What to do after a roof report

A roof report can look alarming, because it is written to record everything seen, not only what matters most. A line about a hairline crack in a ridge bed sits beside a line about a failed valley, and on the page they look equally weighty. They are not.

Start by reading it once through without acting on anything. Then go back and mark each item with the photograph that supports it. If a recommendation has no picture, no location and no reason, ask for them. A sentence such as "replace flashings" means little until you know which flashings, where, and what is wrong with them.

The report is also not a quote. It tells you what was found. What is worth doing, in what order and at what cost comes next, and that last part depends on a priced, written proposal drawn up once the roof has been seen.

A practical way to prioritise is to use three groups. The first is anything letting water in now or likely to in the next bad spell: slipped or missing slates, failed flashings, open valleys, blocked outlets on a flat roof. Those come first because water damage is expensive and spreads.

The second group is what should be dealt with in the coming year or so, before it turns into the first group. That might be worn pointing on a ridge, a patch of perished mortar at a verge, ageing sealant or moss building up in a valley. The third is the long view: coverings that are nearing the end of their life, felt that is showing its age, or features you may wish to upgrade when other work is done.

This ordering is a way to think, not a rule. A roof leaking over a child's bedroom is urgent whatever the textbook says, and stopping the water comes before everything else. Our guide to what to do when a survey flags your roof works through the same questions in more detail.

For every item, a handful of questions cut through the jargon. What is the fault, and where is it? What happens if it is left for a year? Is there a smaller fix than the one in the report? What does the repair involve, and could it be done together with another item to save a visit and perhaps scaffolding?

Pay particular attention to the word "replace". A report might say a valley should be replaced when a re-bed or a patch would hold, or might say a patch is enough when the lining has worn through. We put forward only the work a fault needs, and any good roofer will explain why a given repair will or will not last.

Timber findings deserve a slower read. Signs of rot or insect activity may need a specialist look before anyone prices a repair, which our page on roof timber surveys covers. Do not panic at the word, but do not skip the follow-up either.

Once you have your priorities, ask for a written quote. Ours is a single total figure, sent once the survey is complete, with pictures taken on site so each proposed repair can be checked against the roof. When you compare quotes from different firms, check that they are for the same work: the same areas, the same materials and the same scope. A lower figure may simply be doing less.

See what each quote says on VAT and on scaffolding, since either can add a large sum to a price that looked modest. If access is tricky, that affects the price too, and our page on roof inspection access shows the kind of arrangements that make a difference.

Ask too how the work will be carried out and who takes the rubbish. Afterwards nothing is left lying about, and our workmanship carries a 10-year guarantee, in writing.

Most repairs are like-for-like and do not involve a planning application. A bigger job can bring in other rules. The Planning Portal advises that a building control application is not usually required for repairs or re-covering while less than 25 per cent of the total building envelope and less than 50 per cent of the roof is affected. Beyond them, approval is required, and extra insulation can be part of it.

A heavier covering can also trigger approval, and listed buildings and some conservation areas have their own controls. If your house is in either, check with Swindon Borough Council's planning team, or with your own council if you are outside the borough, before work starts.

When a job is notifiable, our side includes explaining consent and making the Building Regulations notification. You do not need to read the legislation yourself, but you do need to know whether it applies, and a report that mentions a change of covering is the moment to ask.

You do not have to do everything in a single burst. A sensible plan might fix the leak-causing items first, schedule the second group for a time when scaffolding is up for another reason, and leave the third group on a watch list. Many people find it helps to keep the report and photographs in a folder, tick items off as they are done and add a new dated photograph after each repair.

The report also stays useful when you sell. A buyer's surveyor will ask what has been done, and a record of repairs, with pictures, answers that in a minute. If you are unsure who should have carried out the survey in the first place, our page on a roofer or a surveyor sets out who suits which purpose.

For a second opinion, or to have a report reviewed and priced, send a copy with your enquiry. Ring 01793 626096 or message us, and we will go through the findings with you and put the quote in writing. The service itself is described on our roof inspections and surveys page.