Roofs and flat roofs
The valley board is soft at the eaves end and firm at the ridge. What length of board is decayed, and what lead above it was not uncovered?
The length of decayed valley board is not known, and the lead above it was not uncovered. The board is soft at the eaves end and firm at the ridge, so decay has been found at one end and not described at the other. Softness at the eaves does not give a measured length of rotten timber along the valley. The survey probed or noted what it could reach. It did not strip the lead, so the metal over that soft end, and over the firmer length, stays unseen.
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 valley board is the timber under the valley metal, taking water that two slopes throw into the gutter line. Wetness collects toward the eaves, which is why one end can be soft while the ridge end is still firm. That pattern limits where decay was found. It does not say how far the softness travels before the timber firms up, because the board was not opened along its length. Lead left in place hides both the fixings and any split in the metal itself.
Ask a roofer to lift the valley lead only if the timber and the metal both need to be seen, and to report how much board is actually decayed. Tell the solicitor the survey has not measured that length and has not uncovered the lead. Do not replace the whole valley in your own mind because one end is soft. The ridge end was firm, and the metal above both ends was not uncovered.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- How far along the valley was the board soft, and where did it feel firm?
- Was the lead left in place over the soft eaves end?
- Did you record an unknown length of decay rather than a whole-board failure?
What are the typical next steps?
- Keep the soft eaves end separate from the firm ridge end.
- Do not assume a length of decay the survey did not measure.
- Ask a roofer to uncover the lead only if both timber and metal must be seen.
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 the valley is stained, is the whole board rotten?
A stain shows water has passed somewhere. It does not measure how much board is soft. The survey found softness at the eaves and a firm ridge end, and it did not uncover the lead. The stain does not lengthen the decay.
Does firm timber at the ridge mean the lead there is sound?
No. Firm timber means that end of the board did not feel decayed. The lead above it was not uncovered, so the metal is still unseen. A sound-feeling board is not a verdict on the lead covering it. The survey left that lead in place.