Informal roof assessment before you buy

What it is, and what it is not

A survey covers the whole property, and the roof is one part of it, usually looked at from the ground. It is not unusual for a survey to recommend that the roof be checked by a roofing contractor. This is that check: a practical look at the roof by someone who repairs and replaces roofs, written up with photographs and an idea of what any work would cost.

It is not a structural survey. It is not a RICS HomeBuyer Report or any other RICS survey, and it is no substitute for one. It does not cover the structure of the building, the walls, damp elsewhere in the house, services or anything legal. Get whatever survey your lender requires and your own judgement says you need; this sits alongside it and goes into more detail on the one part of the house it covers.

What gets looked at

The covering: slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles, signs of nail sickness, moss, and the general state of each slope. The ridge and hips, and whether their bedding or fixings are sound. Verges and valleys. Flashings and leadwork at chimneys, walls and dormers, and the chimney stacks themselves as far as they can be seen. Gutters, downpipes, fascias and soffits, and any flat roofs on extensions, garages or dormers.

Inside, where there is safe access to the loft, the underside of the roof: staining on the timbers, the state of the underlay or the lack of one, daylight showing through, ventilation, and anything that points to a past or current leak. Water marks on the ceilings below the roof are noted too.

What it cannot tell you

The assessment covers what can be seen safely from the ground, from a ladder at the eaves, from windows and from inside the loft. Without scaffolding, parts of some roofs, particularly on taller houses and the rear slopes of terraces, can only be seen from a distance. A slate roof is not walked on for an inspection, so slates that look sound from below may still be loose. What is under the covering, such as the battens and the tops of the rafters, cannot be seen without lifting it.

A dry day will not show where a roof leaks, and fresh paint or a newly boarded loft can hide signs that would otherwise be there. Access also depends on the seller: the loft, the rooms below and any outbuildings are only looked at if they are made available. Where something important could not be checked, the written findings say so plainly.

What you get

Written findings in plain language, with photographs, covering the condition of each part of the roof, anything that needs doing now, anything likely to need doing in the next few years, and what each item would cost to put right. That gives you something concrete to take back to the seller or the agent, or to budget for after you move in. If it turns up something outside a roofer’s remit, such as signs of structural movement, you will be told to get the right specialist to look at it.

The time to arrange it is after your offer is accepted and before you exchange. The selling agent will normally need to agree access with the seller, so it helps to ask them early.