roof at home, and longer for a large commercial one. If you have questions on the day, just ask. Somewhere as small as Westdean, access is frequently the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- First you give us the address, what the roof covers and any leaks you’ve noticed.
- The roof is inspected from safe viewpoints, and from the roof itself where that’s safe.
- The covering, falls, upstands, outlets, edge trims and rooflights are checked and photographed.
- 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.
Before the survey
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Tell us about parking before the day
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
How to book
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Related advice
What this survey cannot 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:
- Structural calculations, which need a structural engineer
- An exact number of years the roof has left
- What’s under the membrane without opening it up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Westdean
- Mastic asphalt
- Upstands and outlets
- EPDM rubber
- Felt flat roofs
- GRP fibreglass
- Single-ply membranes
Also near Westdean
More services for Westdean
Useful tips for Westdean property owners
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. Our suggestions:
- File the paperwork for the roof and any repairs
- Plan a survey before the covering reaches the end of its usual life
- Check ceilings under the roof for damp patches
- Note where water lies after a downpour
Questions about the findings are always welcome. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
Try not to let a flat roof become a walkway. If access is needed, boards or walkways help protect the covering, and remind them never to step on rooflights or fragile sheets.
Flat roofs in Westdean
Westdean lies within about 2 miles of the sea, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Wind can catch loose edges and trims on a flat roof, and salt air is hard on metal trims, flashings and fixings. In Sussex, older roofs are frequently handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs, and the county’s older buildings include oast houses and Wealden hall houses. Next to the main roofs there is typically a flat roof somewhere, whether on an extension, a garage or a commercial unit.
If you let a flat or house near Seaford station, flat roofs on let property tend to be checked only when they fail, which is the costly way round. With Alfriston Clergy House about 2 miles north, the area around Westdean has a long history. Older houses nearby often have flat roofs added much later, built to very different standards from the main roof.
Westdean is about 2 miles east of Seaford, in East Sussex. Westdean is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and South East England. Westdean is one of the places in East Sussex we cover for flat roof surveys. Brighton is in our area too.
All of BN25 is within our area for flat roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you’re just outside Westdean, we cover Litlington (1 mile north), Dukes Green (2 miles north), Lullington (2 miles north), Alfriston (2 miles north) and Seaford (2 miles west). We also work in nearby towns such as Eastbourne (6 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (14 miles east), Lewes (10 miles north-west), Hailsham (7 miles north-east), Uckfield (13 miles north) and Newhaven (5 miles west).
Near you in Westdean
We work in homes and buildings around Cuckmere Inn, Seaford Head Nature Reserve and Seaford Head School, among other places. Westdean’s nearest station is Seaford station, about 2.6 miles west. Well-known places in the area include Chailey Heritage Marine Hospital (3.9 miles west) and Old Forge Museum (Alfriston) (2.2 miles north). Not far away are Combe Hill.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Westdean
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it as you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Signs you need a flat roof survey in Westdean
Ponding keeps the covering wet and wears it faster. Blocked outlets, poor falls and a sagging deck are the usual causes. Leaves and silt from nearby trees can soon choke an outlet.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Splits and cracks in the covering
- Leaks around rooflights
- Blocked or damaged outlets
- Failed upstands where the roof meets a wall
For an older house near a landmark such as The Parish Church of All Saints, the joins between later flat roofs and the old walls are where problems normally start.
Questions to ask before booking
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Their insurance cover
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
Why act early in Westdean
By the time a flat roof leak shows indoors, water has already passed through the roof build-up. We can pick up worn covering and failing details sooner, so you can plan the work rather than react to it. In a place like Westdean, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we can help you choose.
Why book us in Westdean
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- 20+ years’ experience
Take a look at our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.