Roofs and flat roofs
A ladder was set at one eaves only. What of the far slope stays outside that look?
The far slope stays outside that close look. A ladder at one eaves shows the covering, flashings and gutter on the side where it stood. The opposite slope, and valleys or hips that fall away from the ladder, were not reached. A glance across the ridge is not the same as standing at the other eaves. The report should be read as a limited roof inspection. The unseen slope has not been passed as sound, and defects there may simply not be in the notes.
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?
Roof coverings fail in patches. A slipped slate, a cracked tile, a tired flashing or a blocked gutter on the far side will not appear in a ladder set on this side. Distance, parapets and sunlight all hide detail once you are no longer at the eaves in question. The surveyor records the limit so you do not treat silence as a clean bill. If the far slope faces weather, that is all the more reason the gap matters. The ladder position is the method. The gap is the consequence.
If you need the far slope seen at close range, instruct a roofing inspection with access to that eaves, or a second visit with the ladder moved. The solicitor can ask the seller whether they know of leaks on that side. Tell a lender the close look was one eaves only. Do not fill the blank with a guess from the slope you could see. Matching tiles on the near side do not prove the far side. Read every roof comment against the ladder limitation.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Does the far slope stay outside the close look from one eaves?
- Is a glance over the ridge the same as a ladder at the other side?
- Has the unseen slope been passed as sound?
What are the typical next steps?
- Read roof comments as limited to the eaves where the ladder stood.
- Do not treat silence on the far slope as a clean result.
- Instruct a closer look at the far eaves if you need that slope.
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
Do binoculars from the one ladder replace standing at the other eaves?
No. Binoculars, if they were used, still leave you at the wrong eaves. Distance loses slipped edges, nail sickness and small flashing gaps. The survey's close look is the ladder position, which was one eaves only. The far slope was not inspected at arm's length. Do not upgrade a distant glimpse into a full covering inspection.
Were valleys that fall on the far side included in that single ladder?
No. Valleys and hips that cannot be reached from the one eaves stay outside that look. A valley takes a lot of water and is a common leak point, and it was not standing height from this ladder. The report has not passed those junctions. If the roof depends on a far valley, that piece remains uninspected at close range.