The short answer
The most useful times are early autumn, before the wet weather arrives, and straight after a storm. Look at the roof too before you buy or sell a house, and whenever you see a stain, a slipped tile or a gutter overflowing. A dry, still day gives the clearest view, but there is no wrong time to look if something worries you.
A roof does not keep a calendar, but your year does. A few moments in it make a survey worth more than it would be on a random date.
Before winter: the quiet check
Autumn is the natural time to look, because the roof then faces the wettest, windiest months with whatever faults it already has. A slipped tile in September costs a small repair. The same tile in January can let in weeks of rain, soak the underlay and the insulation beneath it, and turn a ten-minute job into a ceiling repair as well.
What does a pre-winter survey look at?
Ridge and hip tiles for cracked or loose mortar, and the gable verges too. Tiles and slates for slips, cracks and gaps. Flashing round chimneys and abutments for lifting. Valleys, the channels between two slopes, for leaf litter and wear. Gutters and downpipes for blockages, since autumn leaves arrive just as the rain does.
From the loft we look for daylight, damp patches on the timbers, stained rafters and wet insulation, because the underside of a roof often tells the story the outside hides. Photographs of each find come to you, so you see the roof as we saw it. Our answer on how often to have a roof inspected covers a sensible rhythm, and the roof inspections hub explains what a visit includes.
After a storm: look soon, then look properly
High wind, heavy rain and falling branches all test a roof. The morning after, a quick look from the ground is worth doing, and a closer survey follows if you notice anything.
What should I check after a storm?
From the garden, look for slates or tiles on the ground, gaps in the pattern of the covering, a ridge that has shifted, a sagging gutter and debris on flat roofs. Inside, check ceilings and the loft for new stains or drips. Never climb up to look yourself in wet or windy conditions, and keep clear of any tile or slate that has come loose, as it can fall.
If there is damage, tell your insurer first, make a temporary repair if one is needed to stop further harm, and keep photos and receipts. The Financial Ombudsman handles complaints if a dispute follows. The insurer decides on the claim, and a payout is never certain, but clear photographs of the roof before and after help any claim. If rain is already getting in, a make-safe visit comes ahead of any repair.
Our answer on a roof inspection after a storm goes into the survey itself.
Buying, selling and moving in
Property deals are a good reason to look at a roof, because the findings can change a decision or a price.
Should I inspect a roof before buying a house?
If a survey has flagged the roof, or the house is old, a separate roof inspection tells you far more than a line in a general report. It shows the condition of the covering, how much life it may have left and whether repairs are minor or a re-roof is coming. That is useful information when you negotiate. A homebuyer survey looks at the whole house; our page on the roof in a homebuyer survey shows where the two overlap.
Before selling, an inspection lets you fix small faults, or explain them, before a buyer's surveyor finds them. Soon after moving in, a roof check gives a baseline for the home you now own. Each of these is a calm, planned job, not an emergency, so timing is flexible. See also a roof inspection before selling.
On an older or listed home, the survey also notes which materials need like-for-like repair and which consent routes apply.
Weather, daylight and everyday triggers
Some days are better for looking than others. The daily conditions change what a surveyor can see and do safely.
Does the weather matter on the day?
Yes. A dry day with steady light shows cracks, gaps and staining that rain and low sun can hide. Strong wind, ice or a wet surface can make work at height unsafe, and a good roofer will move the visit rather than take a risk. Summer light shows moss and lichen clearly, while a wet winter day shows where water really goes, so both seasons have their uses for a surveyor.
Everyday signs are reasons to book at any time of year: a brown ring on a ceiling, a damp patch in the loft, tiles in the gutter, a gutter that overflows when it rains, or light showing through a gap. Do not wait for a better season if water is already getting in.
A survey is not a sales pitch. We look before we price and photograph your own roof, and if nothing needs doing, the report simply says that.
To pick a date, send a photo of the roof or the stain and we arrange a survey around the weather and your diary.
Timing questions
Is spring or autumn better for a roof check?
Autumn leaves time to fix faults before the wet months, and spring shows what winter did to the roof. If you can only choose one, pick early autumn. Whichever you choose, look again after any severe storm, since weather damage does not wait for the calendar.
Do I have to be home for the visit?
Not for a look at the outside of the roof, but being there helps if loft access is needed or you would like to see the photographs on the spot. Either way you get the findings, the pictures and a plain explanation of what, if anything, needs doing.
The full picture: Roof inspections in Taunton ยท More short answers