Roof Surveys in Northampton
A roof survey is not a roofer looking at your tiles from the ground. A proper survey involves the loft, close external assessment from scaffold or safe access equipment, and a written report that tells you specifically what is wrong, what can wait, and what everything costs. We carry out free no-obligation roof surveys across all Northampton NN postcodes — the survey report is yours to keep regardless of whether you book any work.
What Our Roof Survey Covers
Every survey we carry out in Northampton has two components: internal and external.
The internal assessment, conducted from inside the loft, checks the felt underlay condition — looking for daylit areas, brittle or cracked felt, water staining and active ingress; rafter condition — checking for soft timber, rot, insect damage and moisture exposure history; batten condition where visible; and any previous repair work visible from below.
The external assessment, conducted from scaffold or appropriate access equipment, checks the tile surface condition, slippage and displacement; mortar condition at ridge, hip and valley lines; lead flashing condition at all chimney and wall junctions; gutter and fascia condition; chimney stack structural and mortar condition; and any visible damage, displacement or missing elements.
Types of Survey We Carry Out
Pre-purchase surveys are increasingly requested by buyers whose homebuyers report has flagged the roof for specialist inspection. We provide a written report that gives the buyer a clear picture of current condition and any costs they should factor into their purchase decision. The report is completed before exchange, allowing the buyer to renegotiate or request repair as appropriate.
Pre-sale surveys are booked by sellers who want to identify and resolve any roof issues before listing. Addressing problems proactively removes them as a renegotiation point during the sale process and gives buyers confidence. We see pre-sale surveys increasingly often from Northampton estate agents who recommend them as standard practice on properties from the 1960s and earlier.
Maintenance surveys are periodic condition checks — every five to seven years on pre-1960 properties, every eight to ten years on post-war housing — that catch developing problems before they become expensive. The cost of a survey is a fraction of the damage that a missed problem causes.
Insurance surveys are requested when a homeowner needs documented evidence of roof condition for insurance purposes — either to support a claim or to evidence pre-existing condition before a policy renewal.
What the Written Report Includes
Every survey report we produce for a Northampton property includes: property address and date of survey; access method used; felt underlay condition with specific location of any failed areas; rafter and batten condition; tile surface condition including any slippage, cracking or displacement; ridge, hip and valley mortar condition; lead flashing condition at all junctions; gutter and fascia condition; chimney stack condition; a clear overall assessment — immediate action required, plan within one to two years, or monitor; and itemised cost estimates for all recommended work.
A vague report that says 'generally sound with areas of concern' without specifying what, where and what it costs is not a useful document. Our reports are specific and actionable — you can make decisions from them without a follow-up visit.