Roofs and flat roofs
A gang-nail plate is missing from one truss joint and the other trusses still have theirs. What joint is local, and what redesign of the roof was not done?
The missing plate is local to that one truss joint, and no redesign of the roof was done. The other trusses still have their gang-nail plates, so the survey is describing one connector that is absent, not a scheme for the whole roof. It has seen the bare joint. It has not calculated what that joint now carries, specified a replacement plate, or produced a new roof design. Approved Document A is guidance on structure. This visit did not apply it as a redesign of the trusses.
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 gang-nail plate is the metal connector that ties the timber members of a truss together at a joint. If one plate is missing and the neighbouring trusses still show theirs, the odd joint is the point to describe. The timber may still touch, but the designed connection at that node is not there to see. The survey can record the absence. It cannot, from that look, say how the load is now sharing into the next truss, or whether the joint has already opened.
A structural carpenter or engineer can say whether that single joint needs a new connector and whether the rest of the truss can stay as built. Do not send the report out as a roof redesign: none was prepared. Tell the solicitor the note is one missing plate among trusses that still show theirs. Approved Document A does not turn a home survey into a design for a replacement roof, and this inspection did not offer one.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which truss and which joint is missing its gang-nail plate?
- Did the other trusses at the same node still show their plates?
- Did you record a local missing connector rather than a redesign of the roof?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the missing plate as one joint, not a new roof design.
- Ask a structural carpenter whether that joint needs a connector.
- Do not describe the survey as a redesign under structural guidance.
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 ceiling below is uncracked, has the joint been proved sound?
No. An uncracked ceiling does not test the truss joint in the loft. The survey saw one gang-nail plate missing and the other trusses still plated. It did not load-test the node and it did not measure movement. A quiet ceiling can sit under a connector that is simply not there.
Does one missing plate mean every truss must be replaced?
Not on this note. The survey recorded one joint without its plate while the other trusses still have theirs. That is a local observation. It is not a design that condemns the roof, and no replacement scheme was drawn. Whether more timber is involved is for a carpenter who can see each joint.