The short answer
Use a roofer when you want to know what is wrong with a roof and what repair or replacement would involve, because the same person can price and carry out the work. Use a chartered surveyor when you need an independent report, for example for a purchase, a legal dispute, a lease or a large insurance claim, where the author should have no interest in the work that follows.
What each one is for
A roofer and a surveyor look at the same roof but answer different questions.
A roofer is a trade specialist. Their inspection is practical: they go up, look at the covering, lead, valleys, chimneys and timbers, and tell you what has failed, why, and what would put it right. They can usually give you a price for that work, and do it. Their value is in the detail of the roof itself: they know how a lead dressing fails, how nail sickness shows on slate, and what a repair will really take.
A chartered surveyor, typically a member of RICS, is a professional adviser. Their report is independent of any repair work, and it covers the roof as part of a wider view of a building. They rarely repair anything. Their value is in impartiality, in a report format that third parties trust, and in the ability to place the roof in the wider condition of the building.
Neither is better in general. The choice follows the purpose of the inspection, and sometimes both are used.
When a roofer is the right choice
Choose a roofer when the question is practical and the next step is work.
- You have a leak, slipped slates or a storm-damaged roof and want it dealt with.
- You want to know whether the roof can be mended or needs renewing, and what each costs.
- You are planning a re-roof and want the condition of the timbers, lead and chimneys assessed first.
- A survey has flagged the roof and you want a specialist to examine it and say how serious the finding is.
- You want photographs of faults you can send to an insurer or a builder.
A roofer's inspection is usually quicker and more specific, and the price is often free or low because the aim is a repair. Our survey is free and photographed, and the price we then quote is firm and written. Because one firm does the inspecting and the work, you should ask to see the photographs and the findings, and compare them with the quote, so you can judge for yourself. A good roofer will welcome that.
When a chartered surveyor is the right choice
A chartered surveyor suits the situations where independence is the point.
- A purchase. A homebuyer report or building survey comes from a surveyor with no stake in the sale or the repairs. If the report raises the roof, you then bring in a roofer.
- A dispute. If you are in disagreement with a builder, a neighbour, a landlord or a tenant, a report from an independent surveyor carries more weight.
- A lease or dilapidations matter. Obligations to repair, and what condition a roof must be handed back in, often need an independent assessment.
- A large or complex building. For a block of flats, a historic building or a commercial property, a surveyor can combine the roof with the structure, the drainage and the services.
The mortgage retention page covers one case where both meet: a lender's valuer raises the roof, and the buyer needs a roofer's report and a quote to clear it.
The RICS site (rics.org) lists the levels of survey and what each includes. A roof-only report from a surveyor is usually narrower than a full building survey.
Different reports, different weight
The two professions produce different documents, and the person reading the report should know which is which.
A roofer's report is a list of findings and photographs, with recommended work and a price. It is a working document: the reader is the owner, who has to decide what to do. A surveyor's report follows a set structure, often with condition ratings and caveats about what could not be seen, and is written so that an outsider can rely on it. A lender, solicitor or court expects the second kind.
That does not make a roofer's evidence second-class. For an insurance claim after a storm, dated photographs of the damage from a roofer, with a written description, are exactly what the insurer needs to see. For a repair dispute with a previous builder, a roofer's detailed photographs of poor workmanship are often central evidence. The question is who needs to rely on it. Our page on how a flat roof is inspected shows the sort of findings a roofer's report records, and the report you choose should say what was and was not examined.
Using both
In plenty of situations the best result comes from using both, in the right order.
On a purchase, a surveyor reports on the whole house and flags the roof as a concern. You then have a roofer examine it, photograph the faults and price the work. You now have an independent opinion that something needs attention and a specific cost for it, which is a good basis for negotiating with the seller. A lender may accept a roofer's quote and later confirmation of the repair as the way to release a retention.
In a dispute, a surveyor can give the independent view and a roofer can describe how the fault should be put right and what it will cost. In a block of flats, a surveyor may cover the building and the roofer may handle the specialist inspection of the roof and the lead.
You can also use a drone or pole camera to share the work. Our page on drone roof surveys explains when that route suits either. Whichever you choose, ask what will be inspected, how the roof is to be accessed, and what the report will include before you commit. The roof inspections page lists the options.
