Roofs and flat roofs
The eaves have pushed out and a gap has opened between the ceiling and the wall. What has the survey not measured if it only says the roof may be spreading?
If the survey only says the roof may be spreading, it has not measured the movement. Pushed eaves and a gap between ceiling and wall are the signs it could see. It has not measured how far the eaves have gone out, how wide the gap is, whether a tie is still tying the feet, or whether the movement is old or still going on. May be spreading is a caution, not a measured diagnosis. The survey has not calculated the thrust and has not specified ties, bolts or a rebuilt eaves.
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 trying to push the walls apart when the tie is weak, missing or overloaded. A gap at the ceiling line and an eaves that looks proud are the sorts of marks people associate with that. Without dimensions, a comparison over time, or a look at the ties, the sentence has to stay as may. The inspection recorded the appearance. It did not run a monitoring exercise and it did not open every ceiling junction.
A structural carpenter can measure the gap, find the ties and say whether the roof needs restraint or whether the marks are historic. Tell the solicitor the report has not confirmed spread, only raised it. Do not describe the walls as leaning on the strength of that sentence alone. The home survey has not designed a repair and has not said the ceiling must come down. Any later measurement is a further instruction, not a rereading of this note.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What did you actually see at the eaves and at the ceiling junction?
- Did you find roof ties, or were they hidden?
- Have you left this as may be spreading because it was not measured?
What are the typical next steps?
- Keep the wording as a possibility, not a measured spread.
- Ask a structural carpenter to measure the gap and find the ties.
- Do not tell the solicitor the walls have been proved to be spreading.
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 gap is only hairline, has spread been ruled out?
No. A narrow gap was still not measured, and the survey still only said the roof may be spreading. Size on a glance does not date the movement or prove the ties are doing their job. Asking about it again later still leaves this spread point outside what the survey decided.
Does a straight ridge cancel the eaves note?
A straight ridge does not measure the eaves. The survey recorded pushed eaves and a ceiling gap, and it did not turn a tidy ridge into a finding that the roof is tied. The home survey itself did not pursue this ridge question any further than the visit.