Age and type of house
What should you ask about tile hanging on an Edwardian bay the survey only saw from the ground?
Ask which tiles were loose, cracked or hidden by the bay roof, and do not treat tile hanging as a cavity wall. Tile hanging is a face fixed over a frame or a wall. A home survey from the ground can see obvious slips. It cannot see the battens, the felt or the timber behind sound tiles.
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?
Edwardian bays often combine a flat or lead roof, tile hanging, and a timber window. Water can get in at the junctions while the street elevation looks even. RICS inspections are visual and limited by height. The survey should separate the bay roof, the tile hanging and the main roof. “Edwardian” is not a condition rating and not a date the survey has proved from a deed.
A roofer needs access to price the hanging, and may find timber only after a tile comes off. There is no RICS price per bay. Do not reroof the main house because one bay tile is cracked. Do not call tile hanging a wall-tie problem. There is no cavity tie in a tile.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which parts of the bay were out of sight?
- Are you commenting on tiles, the bay roof, or the frame?
- Did you see the timber, or only the face?
What are the typical next steps?
- Photograph slipped tiles. Do not climb the bay.
- Get a quote for the bay the survey described, not for a new front elevation.
- Keep the main roof as its own element.
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 mathematical tiling the same as tile hanging?
No. Mathematical tiles are a brick-like face. The survey should name what it saw.
Does a sound tile prove the batten is dry?
No. The batten is behind. A leak at the bay roof can rot it while the tiles look even.