Roofing Advice
What are the signs you need a new roof?
The clearest signs are an active leak inside the house, a sagging or dipping roofline, daylight visible through the roof from inside the loft, and widespread nail sickness (tiles slipping across large areas) or several unrelated leak points — any of these usually points toward replacement rather than another repair, especially alongside a history of repeated repairs to the same area. This is general guidance, not a diagnosis — book a free roof survey for a definite, on-roof answer.
The urgent signs — act now
An active leak, storm damage with tiles or slates down, or a chimney that looks like it's leaning, cracked or shedding debris are all urgent. Move valuables away from an active leak and place a container to catch dripping water; never go onto the roof yourself in poor weather, in the dark, or without the right access equipment — assessing storm damage from ground level or safely from inside the loft is the right approach until it's safe to look properly.
Why "never go up yourself" isn't overcaution
This isn't a liability disclaimer — it reflects the real, published safety record for roof work. The Health and Safety Executive states that almost one in five deaths in construction work involve roof work, and that anyone carrying out roof work needs to be trained, competent and properly instructed in the precautions required. That's the reason our own guidance is consistent about it: assess from the ground or safely from the loft, and leave the roof itself to someone equipped and trained for it.
The "don't leave it" signs
A slipped or missing tile with no active leak yet, or a damp patch or stain on a ceiling with nothing currently dripping, are both worth booking an inspection for rather than waiting. A missing tile is a genuine point of weakness even before it lets water through, and a stain with no visible drip often means water is already tracking along a timber or membrane before it reaches a point where it can drip freely.
The signs that point toward full replacement rather than another repair
Widespread nail sickness — tiles slipping across large areas as the fixings themselves age and fail — several unrelated leak points, a sagging or dipping roofline, and timbers a survey has flagged as compromised are the profile where a repair usually treats a symptom rather than the underlying cause. So is a long history of repeated repairs to the same or a nearby spot: at some point, patch after patch stops being the honest answer.
Moss is a slower-building sign, easy to dismiss as cosmetic
Moss holds moisture against the roof covering far longer than a clean, exposed tile would experience, and as it thickens it can physically lift tiles at their edges. It looks cosmetic for a long time before it becomes a genuine leak risk — shaded, north-facing roofs and roofs under overhanging trees are the ones to keep a closer eye on.
What to do next
If what you're seeing matches an urgent sign, get in touch and follow the safety-first steps in our free Emergency Roof Triage guide. If it's more of a slow-building pattern — age, repeated repairs, moss — our free Repair or Replace guide walks through the same signals covered here in more depth. Either way, a free, no-obligation roof survey is the only way to get a definite, honest answer for your specific roof.
What to do in the first hour, if it's urgent
- Move valuables and electronics away from an active leak, and place a container to catch dripping water
- If water is anywhere near electrics, treat it as a hazard — turn off power to that area at the consumer unit if you can do so safely
- Never go onto the roof yourself in poor weather, in the dark, or without proper training and access equipment
- Photograph the affected area, any pooling water, and the source point if it's safely visible — useful for us and for your insurer
- Get in touch so we can assess and arrange an inspection as soon as it's safe to
| Sign | Usually means | Urgency |
|---|---|---|
| Active leak inside the house | Water is already past the covering — cause needs finding urgently | Urgent — act now |
| Storm damage / tiles or slates down | Often more extensive than what's visible from the ground | Urgent — act now |
| Chimney leaning, cracked or shedding debris | Potential structural safety issue, not just roofing | Urgent — act now |
| Sagging or dipping roofline | Often a structural timber issue a surface repair can't fix | Book an inspection promptly |
| Daylight visible through the roof from the loft | A genuine gap in the covering | Book an inspection promptly |
| Widespread nail sickness / several unrelated leaks | Fixings failing with age across large areas | Replacement-leaning — worth a full survey |
| Slipped or missing tile, no leak yet | A real point of weakness even before it leaks | Don't leave it — book an inspection |
| Heavy moss across most of the roof | Slower-building, but a genuine leak risk if ignored | Worth monitoring / addressing |
Frequently asked questions
Move anything valuable out of the way, place a container to catch dripping water, and if water is anywhere near electrics, treat it as a hazard rather than approaching it. Never go onto the roof yourself in poor weather or in the dark — our free Emergency Roof Triage guide covers exactly what to do step by step.
No — assessing storm damage from ground level, or from inside the loft where it's safely accessible, is the right approach. Going onto the roof itself, especially in wind or wet conditions, is genuinely dangerous without the right training and access equipment — the HSE reports that almost one in five construction deaths involve roof work.
It's more than cosmetic. Moss holds moisture against the roof covering for far longer than a clean, exposed tile would experience, and as it thickens it can physically lift tiles at their edges and work into the gaps between them.
It depends on the roof's age, how widespread the damage is, and whether you've had repeated repairs to the same area before. Try our free Repair or Replace guide, then book a free roof survey — only an on-roof inspection can give you a definite answer.
Yes — book a free, no-obligation roof survey and we'll give you an honest assessment and a clear quote for any work that's actually needed, with no pressure to commit to anything.
Book a free roof survey
No pressure, no jargon — just an honest look at your roof and a clear answer.