West Sussex · London and the South East
Flat roof survey in Wiston, West Sussex
Flat roof surveys across Wiston, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photos.
- Ponding water that doesn’t drain away
- Splits, cracks and crazing
- Outlets choked with leaves and silt
Flat roof surveys for homes and businesses in Wiston
If the house you’re buying has a flat roof on an extension, dormer or garage, it is worth knowing its condition before exchange. Many felt roofs need renewing after around 15 to 20 years, and EPDM and GRP often go on for longer. Our report records the covering, how it’s holding up and any defects we can see, with photos of each. That gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. We survey felt flat roofs, GRP fibreglass and EPDM rubber, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are dips that suggest the deck is deflecting and leaks around rooflights.
Flat roofs on exposed homes in small places like Wiston take more wind and rain, so edges, upstands and laps take a beating. 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. Exposed edges are normally the first part of a flat roof to go.
The report does not just list problems. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend.
- Location
- Wiston (BN44)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Can I check my roof myself?
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it when you book and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
Landlords and letting agents in Wiston book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the flat roof, with photos, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
How the survey works
We’ll ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Cottages and farmhouses around Wiston frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- First you give us the address, what the roof covers and any leaks you’ve noticed.
- We check the roof from wherever it can be seen safely.
- 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 photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Booking a survey
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know the cost up front. Our price is from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Plan a survey before the covering reaches the end of its usual life
- Note where water lies after a downpour
- Ask contractors to protect the roof if they work on it
- Check that new brackets or units haven’t damaged the covering
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. Where someone does need access, ask them to use boards or a protected route, and to keep well clear of rooflights and fragile sheeting.
What else we do in Wiston
Common roof problems in Wiston
Water that doesn’t drain sits on the roof and speeds up wear. It typically comes from poor falls, a blocked outlet or a deck that has dipped. Leaves and silt from nearby trees can soon choke an outlet.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Upstands pulling away from walls
- Edge trims that have lifted or split
- Raised blisters across the surface
- Splits, cracks and crazing
The streets around a church such as All Saints Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, the flat roofs on later extensions tend to wear out long before the main roof.
Questions to ask before you book
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
What this survey cannot tell you
It is a careful look at the flat roof, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- An exact number of years the roof has left
- The condition of the deck or insulation hidden under the covering
- Fragile surfaces, which we do not walk on
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Felt flat roofs
- Mastic asphalt
- Single-ply membranes
- Upstands and outlets
- GRP fibreglass
- EPDM rubber
What a flat roof survey looks like in Wiston
What can be done to an older roof may depend on listing or a conservation area. Your council and Historic England’s list will tell you where you stand, ideally before any re-roofing is planned. In Sussex, older roofs are frequently handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Alongside them, flat-roofed extensions, dormers, garages and commercial units are common almost everywhere.
For any home in Wiston, it’s the small, early fault that is cheapest to put right.
Wiston is about 6 miles north of Worthing, in West Sussex. From houses to flats and shops in Wiston, the roof can be surveyed. Our area takes in places right across West Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. We also survey roofs in Brighton.
Here we cover the BN44 postcode area for flat roof surveys. Whether your property is on Hole Street, Water Lane and Spithandle Lane or anywhere close by, we can help. Other places close to Wiston include Ashington (1 mile north-west), Ashurst (2 miles north-east), Dial Post (3 miles north), Partridge Green (4 miles north-east) and Broomer's Corner (4 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Horsham (11 miles north), Worthing (6 miles south), Haywards Heath (13 miles north-east), Burgess Hill (11 miles east), Littlehampton (10 miles south-west) and Shoreham-by-Sea (7 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Wiston
Well-known places in the area include Steyning Museum (2.8 miles south-east). Not far away are Chanctonbury Hill and Knepp Wildland.
Common questions in Wiston
How do I find out if my home in Wiston is listed?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you cover Wiston?
Yes, Wiston is within the area we cover. We survey roofs across London and the South East. You can ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
How do I book a survey in Wiston?
The quickest way is to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. Give us the address and a few details about the roof, and we will take it from there. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Will I get photos?
Yes. The report includes photographs of what we found.
Is ponding on a flat roof a problem?
Ponding is worth looking into. It often means a blocked outlet, poor falls or a dipping deck, and it wears the covering faster. Our survey notes the ponding and what seems to be causing it.
How do you inspect a flat roof?
We inspect from wherever is safe: on the roof where it is safe, and from windows, nearby vantage points and inside. Fragile rooflights and fragile sheets are never walked on.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Let us know about it when you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.