Chimneys and parapets
The report places stepped lead flashings, the stack abutment and a soaker course that stops short in one paragraph. Which of those were inspected, and which were merely named?
The stepped lead flashings and the stack abutment were inspected as far as they could be seen. The soaker course that stops short was named from the exposed end, not turned out slate by slate. Stepped flashings are the visible lead steps cut into the abutment. Soakers sit under the slates and only show at an end or a gap. The survey has not water-tested the junction, has not decided the roof leaks because the course stops short, and has not specified new lead. Concealed soakers remain unchecked.
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?
The abutment is where the roof covering meets the chimney. Stepped flashings chase into the joints and lap over soakers, the small lead trays between slates. A surveyor can look at the steps and the brick they are cut into, from whatever safe view the visit allowed. A course that stops short means the visible run ends early. That is a sight of an end, not an inspection of every hidden tray, and it is not a hose test.
Ask a roofing contractor to open enough of the abutment to see whether the soakers really stop short and whether the steps are still wedged and pointed. Tell the solicitor the home survey separated a visible flashing inspection from a soaker course that was only named at its exposed end. Do not replace the whole side of the roof on the strength of that sentence. The lender has no water-test result in this report. Any lead repair stays a separate specification from the survey.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which parts of the stepped flashings were actually in your view?
- Was the soaker course only named where an end showed?
- Did you leave the abutment without a water test?
What are the typical next steps?
- Separate visible flashings from soakers that stay under the slates.
- Ask a roofer to open the abutment before any lead is specified.
- Tell the solicitor there was no water test of this junction.
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
Does a short soaker course already mean the ceiling will stain?
Not by itself. Stopping short describes where the visible course ends. Water may or may not be getting past, and the survey did not test that. A stain would be a separate finding if one was seen. The paragraph has not predicted a leak, and it has not measured water at the abutment.
If the steps look neat, are the soakers proved sound?
No. Neat steps are the face of the flashing. Soakers are the trays underneath, and a course that stops short was named rather than fully seen. Pointed lead on the brick does not prove every hidden tray is present and lapped. The survey left those soakers unchecked.