Roofs and flat roofs
Nesting debris sits under the solar panels and the mesh is missing on one edge. What tile condition under the array was not seen, and what electrical test was not done?
The tile condition under the array was not seen, and no electrical test of the panels was done. Nesting debris sits under the solar panels, and the mesh is missing on one edge, which the survey could record from what was visible. The tiles beneath the array stayed covered. The inspection has not lifted a panel, not described those tiles, and not tested the electrical side of the installation. Debris and a gap in the mesh are the findings. They are not a tile survey and they are not an electrical certificate.
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?
Pigeons use the gap under panels when the mesh that should close it is missing or torn. The debris is evidence they have been there. What they do to the tiles, the felt or the fixings is hidden by the array itself. Missing mesh on one edge does not prove the other edges are sound, and it does not expose the covering. Separately, solar panels are an electrical installation. The home survey did not energise them, did not test them, and should not be read as having done so.
Ask a roofer about the mesh and the unseen tiles, and ask an electrician about the array if you need an electrical test. Tell the solicitor the survey saw debris and missing mesh only. Do not describe the tiles under the panels as intact. They were not seen. Do not describe the electrics as tested. They were not. Both limits should be passed on.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What debris and which missing mesh edge did you actually see?
- Were the tiles under the array left unseen?
- Was any electrical test of the panels outside this visit?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the tiles under the array as unseen.
- Ask a roofer about the missing mesh and the nesting debris.
- Do not describe the solar electrics as tested.
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 visible tiles at the edge look fair, are the covered ones fair?
Not on this inspection. Edge tiles are the ones in view. The condition under the array was not seen, and the panels were not lifted. A fair edge does not speak for the covered covering. The survey has not made that leap.
Does missing mesh fail the electrical installation?
No. Missing mesh is a gap at the edge of the array, which is a roof and wildlife point. It is not an electrical test, and none was done. The electrics remain untested. The mesh remains missing. They are separate sentences.