Age and type of house
What should you tell the survey firm about the roof before they quote for a bungalow?
Tell them the roof is large relative to the walls, and mention dormers, flat sections and any garage roof. A fee based on ‘a small house’ can be the wrong job. The inspection still does not lift the covering, and a loft that cannot be crossed should be written as a limit, not as a sound roof.
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?
Low eaves make some of the roof easier to see, and a shallow loft can make the rest harder. A surveyor who cannot cross a fragile ceiling has to say so. Ageing felt, a flat section over a later extension, and a chimney in the middle of a wide roof are the usual extra sentences. None of them is automatic because the house is a bungalow.
When you compare a quote for a Level 2, mention the roof area and any attached garage roof. A fee based on ‘a small house’ can be the wrong job. The report should rate or limit each roof, not one blended sentence for the whole dwelling.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which roof slopes did you see closely, and which only from a distance?
- Was the loft crossed, or only viewed from the hatch?
- Is the garage roof included in the same comments?
What are the typical next steps?
- Tell the survey firm about dormers, flat sections and garage roofs before they quote.
- Read the loft limits before you treat a bungalow as ‘simple because it has no stairs’.
- If the loft was not entered, decide whether that gap matters before you exchange.
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 bungalow always cheaper to survey?
No. RICS does not set a bungalow fee. The roof and the distance still change the firm’s price.
Does one storey mean there is no structural risk?
No. Roof spread, a failed flat roof and decay at the wall plate are still possible. Height is not a clean bill.