Anyone buying a house in England meets the same choice early on: which level of RICS Home Survey to pay for. The three levels differ in depth, in price and in how much attention the roof gets, and buyers often pick on cost alone without seeing what that means for the part of the house most likely to produce a large bill. The roof is also the part a surveyor is least able to examine. It is high, it is sloping and it is often covered in a layer of moss, so the report leans on what can be seen from the ground and from the loft hatch. This page explains what each level says about a roof, how to read the ratings, and where the limits sit so you can decide whether you need a closer look before you commit.
The three levels in plain terms
RICS, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, publishes standards for home surveys that its members follow, and you can read the consumer explanation on the RICS website. The three levels are numbered, and the numbers go with the depth of the inspection.
Level 1, the Condition Report, is the lightest. It is aimed at newer, conventional homes in apparently good order. It gives a snapshot of the main elements with a traffic-light style rating and little narrative. It flags urgent issues and legal matters but does not advise on repair.
Level 2, the HomeBuyer Report, sits in the middle and is the one most buyers commission. It describes the condition of each part of the property, rates each one, and comments on repair and maintenance, with a valuation and an insurance rebuild figure if you ask for them. It is suited to ordinary houses and flats in reasonable condition.
Level 3, the Building Survey, is the full structural inspection. It is longer and more detailed, describes the construction in depth, explains the likely causes of defects and sets out what repair might involve. It is the one chosen for older, larger, altered or unusual buildings.
How a roof is inspected at each level
The method is similar across the three levels, and the differences are in how much is written down. The surveyor looks at the roof from ground level, often with binoculars, from neighbouring land where possible, and from inside the loft if there is a safe hatch. They do not normally go onto the roof, and they do not lift tiles. A loft that is full of stored boxes or is not reachable from the hatch is described as not fully inspected. The report will say so.
At Level 1 you can expect a single rating for the roof coverings, often accompanied by a sentence or two. At Level 2 the roof is covered in several parts: the roof coverings, the chimney stacks, the flashings and the rainwater goods are rated separately, and the loft is covered in its own section. At Level 3 you get the most narrative, including the roof's construction type, the condition of visible timbers, the type of underlay, the state of the insulation and ventilation, and advice about what to do. Rainwater goods, which are the gutters and downpipes, are normally covered alongside the roof because blocked or leaking ones cause damp that looks like a roof fault.
Reading the ratings
RICS reports use condition ratings from 1 to 3, along with a marker for parts that were not inspected. A rating of 1 means no repair is currently needed, only normal maintenance. A rating of 2 means a defect that needs repair or replacement but is not considered serious or urgent. A rating of 3 means a defect that is serious or needs urgent attention, which the surveyor will want you to deal with or investigate further before you commit. A part that could not be examined is marked as not inspected, and a note usually follows saying why.
Most roofs with a few years on them land at 2. That is not a red flag; it is the surveyor saying that something will need doing, such as some mortar repairs or a handful of tiles. A 3 on the roof coverings usually deserves a hands-on inspection. A "not inspected" on the loft deserves a question: if the loft could not be seen, no one has checked the underside of the roof at all, which means the report cannot comment on leaks or timber condition.
If your report carries a warning, our page on what to do when your homebuyer survey flagged the roof goes through the steps in order.
What the report cannot tell you
The limits are as important as the findings, and every RICS report spells them out. A surveyor cannot see the condition of the battens or underlay without lifting tiles. They cannot see through insulation to the rafters below, and they cannot tell how much life is left in a covering from the ground. They will not climb the roof, and the tiles beyond the reach of binoculars may not be seen at all. Flat roofs are particularly hard to judge, since a membrane can look sound from a first floor window and still be blistered or ponding where you cannot see.
The report also rests on the day it was done. A survey in a dry week will not show a leak that only appears in driving rain. A house that has been unoccupied or freshly decorated may hide old stains. These are not criticisms of surveyors; they are the realistic boundaries of an inspection done in a couple of hours for the whole building. What the report does well is highlight the places where more investigation is warranted, which is why a rating of 3, or a recommendation for a specialist, is usually worth taking seriously.
Which level suits which house
RICS guidance leans on the age, size, construction and condition of the building. The idea is roughly that the older or more complicated the property, the more detail you should buy. For roofs the logic is simple, because older roofs and unusual coverings carry the most hidden risk.
| Property | Level that usually fits | Why the roof matters |
|---|---|---|
| Newer house in good order, conventional build | Level 1 or 2 | Roof coverings are likely to be standard and fairly young |
| Ordinary 1930s to 1990s house | Level 2 | Original felt and fixings may be tired; a rated summary is usually enough |
| Victorian or Edwardian terrace, thatch, stone slate or clay | Level 3 | Cut roof timbers and period coverings need detail and explanation |
| Extended, converted or altered house | Level 3 | Flat sections, dormers and new openings add junctions to check |
| Listed building or one in a conservation area | Level 3 | Repairs may need consent, and materials matter |
A choice at the lower level is not wrong for a modern house in good order. The point is that the roof section of a Level 1 or a Level 2 will be short, and if anything on it raises a doubt, the next step is a closer inspection, not a guess.
Common roof wording, decoded
Surveyors write in a compact, careful style, and a few phrases come up so often that it helps to know what lies behind them. "Nearing the end of its useful life" means the covering is old and worn, with no promise it will leak next winter but no promise it will not; it points to a replacement plan rather than an emergency. "Evidence of previous repairs" means someone has patched the roof before, which can be a sign of a sound covering that has been looked after or of a roof that keeps failing in the same spot, and only a close look will say which.
"Moss growth" and "lichen" are cosmetic until they are not. A light film does little harm, but a thick cushion on a slate or concrete tile can hold water and lift the edges. "Slipped or displaced tiles" and "cracked tiles" usually lead to a modest repair. "Damp staining to the ceiling below" is the phrase that deserves the most attention, because it ties the roof to an actual leak. "Unable to inspect due to height" or "limited access" simply means the surveyor could not see; it is not a good or a bad sign, only a gap. Finally, "recommend a specialist inspection" is the surveyor's way of saying the matter is beyond what can be judged from the ground, and the sensible response is to arrange one.
Where a roofer fits in
A surveyor and a roofer do different jobs, and the report you commission from each answers a different question. The surveyor tells you the condition of the whole building and flags what needs further work. A roofer goes onto the roof, looks at the covering, the junctions and the loft timbers, and tells you what is wrong, what it will cost and how long the roof has left. Our short answer on whether you need a roofer or a surveyor sets out which to ask first, and our page on roof condition reports describes what a specialist report contains.
That is where our free survey fits. We come to the house, go up, photograph every slope, check the loft and give you a written finding and a fixed quote if work is needed. A roofer's findings and a surveyor's rating complement each other, and a solicitor can use both when talking to the seller. We cover the wider service on our roof inspections in Basingstoke page.
Making the most of the report you have
If you have already commissioned a survey, read the roof section twice and make a list. Write down every part rated 2 or 3, every part marked not inspected and every recommendation to consult a specialist. Then ask the surveyor to talk it through by phone; most are happy to explain what they saw and how worried they are. Ask them directly whether the roof is a reason to renegotiate, since they have seen the whole house and can put the roof in proportion.
Then pass the list to a roofer with a copy of the report. A roofer reading the surveyor's wording can go straight to the flagged spots, which makes the visit quicker and the answer sharper. If the survey touched on the loft, mention the loft too: we show what to check in our guide on inspecting your loft. When you are ready to book, ring 01256 213956, or WhatsApp us, with the address and a photo of the roof page from your report.
