The short answer
Only from the ground and the loft. Do not climb onto a roof to inspect it: falling from height can cause serious injury, tiles and slates break underfoot, and some roofs are fragile and will not carry a person at all. Binoculars on the lawn and a torch under the rafters teach you plenty and help you decide whether to call a roofer.
Plenty can be learned with both feet on the ground. Climbing up yourself puts you and the roof at risk.
Checks that keep your feet on the ground
Stand back from the house, in good light and dry weather, and look at each slope in turn. Binoculars bring it closer. You are looking for tiles or slates that sit out of line, gaps in the pattern, a sagging ridge (the line along the top), cracked or missing pointing around the chimney stack, and moss or debris that has built up in the valleys and gutters.
What does the guttering tell me?
Plenty. Gutters that overflow in rain, plants growing from them, or stains on the wall below show that water is not going where it should. Look for slate fragments or pieces of ridge tile on the ground, on the path, or in the flower bed. Those mean something has come off, even if you cannot see the gap.
Take photographs as you go, from the same spots each time. They give you something to compare after a storm, and a roofer can use them to look at the same slope from their own view. Do not lean out of upstairs windows for a better angle, and keep the ladder in the shed on wet days or soft ground.
What you can check from the loft
The loft shows what the outside cannot. Go up with a torch and a plan to stay on the joists or on boards you know are sound, because a step between the joists goes through the ceiling below. Look for daylight through the roof, dark stains on the rafters or the underside of the boards, damp or flattened insulation, and drips or damp patches near the chimney.
How careful must I be up there?
Very, though the risk is smaller than on the roof. Use a proper loft ladder, keep a hand free, and do not carry heavy things. Never push a hand or head through the roof covering to look out. If you see mould, black patches or a musty smell, note where, take pictures, and leave the rest to a roofer.
Our guide to checking a roof from the loft goes through the checks in order and says what each sign can mean. Older homes built or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos, and HSE says to assume there is some in the building, so do not disturb boards, lagging or old sheets in the loft.
Why you should not walk on the roof
Roofs are not built to be walked on, and the dangers are real. Wet moss makes slate and clay slippery. Tiles crack under a heavy foot, and the crack can be hidden from above while water gets in beneath. A ladder against the gutter can tip the gutter and the person with it.
What is a fragile roof?
Some surfaces cannot take any weight. HSE guidance A14 describes asbestos cement roofs as always fragile, and the same caution applies to old roof lights, plastic sheeting and rusted metal. A person falls through without warning, and the fall to the floor below can be fatal. If your garage, shed, porch or outbuilding has a sheeted roof, treat it as fragile and do not go near it.
A roofer works with ladders, roof ladders hooked over the ridge, edge protection and sometimes scaffold, which exists to keep the work safe. Scaffold that blocks a public pavement needs a licence from the highway authority, and that is part of the planning before work starts. Our roof inspections page covers the ways a roofer can look without you leaving the ground.
When to stop and call someone
Your own check is a screening step. It tells you whether there is something to ask about, and it gives you photographs to show a roofer. It does not replace a close look from someone with the right access, the right equipment and the training to use it.
What should make me call a roofer?
A stain on the ceiling, an active drip, slipped or missing tiles, lifted flashing, a cracked chimney stack, a sagging ridge or a roof that looks dark and mossy all over are good reasons. So is a storm that has taken tiles from a neighbour's roof. If water is already dripping through, catch it in a bucket, shift your belongings clear and phone us at once.
You can keep your own routine checks going between visits, and it is useful. Ours explains the common signs in our guide on roof inspection after a storm, which also says what to photograph. When the slope itself needs a closer look, send us your photographs and ask for a survey of the part that worries you.
More on checking your own roof
Can I use a drone to check my own roof?
You can, but flying one near neighbours' homes and public places brings its own rules, and reading the footage takes some skill. A cheaper start is binoculars from the garden. If you want drone images without the flying, a roofer or surveyor can arrange it and explain the results.
Is it safe to use a ladder to look at the gutters?
Only with care. Set the ladder on firm, level ground, have someone foot it, and keep three points of contact. Never lean sideways or work above shoulder height from the top rungs. If the gutter is high or the ground is soft, leave it to someone with a tower or scaffold.
The full picture: Roof inspections in Taunton ยท More short answers