Buying a house: why get a roofer's report?
A general pre-purchase building inspection covers the whole house. The inspector may view the roof from a ladder or the ground, especially if it's steep or high, and the report should say so in its limitations section. Read that part closely.
A roofer's report goes further on the roof itself: the condition of the tiles or sheets, ridge, flashings, valleys, gutters and roof space. It also gives you something to negotiate with. If the roof will need a restoration or a replacement soon, that's a real cost to factor into your offer.
Building inspections generally don't cover asbestos either, according to the national asbestos agency, and it says a home built or renovated before 1990 probably has some. If the roof could be asbestos cement, ask about it specifically.
Timing matters. Book early, and tell the roofer the deadline your contract gives you for inspections.
Insurance claims: what does the insurer want to know?
Insurers usually want to know what caused the damage, roughly when it happened and what it'll cost to fix. The big question is often whether it's sudden damage, like a storm, or wear that built up over years.
A roofer's report with dated photos and a clear opinion on the cause gives you something concrete to send in, or to point to if you disagree with the insurer's assessor. The roofer can't promise what the insurer will decide, and neither can we. Our guide to storm damage claims covers the rest of the process.
What a good roof report includes
- The address, the inspection date and the weather on the day
- The roofer's name, business and licence number
- How the roof was inspected (walked, ladder, drone) and whether the roof space was entered
- The roof type and material, and its approximate age if that can be judged
- Every problem found, with a photo and where it is on the roof
- How urgent each one is: now, soon, or keep an eye on it
- For a claim, the likely cause of each problem and when it may have started
- What wasn't inspected, and why
- Recommended repairs, with a price or price range if you've asked for one
What a buyer can check, and what needs a roofer
You can
- Read the building report's roof section and its limitations before deciding if you need more
- Ask the seller or agent about past roof repairs, leaks and insurance claims
- At the open inspection, look at every ceiling, including inside built-in cupboards, for stains
- Note any solar panels, skylights or extensions, because the joins around them are where leaks often start
Leave to a roofer
- Inspecting the roof surface and roof space up close
- Judging how much life is left in the tiles, metal and mortar
- Giving an opinion on the cause of damage for an insurer
- Pricing the repairs the report recommends
What we'd do before buying
If the house has an older roof, or the building report says the roof wasn't fully inspected, we'd book a roofer's report before going unconditional. Ask for photos of every issue, a ranking of what's urgent, and a rough cost for anything major. If it turns up a big job, you've got grounds to renegotiate, or to walk away.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.