Roofs and flat roofs
Ceiling ties are present and the eaves have still kicked. What has the presence of those ties not measured about whether they are doing the job?
The presence of the ceiling ties has not measured whether they are doing the job. They are there, and the eaves have still kicked, so something is spreading the roof even though a tie exists. A tie only restrains thrust if it is the right member, properly connected, and actually taking load. The survey has seen the ties and the kick at the eaves. It has not measured the spread, tested the connections, or calculated whether those ties are resisting the rafters.
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?
Roof spread is the feet of the rafters pushing outward. Ceiling joists or collars can act as ties if they tie the feet, or the relevant points, together. Seeing a timber across the ceiling is not the same as seeing a working connection. The kick at the eaves is the clue the roof has moved out. The ties may be undersized, poorly nailed, or spanning the wrong points. None of that was measured. The note records presence plus movement, not a structural calculation.
If the kick matters to the purchase, ask a structural engineer to look at the spread and at how the ties are connected, as a separate instruction. Tell the solicitor the survey has not measured the thrust and has not said the ties are adequate merely because they exist. Do not accept a roof repair that pretends the ties were proved to be working. They were seen. Their performance was not measured.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Where have the eaves kicked, and were ceiling ties present at that point?
- Did you measure the spread or only record that it has happened?
- Were the tie connections left untested?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the ties as present, not as proved to be working.
- Ask an engineer if the eaves kick needs explaining.
- Do not describe the ceiling ties as a measured restraint.
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 a tie looks new, has the spread been stopped?
A new-looking tie has not been measured. It may have been added because the eaves had already kicked, or for another reason. The survey has not tested the connection and has not said the spread has stopped. New timber is not a calculation.
Does a level ceiling mean the ties are working?
A level ceiling, if that is what you see, is not this finding. The eaves have kicked. Ceiling line and eaves line are different. The survey has not measured whether the ties are restraining the rafters, so a flat ceiling does not answer that.