Does a Roof Inspection Include the Loft?

What the loft shows that the outside does not

The underside of the roof is where leaks leave a record. Water that gets past a tile or a flashing runs down the underlay and the timbers, and it leaves dark tide marks, damp patches and sometimes drips. Daylight coming through a tile, a ridge or a gap round a chimney is clear evidence of a gap. Condensation, which forms when warm moist air meets a cold roof, shows as beads of water on the underlay and black mould on the rafters.

You also see the structure itself. Rafters, purlins and the wall plates that carry them should be straight, dry and sound. Look for cracks, rot, insect holes and any sign of movement. The loft will also show what has been done to the roof over the years, such as repairs patched from inside or earlier insulation fitted over vents.

Pests also show up in the loft. Droppings, gnawed wires, nests and entry gaps at the eaves are noticed on the way round. Bats and nesting birds are protected, so if we see signs we stop and say so, as it can affect the timing of any work.

What is checked in the roof space

We look at the underlay, which is the sheet beneath the tiles. Older roofs may have bitumen felt that has cracked or sagged, and some have no underlay at all. We look at the battens and rafters for damp and decay, at the wall tops and the party wall in a semi or terrace, and at the inside of the chimney breast for stains.

Ventilation and insulation are checked too. Insulation should be thick enough and not squashed against the eaves where it blocks the airflow that keeps the roof space dry. Water tanks, pipework and electrical cable are noted if they are close to a leak, but those are not part of a roofer's brief to test. Our page on inspecting your loft goes through what you can check yourself.

The state of the chimney breast and the party wall in a semi or terrace is also noted. A damp patch low on the breast can come from the flaunching or flashing above, not from anything inside the house, and the loft side tells us which.

When the loft cannot be seen

Some roofs have no hatch, or the hatch is painted shut, and others have a floored loft packed with boxes. A flat roof has no loft to inspect, though the ceiling below can be checked. A converted loft hides the rafters behind plasterboard. In these cases, the inspection relies on the outside view and on what can be seen from the rooms below.

We tell you what we could and could not see, because a limit on access is a limit on the finding. If the loft is blocked, we can arrange a return visit once it has been cleared, or point out what else could give the answer, such as a damp meter reading on the ceiling. Honest reporting of what was not seen is as useful as what was.

Safety limits what is done. We do not walk across unboarded joists without a crawl board, we do not disturb insulation more than needed and we take care around wiring. Where we think a loft is unsafe to enter, we say so and rely on the outside view.

Why it matters for your decision

A loft check can change the advice. A roof that looks tired outside may be dry and sound within, and need only a few repairs. Equally, a roof that looks fine outside may have damp timbers that need attention. Together, the inside and outside views give a more accurate picture than either one alone.

We take photos of any faults in the loft as well as on the slopes, so that you can see what we are describing. The survey is free, and the fixed written quote follows. The wider service is set out on our roof inspections in Basingstoke.

For buyers and sellers the loft check is especially useful. It shows whether a damp stain on the ceiling is old and dry or still active, and that can change the price or the repair plan. Photos from the loft add weight to the report.