Roofs and flat roofs
The report places pennant stone slates, the lean-to and a mouse loft boarded across the eaves in one paragraph. Which of those were inspected, and which were merely named?
Pennant stone slates were inspected only on the faces that could be seen. The lean-to was inspected as a separate roof where it was in view. The mouse loft boarded across the eaves was named, and the boarding means the eaves void behind it was not inspected. The survey has not decided that the stone is sound, that the lean-to matches it, or that the closed eaves are dry. One paragraph collects three limits. It is not one inspection of everything named.
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?
Pennant is a stone slate, usually laid in courses that diminish toward the ridge. A lean-to is a single slope against a wall, with its own top abutment. A mouse loft is the low space at the eaves, and boarding across it blocks the rafter feet and the underlay. The visit can record the boarding and stop. It cannot describe timber it could not reach, and it cannot treat a tidy lean-to as a view into that void. The three items need to stay split.
Ask the solicitor whether the seller has opened the mouse loft or repaired the lean-to abutment. If the eaves timber matters, the boarding has to be dealt with by someone instructed to inspect it, not assumed away. The home survey did not lift boards or test the pennant fixings. Do not tell a lender the stone roof includes a clear eaves. The report says the eaves were boarded across.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which pennant slopes were actually seen?
- What of the lean-to, especially the abutment, was in view?
- Does the report say the mouse loft boarding stopped the eaves inspection?
What are the typical next steps?
- Split the stone, the lean-to and the boarded eaves.
- Ask whether anyone has opened the mouse loft.
- Treat the space behind the boards as not inspected.
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
Is a mouse loft the same thing as a roof void you can walk?
No. It is the low eaves space, often too small to enter, and here it is boarded across. The main loft, if there is one, is a different place. Seeing the main loft does not see the boarded eaves. The report named that limit rather than describing the feet.
Does the lean-to share the pennant covering with the main roof?
Only if the report says so. A lean-to can be pennant, tile or something else, and its junction with the wall is its own detail. The paragraph places them together. It does not prove one covering and one condition. Read the lean-to on the words actually used for it.