Roofs and flat roofs
Is a mansard cheek of rag slate, together with the London roof on the street front, any evidence on the lead saddle where the cheek meets the slope, or only a note of what was visible?
A mansard cheek of rag slate, together with the London roof on the street front, is only a note of what was visible. It is not evidence on the lead saddle where the cheek meets the slope. The survey saw the slate and the front roof as far as access allowed. It has not decided that the saddle is sound. That piece of lead can be small, high and partly hidden. Naming the coverings does not test the junction. The saddle remains a separate detail.
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 mansard has a steep cheek and a flatter top. Rag slate is the rough stone slate on that cheek. The London roof is the street-front slope. A lead saddle is lead dressed over the turn so water is thrown off the junction. Splits or a thin dressing fail in ways the slate face does not show. From the pavement the surveyor sees slates and the roof line. If the saddle is mentioned, it has been identified, not peeled back or water-tested.
Ask the solicitor whether the seller has reported leaks at the cheek or repairs to the lead. A roofer with safe access can look at the saddle. This visit did not. Do not treat a regular rag-slate face as a certificate for the junction. Anyone reading the report should see two coverings described from a limited view, and an untested lead detail, not a pass on the mansard.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- How much of the rag-slate cheek and the street roof was in view?
- Was the lead saddle seen closely or only located at the junction?
- Does the report stop short of calling the saddle weathertight?
What are the typical next steps?
- Keep the slate note apart from the lead saddle.
- Ask the seller about leaks at the cheek junction.
- Use a roofer if the saddle itself must be seen.
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 matching slate prove the saddle was renewed with the cheek?
Matching slate is a street view of the covering. It does not date the lead or prove the junction was renewed at the same time. The visit did not lift slates at the turn. History of the saddle needs the seller's papers or a closer inspection, not the view from the pavement.
Does this note also judge the other dormer cheeks?
No. The note is the rag-slate cheek and the saddle at that slope. Other cheeks have their own junctions. The survey has not carried a street-front comment across the whole mansard. Ask whether those other faces were even in sight on the day.