Are Free Roof Inspections Worth It?

Why roofers offer free inspections

For a roofer, a survey is the cheapest way to find the work. Most free inspections are paid for by the repair or replacement that may follow, and that is a perfectly honest arrangement as long as the advice is honest. A roofer who inspects properly, finds a loose ridge tile and quotes a small repair has earned the trust of the customer. The problem arises when the inspection exists to find a reason to sell a larger job.

You can learn a lot about a firm from how it handles the visit. A good one will explain what it is looking for, show you what it finds and let you ask questions. A poor one will tell you the roof is dangerous, offer a discount if you sign today and be gone before you have looked at anything.

Free does not mean valueless. A roofer who knows the job can tell a lot from a short visit, and the information is useful to you whether or not you hire them. Treat the visit as a way to gather evidence rather than a sales meeting.

What a worthwhile free inspection includes

You should expect a look at every slope from the ground and, where safe, close up from a ladder or by drone, followed by an inspection of the loft if there is access. The roofer should check the ridge, hips and verges, the flashings round chimneys and abutments, the valleys, the gutters and fascias, and the state of the tiles or slates themselves.

Most importantly, the findings should be recorded. Photographs of the actual faults, a short written note of what is wrong and a clear quote for each item let you judge the advice calmly. Our page on what a roof inspection report should include sets out what a good record contains. If the roofer will not leave anything in writing, treat the advice with caution.

A drone is a good addition where it is used well, because it lets the roofer see the ridge and the far slopes without climbing on them. It is not a replacement for a close look at a flashing or a loft. Our page on whether a roof can be inspected from the ground covers what can and cannot be judged from below.

Warning signs to watch for

Be wary of anyone who knocks on the door offering to check your roof because they happen to be working nearby. Be wary of pressure to start immediately, of a price that changes with the day, and of a claim that your roof has a serious fault that only they can see. Another sign is the offer to show you photos on a phone that cannot be sent to you afterwards.

There is also the question of what is free. Some firms charge a call-out and credit it against the work, others charge for a report. Ask at the start whether anything will be billed. If you would rather have independent advice with no repair work attached, a surveyor is an option, and our answer on whether a roofer or a surveyor should inspect your roof compares the two.

Ask the firm to say in advance what the visit includes and how long it will take. A genuine survey has a clear scope, and a roofer who is happy to tell you the scope is one who intends to do it.

A short checklist helps. Is the roofer willing to put the findings on paper, does the visit include the loft, and will the photographs be sent to you? Three yeses are a good sign, and you can compare them with anyone else who comes round.

How our survey works

Our survey costs nothing. We look over the roof, take photographs of the faults on your own tiles and flashings, and write down what we find. A fixed written quote follows for anything that needs doing. Where repair works, we repair, and where the roof has years left, we say that too.

There is no obligation to go ahead, and you are free to take the photos and the quote to someone else. That is the standard we think a free inspection should meet. More detail on the service is on the page for roof inspections in Basingstoke.

If we find nothing urgent we say so, and we recommend leaving the roof alone until it needs attention.