Handover checks
Should new roof work be inspected when it is finished?
The short answer
Yes. The best moment to find a poor detail is the day the work finishes, while the contractor is still on site and the scaffold is still up. A completion check covers the fixings, flashings, ridge, verges, gutters and the clear-up, and it works best with before-and-after photographs and written confirmation of what was done. Where the job was notifiable, it also includes the building control paperwork.
A short checklist for the end of a roofing job, the paperwork worth asking for, and the right way to raise a problem after sign-off.
Why the handover is the moment to look
Once the crew has gone and the scaffold is down, a fault is harder to prove and slower to fix. At handover, the person who did the work can show you what they did and answer questions on the spot, and any correction is a short return visit rather than a dispute. Ask to walk round with the contractor, and try to be there before the last payment is due, not after.
Expertise is not required. Look at the roof lines, the edges, the gutters and the garden. Ask what has been fitted and why. Photograph the finished roof from each side while the light is good. If something looks wrong and nobody can explain it, say so there and then, and request the explanation by email. A clear, calm conversation at the end of the job is worth more than an angry email a month later. Take your time over it, and do not feel rushed into signing anything while the crew waits.
What to check on the finished roof
On a tiled roof, look for straight courses with no cracked or chipped tiles and no tiles stacked loose on the roof. Ridge and hip tiles should carry a proper mechanical fixing under or beside the bedding, in line with BS 5534. Verges should be neat and firm, valleys clear and flashings dressed tight to the wall or chimney, with lead where it was specified.
On a flat roof, look for a covering free of creases and puckers, tidy edge trims, and no ponding after rain. BS 6229:2025 keeps a minimum finished fall of 1:80, and roofers usually design steeper, around 1:40, so the finished roof still drains. Gutters should be clean and fall towards their outlets, and there should be no builder's debris in them. Our answer on roof tile fixing to BS 5534 explains the fixings in more depth.
Notification, building control and the certificate trail
Whether re-roofing needs a building control application depends on the job. The Planning Portal gives the usual test. An application is not normally needed where under 25 per cent of the building envelope and under 50 per cent of the roof is affected, though a new covering that adds 15 per cent or more to the roof's weight changes the picture. Arun's building control page names replacement roof coverings as approval work, so its team, or your roofer, can tell you which view applies to your job.
Where the work is notifiable, we explain it and handle the Building Regulations notification. At the end, ask what confirmation the building control body will give you. Arun carries out completion inspections from Monday to Wednesday and wants a day's notice, so book early rather than leaving it to the last moment. Our answer on heavier roof tiles and the regulations covers the weight rule.
Photographs and written confirmation to ask for
Ask for pictures taken at the start, midway and at the end, particularly of areas that will be hidden for good, such as the underlay, the battens and the lead dressing under the tiles. Ask for the covering, underlay and any lead code to be confirmed in writing, and check the tile or slate type matches the quote. If part of the roof was repaired rather than replaced, note which part.
Keep the paperwork together: the written quote, any change agreed during the work, the confirmation of what was fitted, and the cover you were given. Ask any roofer for that cover in writing and read what it includes and what ends it. A lifespan quoted for a material is a typical figure only, as Marley says of its own tiles. Our page on the roof inspection report shows what a good written record looks like.
If a fault shows up after you have signed off
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 expects services to be delivered with reasonable care and skill, and that standard applies to roofing. If a leak or defect appears, tell the contractor in writing as soon as you find it, attach dated photographs, and ask for a date to put it right. Keep a log of the weather when it happened and who you spoke to. Calm, factual evidence settles most problems faster than argument.
Should a ceiling be dripping, move belongings clear first and photograph the damage. Where a different roofer needs to look, an independent inspection gives you a report on what is wrong, and our roof inspections and surveys hub shows the visits we offer. If the matter is not resolved, take advice from a consumer advice service before you pay for any further work.
Related questions
At the end of a roofing job
Should I be at home when the scaffold comes down?
It helps. The scaffold gives the best close view of the finished roof you will ever have, and any adjustment is easiest while the crew is still there. If you cannot attend, ask for dated photographs of each slope and the gutters taken before the scaffold is struck.
When should I check the ceilings after a new roof?
Look after the first heavy rain and again in the first week of strong wind. Check the top-floor ceilings and the loft with a torch for new stains or drips, and glance at the gutters to confirm the water reaches the downpipes. A dry result is reassuring; a stain means you should photograph it and tell the contractor in writing.