Free example, template and checklist

Roof inspection report: an example, a template and a checklist.

A good roof report takes the roof part by part. Each part gets a condition rating, photos and notes, and every defect ends with what to do and how soon. Here is a full example, a template you can use and a checklist for the visit.

Download the template (PDF) Read the example

Free to use and change. No sign-up.

What it includes

Six things every roof report needs.

Whether you write it by hand or on a phone, a reader should find the same six things in the same order.

  1. The property and the visit

    The address, the client, who inspected, the date, the weather and how the roof was reached.

  2. What was and was not seen

    The limits of the inspection: parts out of reach, parts not opened up, services not tested.

  3. A rating for each part

    Coverings, chimney, gutters, roof structure and the rest, each rated on one clear scale.

  4. Photos and notes for each defect

    What was seen and exactly where, what it may lead to if left, and what to do.

  5. Actions, most urgent first

    Each action with a priority and a timescale, so the client knows what to book first.

  6. A sign-off

    Who wrote it, how to reach them, and a reference the client can quote.

The example report

A roof report, part by part.

A two-storey house with a pitched main roof and a flat roof over a rear extension.

Sample Example firm and property. Drawn illustrations stand in for the photos. No real building is shown.

Pellwick Surveying

Roof inspection report

14 Orchard Lane

Client
The owner (sample)
Inspected
2 October 2026
Surveyor
R. Hale, Pellwick Surveying
Reference
PS.26.1002.01
Weather
Dry and overcast
Access
From the ground, a ladder at the rear and the loft hatch

01 At a glance

  • 3Urgent1
  • 2Repair needed2
  • 1No repair2
  • NINot inspected1
3
Urgent. Defects that are serious or need urgent repair, replacement or further investigation.
2
Repair needed. Defects that need repairing or replacing but are not serious or urgent.
1
No repair. No repair is currently needed. Normal maintenance applies.
NI
Not inspected. The notes say why.

02 What was inspected, and the limits

The roofs were inspected on 2 October 2026 in dry, overcast weather. The main roof was seen from the ground and from a ladder at the rear eaves; the flat roof over the rear extension was seen from a ladder at its edge, without walking on it. The roof space over the main house was entered from the loft hatch.

The inspection was limited to the parts that could be seen and safely reached on the day. No coverings were lifted and nothing was opened up. The report describes the condition seen on the day; it cannot rule out defects that were hidden, out of reach or that develop later.

03 The roof, part by part

3
Roof coverings: rear extension flat roof

Mineral felt on a timber deck. Area: not recorded, to confirm.

Illustration

Flat roof · split at the outlet

A split about the width of a hand runs through the felt beside the rainwater outlet in the north-east corner, and water is standing around the outlet. Staining on the kitchen ceiling below was reported by the owner. If left, water may continue to get into the deck and the ceiling below. The split and the deck around the outlet should be investigated and repaired, and the outlet cleared.

Priority 1 · Now, or within 12 months · Investigate and repair at the outlet

2
Roof coverings: main roof

Concrete interlocking tiles, pitched, with a ridge and hips.

Illustration

Main roof · slipped tiles

Two tiles have slipped on the rear slope above the rear bedroom window, leaving a gap in the covering. Elsewhere the tiles appear sound. If left, rain may get past the gap and damage the battens and the roof space below. The slipped tiles should be refixed and the battens around them checked.

Priority 2 · Within 1 to 2 years · Refix slipped tiles

2
Chimney stacks

One brick stack on the party wall, two pots.

Illustration

Chimney stack · cracked flaunching

The flaunching (the mortar bed round the pots) is cracked, and several mortar joints near the top of the stack are open. If left, frost and rain may loosen the pots and the top courses of brick. The flaunching should be renewed and the open joints repointed.

Priority 2 · Within 1 to 2 years · Renew flaunching and repoint

1
Rainwater pipes and gutters

Plastic half-round gutters and round downpipes.

Illustration

Rear gutter · moss and leaves

The gutters and pipes are in fair condition with no leaking joints seen. Moss and leaves have gathered in the rear gutter at its outlet. The gutters should be cleared as part of routine maintenance.

Priority 4 · Planned maintenance · Clear the rear gutter

1
Roof structure: main roof

Timber rafters and purlins, seen from the loft hatch.

The rafters, purlins and roofing felt seen from the hatch appear in good condition, with no sagging, splits or staining seen. Insulation is laid between the ceiling joists. No action is needed beyond routine checks.

NI
Roof structure: rear extension

Not inspected.

There is no access hatch to the space over the extension, so its structure could not be seen. It should be checked from below when the flat roof is opened up for the repair at the outlet.

