A Little Help Understanding Your Roof

We’ve put together some brief information below covering some of the common questions our customers ask us. We’ve tried to draw on reliable, independent sources and point you towards useful places to read further.

It’s still worth doing your own reading and, particularly where significant work or cost is involved, speaking to more than one suitably experienced professional before deciding what to do. You may find different opinions in published guidance and from the people you speak to, so a second view can be valuable.

This is general information rather than advice on an individual roof.

Find the advice you need

I have a leak or damp patch

Start by noting when the damp appears rather than assuming the visible patch is directly below the leak. A damp patch does not always tell you where water is getting in: rain can enter around tiles, valleys, chimneys, flashings, rooflights or drainage details and travel before it becomes visible inside. Damp can also be caused by condensation rather than rainwater.

A useful first step is to note when it happens. Does it appear during rain, only during very heavy rain, or mainly in cold weather? Has anything recently changed, such as insulation, a rooflight or other roof work? Those details can help narrow down the cause.

For a relatively simple roof problem, an experienced roofing contractor can be a useful place to start. If the cause is unclear, the problem is recurring, or substantial work is being proposed, an independent building surveyor can provide a separate view.

Something on my roof looks damaged

A slipped or broken tile, loose ridge or hip, damaged flashing or overflowing gutter is worth looking into, but one visible defect does not necessarily mean the whole roof needs replacing.

Individual defects can often be repaired. If the same area keeps failing, defects are widespread, or there are signs of movement or deterioration underneath the covering, it is more important to understand the underlying cause before continuing with patch repairs.

Clear photographs or detailed roof imagery can be useful when asking a professional for advice, particularly where the affected area is difficult to see from the ground.

My roof only leaks in very heavy rain

Ask whoever investigates it to check the drainage as well as the roof covering. A leak that appears only during very heavy rain can sometimes point towards drainage rather than simply a failed roof covering. Valleys, box or parapet gutters, outlets and downpipes can become blocked, but repeated overflow can also result from poor falls, detailing or drainage capacity.

Note when and where the water appears. If possible, record whether gutters or outlets are overflowing at the same time. Ask whoever investigates the problem to consider the drainage route as well as the roof covering rather than assuming the waterproofing needs replacing.

Leaks around chimneys, walls, dormers and valleys can also be difficult to trace because water can travel before becoming visible inside. The location of the damp is a useful clue, but not always a diagnosis.

My roof is getting old: should I repair or replace it?

An older roof does not automatically need replacing. Age is useful context, but condition matters more: roofs of the same age can be in very different condition depending on the material, workmanship, exposure, maintenance and earlier repairs.

Localised problems can often be repaired. Replacement becomes more worth considering where defects are widespread, repairs are becoming frequent, fixings or supporting materials are deteriorating, or the cost and durability of continued patch repairs no longer make sense.

Be wary of simple lifespan tables that say a particular roof material always lasts a fixed number of years. Condition and the way the roof has been constructed and maintained are usually more useful than age alone.

I have been given a large roofing quote

Before accepting a large roofing quote, compare more than one written quotation and make sure they are actually pricing the same scope. Check what is being removed, what is being repaired or replaced, the materials or roofing system proposed, scaffolding and access, disposal, any compliance responsibilities, guarantees, and how unexpected additional work will be agreed.

If contractors are recommending very different solutions, an independent building surveyor can be useful before you commit.

Agree payment stages in writing and avoid paying the whole price up front. Keep the quotation, contract, invoices, guarantees and any completion or compliance paperwork.

Do I need a roofer, building surveyor or structural engineer?

For a straightforward roof problem, an experienced roofing contractor can be a sensible place to start. They can inspect the roof, comment on its general condition and recommend or price repairs.

A building surveyor becomes particularly useful where the cause is uncertain, substantial expenditure is being proposed, different contractors are giving different answers, you are buying a property, or you want advice that is independent of the person who may carry out the repair.

There can also be additional protection in obtaining formal professional advice. RICS-regulated firms are required to hold professional indemnity insurance, which provides protection against claims arising from professional negligence. It doesn’t guarantee that advice will always be right or that every loss will be covered, but it is an important part of the professional framework behind the advice you are paying for.

A structural engineer is more likely to be needed where there is concern about movement, sagging, damaged structural timbers, altered loads or other structural changes.

Quantity surveyors are generally more relevant to larger or more complex projects. They would not usually be the first professional to call about a straightforward roof problem on an ordinary house.

If somebody describes themselves as RICS regulated or chartered, it is worth checking the official RICS directory.

I need to choose a roofer

Start by checking who you are actually contracting with, their recent experience on similar work and what insurance they carry. For significant work, get more than one written quotation and ask for recent references. It is also worth checking how long the business has been trading and what happens if something goes wrong.

Trade-body membership can be another useful check. The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC), for example, has a contractor directory and vets its members against criteria including insurance, health and safety and their trading record, with site inspections also forming part of its process. Membership is not a guarantee that an individual job will be trouble-free, but it is one useful thing to check.

If a contractor claims membership of NFRC or another trade or competent-person scheme, check that directly with the organisation rather than relying on a logo on a website, quotation or van.

For significant work, ask exactly what guarantee is being offered, who provides it, what it covers and what happens if the contractor stops trading.

Be particularly cautious about unsolicited approaches, pressure to start immediately, diagnoses made from the doorstep, rapidly increasing prices or requests for large cash payments.

What does my roofing guarantee actually cover?

The headline length of a guarantee tells you surprisingly little. A manufacturer’s materials guarantee, a contractor’s workmanship guarantee and an insurance-backed guarantee can all cover different things.

Check who issued the guarantee, exactly what work or materials it covers, what is excluded, whether registration or ongoing maintenance is required, and how a claim would actually be made.

If the protection is described as insurance-backed, check what event activates it and what happens if the contractor stops trading. Insurance-backed protection is not the same thing as general insurance for everything that might go wrong with the roof.

It is also worth checking whether the guarantee transfers to a new owner if you sell the property, and keeping the policy, contract, invoices and installation records together.

My roof has been damaged: can I claim on my insurance?

You may be able to claim where the damage was caused by a sudden event covered by your policy, such as a storm. Home insurance is not normally intended to pay for ordinary wear, ageing or poor maintenance. A common question in a disputed storm claim is whether the storm caused the damage or exposed a problem that was already developing.

That is why evidence of the roof’s condition before the event can be helpful. Previous photographs or surveys, maintenance records, invoices and dated photographs after the event can all help establish what changed.

Contact your insurer promptly and check the policy before commissioning substantial permanent repairs where circumstances allow. If urgent work is needed to prevent further damage, keep records and photographs of what was done.

I am buying a property

If you are buying a property, it is worth making sure the roof is properly considered before you commit. Roof problems can be expensive and difficult to assess from ground level, so a survey can be money well spent, particularly on an older, altered, unusual or visibly run-down property.

RICS offers three levels of Home Survey. Level 1 is the most limited; Level 2 gives more information on condition, repairs and maintenance; and Level 3 is the most detailed and is particularly suited to older, unusual, altered or poor-condition properties.

The aim is not simply to buy the most expensive survey. Choose a level appropriate to the property and the questions you need answered. If the roof is already a concern, tell the surveyor before the inspection.

I am considering solar panels

Check the condition of the roof before installing solar panels. A roof that is already likely to need significant work may be better dealt with before the panels are installed, and the installation should not compromise weather-tightness or structural integrity.

Ask the installer how the roof’s condition and structure have been assessed, how the panels will be fixed, and whether an existing roof warranty could be affected. Unusual structures or significant loading questions may need specialist structural advice.

Other roof questions

Useful independent starting points