How Long Does a Roof Inspection Take?

What sets the time on site

The size and shape of the roof matter most. A plain gable on a semi is quick to read, whereas a house with hips, valleys, dormers, a chimney, a porch roof and a flat-roofed extension has far more to check. Every junction between one roof and another is a place where water can get in, and each one takes a minute or two to look at properly.

Access is the next factor. A roof you can reach with a single ladder is quick. One that needs a tower, or that sits behind a gate and a long side path, takes longer to reach and to photograph. A loft with a wide hatch and a boarded walkway is faster to inspect than a cramped one with stored belongings blocking the way.

The age and condition of the roof also count. A newish roof in good order passes quickly. An older roof with patched repairs, mixed tiles and signs of earlier leaks needs patience, because each patch has to be traced back to its cause.

Occupied homes add a small amount of time as well. We may need to talk to you about stains, past leaks and earlier repairs, and a few minutes of conversation at the door often saves a lot of searching on the roof. Anything you can tell us about when the roof was last touched is helpful.

What the visit includes, step by step

We start from the ground, walking round the property and looking up at each slope, the chimney, the gutters, the fascias and the verges. We record what we see with photographs. We then go up, where it is safe, to look closely at the ridge, valleys and flashings, and we go into the loft to look at the underside of the covering, the timbers and the insulation.

It is the sequence that keeps the visit short. The outside gives us a list of questions, and the loft answers many of them. We note defects as we go and photograph each one, so you have a record. If something needs a second look, for instance a possible leak that is only visible in rain, we tell you at once.

Photographs take more of the time than people expect. Each fault is shot wide and then up close, so that anyone reading the report can find it again on the roof. A roof with a dozen small issues therefore takes noticeably longer than one with a single problem, even though the area is the same.

When it takes longer

Larger and commercial roofs are a different job. A school hall, a warehouse or a retail unit has long runs of flat or profiled roofing, lots of rooflights and a complicated drainage layout. Our page on drone roof surveys explains why a drone is often the efficient route on those, and the flight and image review add time.

A roof with suspected asbestos sheets, fragile rooflights or a steep pitch is approached more slowly, with extra safety steps. The same is true if the weather is poor. Wind, ice and rain make working at height unsafe, and then the visit is rescheduled rather than shortened.

Time of year plays a part. Short winter days leave a narrow window of good light, and in wet weather the work can be spread over two visits. We would rather come back on a dry morning than take poor pictures in the gloom.

What you get afterwards

After the visit, you get a set of photographs of your own roof, a plain note of what we found and, where work is needed, a fixed written quote. That usually follows within a few days, depending on how much there is to write up. If you want to know exactly what to expect in the document, our answer on what a roof inspection report should include lists the sections.

Where an urgent fault turns up, such as an active leak or a loose ridge, we tell you on the spot and make it safe first. The inspection itself is free. If you would like to know more about how we work, see our page on roof inspections in Basingstoke.

If the survey turns up a fault that needs a closer test, such as a suspected blocked valley or a leak behind a chimney, we may suggest a short second visit. That is explained at the time, and it is never charged without agreement.

Ask for the timings when you book, and a good roofer will be glad to tell you.