What Is a Roof Health Check?

What a health check looks at

A health check works through the roof from the outside in. On the slopes, we look at the tiles or slates for cracks, slips and gaps, the ridge and hip pieces for loose bedding or missing fixings, and the verges and eaves for wear. We check the lead or other flashings round chimneys and walls, and the gutters, downpipes and fascias that carry water away.

Inside, we look at the loft for daylight, damp stains, condensation and poor ventilation. We note the state of the underlay and the insulation, and whether anything has changed since the last visit. Every point is photographed, so you have a record that can be compared next time.

Flat roofs get a similar treatment, with attention to ponding, blistering, open seams and outlets. The aim is the same on any roof: a clear picture of the condition today.

Vents, roof windows and the junction with any extension are included. These are the places where two parts of a building meet, and movement or weathering tends to open a gap there first. Cables and fixings for aerials or solar panels are also looked at, because they make holes in the covering.

How it differs from a full survey

A full roof survey is a deeper, one-off exercise, often before a purchase, a major repair or a claim. It goes into greater detail, may use extra tools such as a damp meter or a drone, and produces a longer written report. Our answer on what a roof survey is describes it.

A health check is lighter and quicker. It does not try to diagnose every fault, but flags where a closer look is needed. If it finds nothing worrying, the visit ends there. If it finds a hidden leak or an old covering with problems, it can lead to a fuller survey. Think of it as a regular check-up that sometimes leads to a referral.

Because it is shorter, it suits owners who want to keep an eye on the roof without commissioning a large report each time.

The records matter as much as the visit. Because each check is recorded with the same set of pictures, a run of reports builds a history of the roof. You can see how fast moss is returning, whether a crack is growing and whether a repair has held, which turns guesswork into a trend.

Who benefits most

Owners of older roofs gain the most, because small faults multiply with age. So do owners of exposed properties, houses under trees and anyone with a flat roof or a roof with complicated details. Landlords and managing agents with several buildings find a routine check helps them plan budgets, as covered on our page about roof inspections for landlords.

It also suits people who have just moved in. A new owner rarely knows the history of the roof. A health check in the first months gives you a baseline, and tells you whether anything needs attention before the winter. If the roof is newly laid, it can catch early settling or missed details while the workmanship guarantee is still fresh.

For anyone who simply wants reassurance, a check is a modest cost for knowing exactly what you have.

A check is also a sensible step after a bout of severe weather, or when a neighbour has had a roof problem. Houses built together often have the same age of roof, and the same weak points show up on each.

Timing is flexible. Many owners choose the spring, after the winter has had its say, or the autumn, before it arrives. Either works, and we fit the visit to a dry day with decent light.

What you receive

You get photographs, a plain note of what we saw and a clear view of what, if anything, needs doing and how soon. Anything urgent is flagged on the spot. Where repairs are needed, a fixed written quote follows. Where nothing is needed, we say so and leave the roof alone.

The survey is free, and it is meant to show you the state of your own roof, not to sell you work. We repair wherever repair works. For more on how we approach this, read about the wider service under roof inspections in Basingstoke.

If we find something that needs attention, we show you the evidence first and explain the options, from a small repair to leaving it for now with a note to look again.

There is no pressure to sign up for anything further. If you would like us to come back at a regular interval, we agree that with you, and you can stop at any time.