Roofs and flat roofs
A secret gutter runs behind a parapet and was seen only from a bedroom window. What has that view not confirmed about the outlet?
Only a view from a bedroom window was had of the secret gutter, so the outlet has not been confirmed. A secret gutter is the channel behind a parapet. From a window you may see the trough and still miss the mouth that empties it. What that view has not confirmed is the outlet, the fall and the sole under any debris. The survey describes a limited sight of the channel. It does not certify the gutter as running or blocked, and it does not design a new outlet.
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?
These gutters fail quietly because the ground cannot see them. A blocked outlet can flood the channel and push water through a joint into a ceiling that seems remote from the parapet. None of that is proved by a view across a bedroom. The surveyor is being plain about the viewpoint. A calm patch of lead in the middle of what you could see is not a clear outlet at the end that stayed out of sight.
The next look, with safe access, should be at the outlet and at any sump or chute, not a decision to replace the whole channel first. If the roofer cannot reach the outlet either, the price should say so, rather than stating that the outlet is known to have failed. The report's limit is the window. Do not upgrade a partial view into a blockage, and do not ignore the limit because the visible lead looked calm.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- From which window was the secret gutter seen, and how much of its length?
- Could you see the outlet, or only the channel behind the parapet?
- What would still need a closer look before the gutter could be called clear?
What are the typical next steps?
- Record the outlet as unconfirmed, not as blocked and not as running clear.
- Arrange a safe close look at the outlet before the gutter is replaced.
- Ask any quotation to state whether the outlet was actually seen.
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
Does a glimpse from the bedroom prove the secret gutter works?
No. That view did not confirm the outlet, the fall or the sole. A calm length of channel is not a proved discharge to the outside.
Should the outlet be assumed blocked because it was not seen?
No. Unseen is not the same as blocked. The survey withholds that conclusion because the outlet lay outside the view from the bedroom window.