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Roofs and flat roofs

What is a roof verge, and why does failed pointing there matter if the tiles look even?

The verge is the sloping edge of the roof at a gable. Mortar or a dry-verge system is supposed to close that edge against wind and rain. If it has dropped out, water gets into the bargeboard and the wall head even while the field of tiles looks regular. A surveyor can often see that gap from the ground.

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?

People read a roof as “the tiles”. The edge is where wind lifts them and where rain is driven into the gable. Missing verge mortar, a rotten bargeboard and a stain on the gable wall are the usual group. They are not nail sickness, and they are not a valley defect. The repair may be repointing, a dry-verge fitting, or timber, depending on what has actually failed.

A home survey records the edge it can see. It does not measure how many metres of mortar are hollow. If the rating is about the verge, ask a roofer to look at that edge rather than pricing a new covering. RICS does not publish a verge price. Wind-driven rain will keep using the gap until it is closed.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • Is the verge mortar, a cloak, or a dry-verge system?
  • Is the bargeboard soft, or only the mortar missing?
  • Is the gable wall stained inside or only outside?

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Photograph the gable edge from the garden. Do not lean a ladder against a rotten barge.
  2. Keep this repair separate from any quote for the main covering.
  3. If water is already inside the gable, say so when you ask for the quote.

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

Is a verge the same as an eaves?

No. The eaves are the lower edge, usually with a gutter. The verge is the sloping gable edge. They rot for different reasons.

Does missing verge mortar mean the roof needs replacing?

Not by itself. It means the edge is open. The tiles may still have years of use. Ask someone who can see both.

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