Roofs and flat roofs
The report mentions a secret gutter next to the abutment to the neighbour's slope. Has debris the binoculars could not shift been tested, or only named?
Debris the binoculars could not shift has been named, not tested. The report mentions a secret gutter next to the abutment where this roof meets the neighbour's slope. The survey has recorded that a hidden channel is there and that debris appears to sit in it. It has not cleared the gutter, has not decided how deep the silt is, and has not decided that water is entering at the abutment. Binoculars identify. They do not excavate.
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?
A secret gutter is a narrow channel, often at the back of a parapet or where a lower slope dies into a wall, easily filled with leaves and out of reach. An abutment to a neighbour's slope adds a shared line: debris and water do not respect the boundary. From the ground the surveyor may see a dark line or a hump of leaves and cannot rake it. Naming the debris marks a maintenance risk. It is not a measured blockage and not a leak test into either loft.
Ask the solicitor how access to that abutment is shared with the neighbour, and whether anyone has cleared the secret gutter. A roofer will need agreement and safe access. The home survey has not worked on the neighbour's slope and has not allocated the cost. Do not assume binoculars have proved a leak. They have proved only that debris is visible and could not be moved on the day.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Where is the secret gutter along the neighbour's abutment?
- What debris was visible, and why could it not be shifted?
- Did the view reach into the channel or stop at the surface?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the debris as named, not cleared or tested.
- Ask how access is shared at the abutment.
- Have the channel cleared only with proper access.
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 debris on the neighbour's side belong only to the neighbour?
Not necessarily. The abutment is a shared line, and a secret gutter can serve this slope while sitting against the neighbour's covering. The survey did not decide ownership. Your solicitor can look at the boundary. Leaves visible through binoculars are not a ruling on who must clear them.
Will clearing the leaves prove the gutter lining is sound?
Clearing would show the sole, which this visit could not test. It would not by itself prove the lining is sound. The report only named debris the binoculars could not shift. After a proper clear-out, someone still has to look at the channel. That look has not happened.