The short answer
Yes, a new-build roof is worth an independent inspection in its first year or so. Faults at this age come from how the roof was put together rather than from wear: loose dry-fix ridge parts, gaps in loft ventilation, cracked mortar, slipped tiles and untidy flashings. Finding them early means a builder can be asked to put them right while the builder is still responsible under the new-home warranty.
Why a roof only months old can still have faults
Age is not the only thing that damages a roof. On a new estate, dozens of plots go up in a short run, with tilers working to a programme and the weather deciding which days they can start. A ridge that was dry in the morning can be rained on by the afternoon, and a loft hatch can be fitted before anyone has looked at what sits beside it. None of that means the builder has done poor work. It means that a finished roof has had a lot of hands on it, and it is sensible for one more pair to look it over.
The other reason is timing. Most new homes come with a 10-year warranty. Under NHBC's Buildmark, for example, the builder warranty period is usually the first two years, when the builder, not NHBC, is responsible for putting right problems that come from failing to meet NHBC requirements. Years 3 to 10 are insurance cover for damage caused by defects in certain parts of the home. Other providers set their own terms, so read your policy. A snag reported inside the builder's period is generally the builder's to fix. The same snag found five years later is simply a repair bill.
An inspection is not a criticism of whoever built the house. It is a record, dated and photographed, of what the roof looked like early in its life.
Dry-fix ridges, hips and verges on a new roof
Most new roofs now use dry-fix at the ridge (the apex, where the two slopes join), at the hips (the sloping external angles) and at the verges (the gable edges). Instead of a bed of mortar, plastic or metal clips and screws hold the tiles down. Since BS 5534:2014, ridge and hip tiles need fixings in addition to any bedding, and BS 8612 sets the tests that dry-fix kits must pass.
On an inspection we check for ridge tiles that have crept out of line, end caps that do not sit square, screws left proud or missing, and verge units that are not fully engaged with the tile beside them. We also look at whether the system on the roof matches the make of tile, because mixing parts can leave gaps that look fine from the ground. Where a system has failed, a full survey records which parts are affected, so the repair can be limited to those.
Dry-fix is not maintenance-free. Fitting a dry ridge system typically costs £40 to £60 per metre, according to MyBuilder in 2026, which is a figure worth bearing in mind when you compare it with a builder's offer to put things right.
Ventilation, underlay and the loft on a new house
New houses are built tight, and a tight house puts more moist air into the loft than an old draughty one did. BS 5250 covers managing moisture in buildings, and Marley's guidance based on it sets out how much eaves ventilation a cold roof needs. Under a non-breathable underlay, a pitch of 15 degrees or less needs a 25 mm gap along the eaves, and steeper roofs 10 mm. Where a breather membrane sits over a sealed ceiling, less is asked. The right figure depends on the underlay, so the loft and the specification need reading together.
Up in the loft we check for insulation pushed hard into the eaves so that it blocks the air path, vents that have been covered, and condensation marks on the underlay or on the underside of the boards. We also check that the underlay lies cleanly at the eaves, sitting into the gutter rather than behind it, and that it has not been torn by the tilers' boots or by service pipes. If you suspect the underlay itself, our answer on the signs that underlay has failed goes through what shows from inside and out.
Mortar, tiles and flashings: snags seen from the ground
Where mortar is still used, at a bedded verge or under a ridge, shrinkage cracks in the first year are common, and they matter if they let rain behind the tile. Flaunching, the mortar fillet that seals a chimney or a pipe to the roof, can crack or pull away the same way. Binoculars or a drone will show most of the following without anyone climbing on the slope:
- Tiles out of line or sitting proud of their neighbours.
- Cracked or chipped tiles, often from a trade walking across the slope.
- Lead or other flashings that have been dressed loosely, or fixed with sealant where a proper fold was needed.
- Valleys with debris from the build still lying in them.
- Gutters that hold water because the fall is wrong.
Makers set gutter falls anywhere from about 1:600 to 1:350 depending on the system, so a gutter that stands full after rain is worth noting early. Builders' rubble in a valley or gutter is a small thing, but it can pond water onto the felt below, so we clear and record it.
When to book, and what a first-year check involves
There is no fixed date. Two moments tend to make sense: shortly after you move in, so you start with a record, and again before the builder warranty period ends, usually two years under NHBC's Buildmark, so you can raise anything that has shown up. Our guide to how often to inspect a roof covers the years beyond that.
A visit looks at the slopes from outside, the ridge and verges, the flashings at chimneys and abutments, the gutters, and the loft from inside. You get photographs of your own roof, marked where a fault was found, and a short written note you can pass to the builder. A standard survey typically costs £150 to £250 and drone work £200 to £400, according to MyBuilder in 2026.
If the report finds a fault, you decide who puts it right. Many owners hand the note straight to the developer first. If you would rather have us do the work, the quote covers it in full, and our own work is covered by a written 10-year workmanship guarantee. The wider range of visits is listed under roof inspections and surveys.