The short answer
A building survey reviews the entire property, with the roof as one section among many, while a roof survey is a close inspection of the covering, lead, gutters and timbers by someone who works on roofs. Choose a building survey to decide whether to buy a house. Choose a roof survey when the roof is the question, whether flagged, leaking, ageing or about to be worked on.
What a building survey looks at
A building survey is a broad examination of a property, usually carried out by a chartered surveyor before a purchase. It looks at structure, walls, floors, damp, visible drains, windows, services and the roof. The purpose is to give a buyer an overall picture of condition and a list of matters to follow up.
Because it covers so much, it has to be quick on each part. The roof is normally viewed from the ground, from windows, from a neighbouring vantage point or through the loft hatch. The surveyor can see missing tiles, sagging lines, stained timbers and tired gutters, and will say so. What they rarely do is climb onto the slopes, lift covering, test fixings or inspect lead at close range.
That is not a failing. It is the nature of a general survey, and a good surveyor writes down what they could not check. Where the roof looks doubtful, the usual advice is to have it examined by a specialist before you commit. Our notes on a homebuyer report that flags the roof take that situation step by step.
What a roof survey adds
A roof survey is a focused inspection by someone whose daily work is roofs. With safe access, the inspector can examine the covering slate by slate or tile by tile, look at the ridge and hips, check the valleys where two slopes meet, and study the lead, where a split or a lifted edge is easy to see up close and impossible to see from the street.
They also look at what supports the roof. From the loft they study the rafters and laths, and the roof covering from below, for damp, daylight, rot or earlier patching. On a flat roof they look at the waterproof layer, its upturned edges, the drainage points and the deck below. On a period house in Bath, that can include parapet gutters, box gutters and concealed valleys, parts of the roof that a ground-level view cannot reach.
The result should be a written report, with photographs, giving a simple account of each fault and its likely cause, and an indication of urgency. We survey for nothing, and the photographs we bring back are of your own roof, so the verdict rests on evidence rather than a vague warning.
Which to choose in common situations
The best choice depends on what you are trying to decide, so here are the usual cases.
- Buying a house. Start with the building survey, because you need the whole picture. If the roof is flagged, or the house is old, complex or has a flat roof, add a roof survey before exchange.
- Living in a house you own. A building survey has little to add. A roof survey after a storm, before re-decorating a stained ceiling, or when the covering is old, is the useful one.
- Planning a re-roof or a large repair. You want a roof survey, since the contractor needs measurements and a diagnosis, not a general opinion.
- Insurance or a dispute. A roof survey with dated photographs is the more persuasive document.
- A building where you manage several roofs. A roof survey, scoped by roof, gives you something to budget from.
If you are weighing whether a free visit is enough or you need a paid report, read is a free roof survey worth having.
How the two fit together, and what they cost
The two surveys are not rivals. The building survey tells you the roof deserves attention, and the roof survey tells you what that attention involves. Doing them in the other order wastes money: a roofer's detailed report is of little use if the house has a structural problem that makes you walk away.
On price, the MyBuilder roof inspection guide for 2026 reports typical UK costs of £150 to £500, with a standard inspection at £150 to £250, a drone survey at £200 to £400 and a thermal survey at £300 to £500. Building surveys cost more because they cover more, and the fee depends on the size and age of the property. A fixed price for any repair we are asked to do is given in writing once we have surveyed.
Some roofs need a method beyond a ladder and a torch. A drone can see a high or fragile roof without anyone standing on it, and the notes on a drone roof survey cover when that is the right tool and what it cannot tell you.
Questions to ask before you book either
Whoever you choose, a few questions help you compare like with like.
Ask what will actually be inspected and how: on the roof, from a drone, from the ground, or from the loft. Ask what the report will contain and whether it includes photographs that show where on the roof each fault sits. Ask whether the inspector will give an opinion on remedies and rough costs, or only describe condition. And ask how access will be arranged, since a roof that cannot be reached cannot be properly inspected.
Be wary of any survey that forecasts a specific remaining life in years without caveats. Lifespans for slate, clay, concrete and felt vary widely in published guides, and they depend on exposure, fixings and workmanship. A report should describe condition and risk and let you judge.
In Bath, ask whether the inspector understands period construction. Listed building consent from B&NES Council may apply to repairs on a listed house, and a conservation area takes in around half the city, so the answer to what can be done may depend on the address. For the whole range of visits, see our roof inspections and surveys hub.
