Age and type of house
The thatch eaves of two cottages almost touch. What can the survey of one cottage not say about the neighbour's coat?
The survey of one cottage cannot say whether the neighbour's coat is sound, how thick it is, or how the two roofs actually meet. It can record that the thatch eaves almost touch. It did not cross the boundary, did not lift the neighbour's coat, and did not inspect their ridge, fixings or wire. Proximity is a fact about the gap. It is not a condition report on the next house. The survey has not judged the neighbour's thatch and has not said the nearness itself is a defect in either coat.
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?
When two thatched eaves nearly meet, each coat still belongs to its own roof. The surveyor instructed on one cottage sees that cottage's covering from the access granted, and sees the neighbour's eaves only as the nearby surface. Thickness, age, spark guard, netting and decay on the far side are not available. A narrow gap can matter to owners because fire can travel between coats, but this inspection did not investigate that risk and did not measure the gap. It noted the closeness it could see.
Tell the solicitor the neighbour's thatch is outside this report. If the gap, the boundary or a shared fire concern needs advice, that is a conversation with the solicitor and, for the condition of the other coat, with whoever inspects that cottage. The home survey has not specified work to the neighbour's roof and has not specified a cut-back of either eaves. Do not pull the neighbour's wire or thatch. Your own coat, if it needs a thatcher, should be instructed separately from any guess about theirs.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did you limit the note to the gap, without commenting on the neighbour's coat?
- What of the neighbour's ridge and eaves was out of reach?
- Have you left fire separation and the boundary for others to advise on?
What are the typical next steps?
- Record that the eaves almost touch, and stop there.
- Do not describe the condition of the neighbour's thatch.
- Ask the solicitor if the closeness raises a boundary or neighbour question.
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 our coat is sound, is the neighbour's coat sound too?
No. The survey inspected one cottage. A sound note on your coat, if you have one, says nothing about the thickness or condition of the thatch next door. That coat was not inspected. What happens next for the neighbourcoat is outside this note and was not settled here.
Can the surveyor measure the gap and call it safe?
The survey has not measured the gap as a safety clearance and has not called it safe or unsafe. Almost touching is the observation. A safety judgment on two coats was not made. Asking about it again later still leaves this clearance point outside what the survey decided.