Age and type of house
What should you ask about the roof of a 1930s semi if the loft was not fully boarded?
Ask which timbers were seen. Many 1930s semis have a hipped roof with purlins and struts. The surveyor can comment on those only where they can move safely. Boarding that covers the ceiling ties, or a loft full of belongings, is a limit. It is not proof the purlins are sound, and it is not proof they have failed.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Spread, a dipping ridge and cracks at ceiling level are sometimes about the roof frame rather than the foundations. The survey should not call that subsidence without the pattern. If they could not see the purlin bearings, they should say NI for that part. A photo of one rafter is not the whole frame.
A loft conversion later changes this roof. Papers for a conversion are separate. There is no RICS price for strengthening a purlin. If the rating says the frame needs investigating, that is a carpenter or an engineer, not a tile quote.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- How much of the loft could you cross?
- Did you see the purlins and their bearings?
- Are ceiling cracks being linked to the roof, or to the foundations?
What are the typical next steps?
- Clear the loft if you want a better look, then ask whether a return is possible.
- Do not board the loft yourself before the inspection. You will hide the ceiling.
- Match the quote to the frame if that is the finding, not automatically to new tiles.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Is a hipped roof weaker than a gable?
It is a different shape. The survey describes the one you have. It does not rank house types.
Do 1930s houses always have cavity walls?
Many do. The survey should say what it found on this house, not the decade in general.