Condition ratings
Where a report pairs an NI mark with a loft hatch screwed shut, what stays open about a roof space that mark does not pass?
The roof space stays open, because NI means not inspected, not a pass. The loft hatch was screwed shut, so the survey did not enter. Rafters, underfelt, insulation, tanks and any party wall in that space were not seen. A screw through the hatch is the reason for the mark, not a finding that the roof is dry or that it leaks. Rating 1, which means no repair currently needed, was not given to the unseen space. The report has paired the mark with the screwed hatch. It has not passed the roof, and it has not condemned it.
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?
Screws in a hatch are usually there because a loft ladder is missing, because someone stored the loft against draughts, or because access was never intended for a buyer. None of those reasons inspects the roof. Rating 2 would mean defects that need repair but are not serious or urgent, and rating 3 would mean serious and/or urgent repair, replacement or investigation. Neither number can be hung on a space the surveyor did not enter. NI is the honest mark. It leaves every element above the ceiling undecided.
Ask for the hatch to be opened if you want the roof space inspected, and tell the solicitor that NI is not a pass. Do not tell a lender the loft was cleared. A later visit, if agreed, would be a fresh look. It would not rewrite the mark given while the screws were in. Until then, insulation, felt and timber stay off the list of things this report has judged.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Was the loft hatch screwed shut the sole reason for the NI mark?
- Which roof elements stay unseen because you did not enter?
- Has any rating 1, 2 or 3 been withheld for that space?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the screwed loft as not inspected, not as a sound roof.
- Ask for the hatch to be opened before anyone judges the loft.
- Do not tell a lender the roof space was cleared.
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 the bedrooms below look dry, does the loft pass?
No. Dry ceilings below a screwed hatch are not an inspection of the roof space. NI means not inspected, not a pass. Rating 1, no repair currently needed, was not given to the loft. The rooms underneath do not donate the unseen rafters a condition. The mark stays NI until someone goes up.
Can the screwed hatch itself be rating 3?
Only if the surveyor rated the hatch, which is a different question from the space behind it. Rating 3 means serious and/or urgent repair, replacement or investigation. The report pairs NI with the screwed hatch, and NI means not inspected, not a pass. Do not promote the unseen loft to rating 3 just because the cover was fixed shut.