Roofs and flat roofs
A cast-iron ogee gutter is cracked at a joint and the fascia behind it is soft. What timber and what iron are both part of the note?
Both the cracked cast-iron ogee and the soft fascia behind it are in the note. The iron is cracked at a joint, so the gutter itself is split, and the fascia behind that joint is soft, so the board the gutter is fixed to has decayed. Water leaving the crack is a likely reason the timber is wet, and a soft fascia cannot be trusted to hold the iron. The survey recorded both. It has not specified a new length and it has not mapped every soft inch of the board.
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?
An ogee is the moulded cast-iron gutter on the face of the fascia. A crack at a joint lets rain out against the wall instead of carrying it to the outlet. The fascia stays wet and decays, and the decayed board lets the gutter move, which opens the joint further. The timber and the iron are one mechanism. New iron on a soft board, or new timber behind a cracked joint, each leaves half the note unfinished. The survey did not take the gutter down to see the whole board.
Ask a roofer to deal with the cracked iron joint and the soft fascia together. Tell the solicitor both the timber and the cast iron are part of the note. Do not fill the crack and leave the fascia, and do not renew the board while bedding the cracked joint back onto it. The survey has not chosen a replacement material and it has not costed a length of gutter.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Is the cast-iron ogee cracked at a joint?
- Is the fascia behind that joint soft?
- Are both the iron and the timber part of this note?
What are the typical next steps?
- Deal with the cracked ogee and the soft fascia together.
- Tell the solicitor both materials are in the finding.
- Do not repair one and bed it back onto the unrepaired other.
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 downpipe runs clear, can the cracked joint stay?
No. A running downpipe does not mend a cracked joint, and it does not harden a soft fascia. Water can still leave at the crack and keep the timber wet even while the outlet further along flows. The note is both the iron and the board behind it. The survey has not said the rest of the run is the repair.
Does soft fascia mean the rafter feet have failed?
Not shown. The soft timber in the note is the fascia behind the cracked ogee, which is the board the gutter is fixed to. Rafter feet were not given this finding. They may need a look once the gutter is off, but the survey has not condemned them. Do not widen the note from the fascia to the whole roof structure.