04 Recommended actions, most urgent first

  1. Investigate and repair the split in the felt at the rear extension's outlet, check the deck around it and clear the outlet. Flat roof · Priority 1, now or within 12 months
  2. Refix the two slipped tiles above the rear bedroom window and check the battens. Main roof · Priority 2, within 1 to 2 years
  3. Renew the cracked flaunching and repoint the open joints at the top of the stack. Chimney · Priority 2, within 1 to 2 years
  4. Check the extension's roof structure from below while the flat roof repair is under way. Rear extension · with action 1
  5. Clear the rear gutter and its outlet. Gutters · Priority 4, planned maintenance

Prepared by R. Hale for Pellwick Surveying, reference PS.26.1002.01. Questions about this report go to the surveyor named here.

Why it is laid out this way

  • One scale for every part. 3 Urgent, 2 Repair needed, 1 No repair and NI Not inspected. The same four ratings the SurveyNest mobile app uses.
  • Every defect in the same order. What was seen, what it may lead to if left, what to do. Then the priority on its own line.
  • Hedged where a photo cannot prove it. "May", "appears" and "was reported" keep what was seen apart from what is likely.
  • No guessed areas. A roof area goes in only when it was measured. Here it says "not recorded, to confirm".

The template and the checklist

Take them on your next visit.

Print them, fill them in by hand, or copy the layout into your own report. Both are free to use and change.

PDF · 5 pages Roof inspection report template The cover details, the limits, a page for each part with a rating, notes and photo boxes, and the actions table. Download the template PDF · 2 pages Roof inspection checklist What to check before you go up, on the roof and in the roof space, with a tick box for each. Download the checklist

The checklist, on this page

Before you go up

  • Agree access, and how the roof will be reached safely
  • Note the weather and anything that limits the visit
  • Ask about leaks, staining or past repairs, and where
  • Look at the whole roof from the ground first

Pitched roofs

  • Tiles or slates slipped, cracked or missing
  • Ridge and hip tiles, and their mortar
  • Valleys, and any debris in them
  • Verges and eaves
  • The line of the roof: any dip or bulge

Flat roofs

  • Splits, blisters and open laps in the covering
  • Standing water, and where it sits
  • Outlets: clear, and sealed to the covering
  • Upstands, edges and trims
  • Rooflights and their seals

Chimneys and junctions

  • Pots, flaunching and pointing
  • Flashings at the chimney, walls and abutments
  • Vents and pipes through the roof
  • Anything fixed to the roof, such as panels or aerials

Gutters and pipes

  • Gutters clear, level and not leaking at the joints
  • Downpipes secure and discharging properly
  • Staining on the walls below

Roof space

  • Rafters, purlins and joists: sagging, splits or rot
  • Daylight through the covering
  • Staining or damp on timbers and the underside
  • Insulation, and air flow at the eaves

Before you leave

  • A photo of each defect, with where it is
  • A rating for every part, or NI and the reason
  • An action and a priority for each defect

SurveyNest on your phone

Make the same report on your phone.

Lite is SurveyNest's mobile app plan. Walk the roof, rate each part and photograph each defect. The report is laid out the same way: a rating, photos and notes for each part, then the actions, most urgent first.

See the Lite mobile app Book a demo

Invite only for now. Lite covers the whole building, inside and out.

  1. 1

    Rate it

    Choose the part and rate it: urgent, repair needed, no repair, or not inspected.

  2. 2

    Snap it

    Photos and notes on every defect, up to 400 a survey. No signal? It saves on the phone.

  3. 3

    Send it

    Choose AI drafting if you want it. The report comes back as a draft, and a person checks it before issue, with your company's brand on the cover once approved.

Need measured roof areas? They come from a drone map with SurveyNest Pro, measured in the app, not from the phone.

Questions

Roof reports, answered.

What should a roof inspection report include?

The property and the visit, the limits of the inspection, a rating for each part of the roof, photos and notes for each defect, actions with priorities, and a sign-off. The six things above set out each one.

What do the ratings 3, 2, 1 and NI mean?

3 is urgent: serious, or needing urgent repair, replacement or further investigation. 2 is repair needed, but not serious or urgent. 1 is no repair needed, with normal maintenance. NI is not inspected, and the notes say why.

What do the priorities mean?

Priority 1 is now, or within 12 months. Priority 2 is within 1 to 2 years. Priority 3 is within 3 to 5 years. Priority 4 is planned maintenance.

Should a roof report give the roof's area?

Only when it was measured. A guessed area can mislead a quote, so the example says "not recorded, to confirm". With SurveyNest Pro, areas are measured in the app from the drone map.

Is the example a real building?

No. Pellwick Surveying and 14 Orchard Lane are made up for this page, and the pictures are drawn illustrations standing in for photos.

Can I use the template for my own firm?

Yes. Download it, change it and put your own name on it. No sign-up is needed.

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