Survey costs
A roofer quotes for the lead valley. Is that figure a RICS repair tariff?
No. The roofer's figure for the lead valley is that firm's quote, not a RICS repair tariff. RICS does not publish a price for renewing lead, for the timber under it, or for the scaffolding this valley needs. The survey can describe what was seen. The number in the roofer's email is the roofer's offer. You may use it in a negotiation. You may not pretend the report certified it.
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?
Lead valleys fail in different ways. Some need a local patch. Others need the adjacent slates or tiles stripped, the boards checked, and new lead dressed in. A single paragraph in a survey cannot know which of those the roofer has allowed for unless the quote says so. Ask the roofer to list the length of valley, the code or thickness they intend to use, and whether scaffolding and making good the coverings are included. Two quotes with the same headline and different inclusions are not the same job.
There is no national tariff that says a valley of this type costs a set sum, and the consumer guide does not provide one. If the rating is serious, the practical step is written quotations before you are legally committed, obtained from contractors, not copied out of the guidance. The surveyor does not have to amend the report to match the roofer. If you want the surveyor to read the quote, that is a new question to the firm, and it still does not convert the quote into a RICS price.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What did you actually see of this valley, from where?
- Which defects should the roofer's scope mention so it matches your notes?
- Are you able to comment on a quote, and is that included?
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask the roofer to itemise lead, timber, access and making good.
- Compare valleys only when the scopes match.
- Do not relabel the quote as a RICS tariff.
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 quote is much higher than you hoped, has RICS been breached?
No. RICS did not set the valley price. A high quote is the contractor's figure, to challenge or accept on its own terms.
Does describing leaking lead mean the survey priced the repair?
No. A description is not a tariff. The price arrives only if a contractor calculates one.