The short answer
No, you should not go on the roof to check damage. Roofs are slippery, steep and a long way up, and falls from ladders and roofs cause serious injuries. A lot can be seen from the ground with binoculars, from an upstairs window, from the loft and through photographs taken with a zoom lens. If you need a closer look, a roofer works at height with the right equipment and can show you the photographs of what they find.
Why climbing up is the wrong call
Roof work accounts for a large share of falls from height in the UK, and homeowners are as much at risk as tradespeople. Wet or mossy tiles are slippery. Slates are fragile and can crack under a boot. Roofs have hidden weak points, such as fragile rooflights, rotten boards on a flat roof and tiles that have lost their fixings. A ladder leant on a gutter can slide or crush the gutter. Wind makes everything harder. After a storm the roof may also have unstable parts, such as a loose chimney pot or a ridge tile, that give way when disturbed.
Most insurers do not expect you to go up. A written inspection by someone who works at height is better evidence than your own account. Our page on insurer evidence after roof damage explains what a claim needs.
What you can check from the ground
Walk round the whole house, in daylight, and look up. Binoculars help a lot. These are the signs to look for:
- tiles or slates that are missing, cracked, slipped or standing proud
- ridge tiles that have shifted or have gaps beneath
- a chimney stack that leans, or has missing pointing or a cracked pot
- sagging in the roof line, or a bow in a gutter
- gutters that are full, hanging, cracked or overflowing
- lead flashings that have lifted or slipped at the chimney or the wall
- debris in the garden, such as pieces of tile, mortar, moss or bits of felt
Take photographs with the zoom on, and mark the date.
What you can check from inside
From an upstairs window you may get a better angle on a rear roof or a flat roof. In the loft, with the light on and your weight on the joists, look for daylight where there should be none, damp patches on the underside of the roof, dripping, dark stains on timbers and wet insulation. Do not step on the ceiling between the joists. If the loft has no boards or you are not confident, stay on the ladder and look in with a torch. Finding and fixing a roof leak goes into what the marks mean.
Alternatives to climbing
Several options give you a close look without risk. A roofer can photograph the roof from a tower or ladder and show you the images. Drones are used by some firms, and a typical domestic drone roof survey runs at around £200, according to a published cost guide, though a roofer on a ladder may be quicker for a small job. A neighbour's upstairs window may offer a clear view of your roof. Whichever you choose, the person working at height should know what they are doing and have the right equipment.
When to call a roofer
Call one if you see missing or broken tiles, a leaning stack, water coming through a ceiling, sagging, or if you cannot tell what you are looking at. If the problem is urgent, such as an open roof or water near electrics, say so on the phone. Our guide to whether roof damage is an emergency helps you judge it.
What we do
We inspect the roof at height with proper access, photograph each fault close up, and send you the images with a plain explanation. If the roof is in good order, we say that as well, and if repair will do, we do not suggest more. The inspection is free, and a fixed price in writing follows if work is needed. See the emergency and general roof repairs page for the repairs we cover.
Flat roofs and low extensions
A single-storey extension or garage can look like an easy climb, which is why so many people try it. The risks are different but real. Flat roofs can hide soft decking under the felt, rooflights may not take weight, and the edge has no guard. Ponds of water and moss make the surface slippery. Look from a first-floor window or a step ladder at the side, and take photographs of ponding, splits and blistering. A close look at the outlet and the gutter from a ladder is the most you should try.
If you have to look yourself
Sometimes there is no choice, for example when a renter has no other option or a roofer cannot come for days. In that case stay at ground level, use a stable, footed ladder for loft access only, and have someone with you. Never go on a wet, icy or windy roof, never at night, and never alone.
Every roof is different. A free survey with photos settles it for yours.
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