Roofs and flat roofs
One hip tile course on a 1930s semi has dropped and the other hip is even. What fixing at the dropped hip was not seen from the ground?
The fixing that should hold the dropped hip course was not seen from the ground. One hip tile course on this 1930s semi has dropped, and the other hip is even, so the survey has a local fault on one hip rather than a finding that both hips have moved. Mortar, nails or clips under the dropped course are above the line of sight from the ground and were not exposed. The survey has recorded the drop and the even hip.
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?
Hip tiles rely on a mechanical or mortar fixing along the arris. When one course drops and the opposite hip stays even, the likely gap in knowledge is that course's fixing, not a general spread of the roof. From the ground you see the shadow and the step. You do not see whether the nail has rusted, the mortar has let go, or a clip was never there. The even hip is useful because it stops you writing the same sentence across both.
Ask a roofer to look at the fixing of the dropped course from a ladder or a scaffold, which the home survey did not do from the ground. Tell the solicitor the other hip was even, so the note is local. Do not let a quote to re-hip the entire roof pretend the survey saw failed fixings everywhere. The inspection has not seen the fixing at the course that has actually dropped.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which hip course has dropped, and which hip is even?
- What fixing, if any, could you see from the ground?
- Are you limiting this note to the dropped course?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the fixing at the dropped hip as unseen from the ground.
- Keep the even hip as a contrast, not as a second failure.
- Ask a roofer to inspect that course's fixing at close range.
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 mortar is missing nearby, has the fixing been identified?
No. Missing mortar on a hip is a surface loss. It does not show the nail, clip or remaining bed under the dropped course, and that fixing was not seen from the ground. The survey has not named the fixing that let go.
Does an even second hip mean the dropped course can be ignored?
No. The even hip shows the problem is not both hips. It does not put the dropped course back. The fixing there remains unseen, so the local drop is still a defect the survey has not closed. One even hip does not repair the course that has dropped.