Roofs and flat roofs
The small flat roof on a dormer appears to fall back towards the house wall. What has the survey not measured with a level, and why does the direction matter?
The survey has not measured the fall with a level. It recorded that the small flat roof on the dormer appears to fall back toward the house wall. Direction matters because water that runs toward the wall can pond against the junction with the house instead of leaving at an outer edge or an outlet. Appearance from the ground is not a level reading. The survey has not shown how steep the fall is, has not water-tested the junction, and has not decided that the covering has failed. The note is the apparent direction.
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?
A small dormer roof should shed away from the wall or to a proper outlet. If it falls the other way, rain is delivered to the point where the flat roof meets the house, which is often only a small upstand or a turn of felt. That is where leaks into the dormer cheek or the wall head start. Saying appears keeps the sentence honest: the eye can be fooled by the tile line and by where you stand. A level, or a measured drop, is what was not done.
A roofer can check the fall properly and say whether the deck needs re-laying to drain outward or whether an outlet can be added. Tell the solicitor the survey has not measured this and has not condemned the covering. The home survey has not specified a new dormer roof. Staining at the wall junction, if any, should be read with the fall in mind, not as proof until someone has actually levelled the roof. Leave the covering unopened.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did you record an apparent fall toward the house because it was not levelled?
- Where would water arrive if that direction is right?
- Was an outlet seen on the outer edge, or none?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the fall as apparent until a level is used.
- Ask a roofer to measure the direction and the outlet.
- Do not call the dormer covering failed on appearance alone.
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
If there is no stain indoors, does the direction cease to matter?
No. A missing stain means a leak was not seen. The survey still has not measured the fall, and a fall back to the wall can become a problem before plaster stains. Direction still matters. Asking about it again later still leaves this direction point outside what the survey decided.
Can you judge the fall from a bedroom window opposite?
An opposite window is still a glance. The survey did not use a level, and another viewpoint does not become a measurement. The direction stays unverified until it is measured. The home survey itself did not pursue this windowfall question any further than the visit.