Seller-side surveys

The seller's own roofer says the roof is fine. Does that opinion delete the buyer's condition rating?

No. Your roofer's opinion does not delete the buyer's condition rating. The rating is the surveyor's judgement on what they saw, written for the buyer who instructed them. A later note can be passed on as further information. It does not edit the PDF. If the element is rating 3, the buyer is still advised to obtain written quotations before legal commitment. What to do now advises that buyer. It does not let you strike the rating out.

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?

Sellers hear fine and assume the number has to move. It does not. Rating 1 would mean no repair is currently needed, beyond normal maintenance, and only an inspection that reaches that view can say so. Your roofer may be right that a patch is small, or that a slipped slate is not urgent. The way to show that is a written note of what they saw, which the buyer can compare with the paragraph. The way not to show it is to tell the agent the rating has been deleted. You are not the author of the report.

What to do now is addressed to the buyer. It tells them how to use the findings. It does not require them to adopt your contractor, and it does not require you to adopt theirs. If you are willing to repair, describe the repair in writing. If you are not, say that the buyer has their rating and their own advice. Arguing that a friendly roofer outranks a condition rating turns a useful second view into a claim the report cannot support. Keep the second view labelled as a second view.

What should you ask your surveyor?

Which rating is the buyer relying on, and which element does it name?
What did your roofer actually inspect, as against a general fine?
Are you asking anyone to alter the buyer's PDF?

What are the typical next steps?

Offer your roofer's written note as information, not as a deletion.
Do not tell the agent the condition rating has been removed.
If you will repair, describe that repair separately.

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

Can the buyer still seek their own quotation?

Yes. Rating 3 advice is to obtain written quotations before legal commitment. Your roofer does not switch that off.

Does What to do now force you to pay their roofer?

No. It advises the buyer. It does not invoice the seller.