What actually happens during a roof survey
A useful roof survey is a sequence, not a glance from the pavement. Here's what we look at and in what order.
Ground-level assessment
Elevation by elevation: slipped or missing units, ridge and hip line, verges, valleys, chimney condition, gutter alignment and any staining down the walls that hints at overflow.
The loft is where the truth is
Underlay condition, daylight through the covering, batten and rafter condition, water staining and its pattern, insulation coverage, and whether ventilation paths at the eaves are blocked.
High-level inspection
Where access allows, close inspection of the flashings, mortar, fixings and any flat sections. This is where problems that look minor from below turn out to be structural or the other way round.
Photographs and findings
You should receive images of every defect and a written scope that separates urgent work, work that should happen this year, and work that can wait. If you can't see the defect, you can't judge the quote.
What a survey isn't
It isn't a sales visit. If the roof is fine, the honest answer is that the roof is fine, and that's a result worth having before you buy or sell.
FAQs
Standard quotation visits are free. More detailed written reports for purchases or insurers are a separate piece of work — we'll agree that before we attend.
Typically thirty to sixty minutes on a standard house, longer where high-level access is involved.
Yes, where it's safely accessible — it's the most informative part of the visit.
Related reading
More on process & paperwork and the jobs that usually come with it.
- How to choose a roofer without getting stungProcess & paperwork
- What should a roofing quote include?Process & paperwork
- Roof warranties and aftercare: what's actually coveredProcess & paperwork
- 1930s semi roofs: what to expect and when to actProperty types
Looking for something specific? See our roofing services, cost guides, common roof problems or the areas we cover.
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Family-run and Hampton-based. Tell us what you're seeing on the roof and we'll come and look properly before quoting.