Roof survey or quote visit: what's the difference?

A quote visit is shaped by the job you want done. If you ask about replacing a ridge, the roofer looks at the ridge, the tiles either side, the access and what is needed to do it safely. They measure what they need to measure, check how the work would be reached, and go away to price it.

It is a practical visit, not an assessment of the whole house. It is also a good moment to ask questions: how the roof will be reached, what the job disturbs, how the weather affects the schedule and what happens if the work uncovers a fault nobody could see from outside. It will usually mention anything obvious nearby, like a cracked tile next to the one being replaced, but it is not designed to find faults you did not ask about. What you get at the end is a quote. Ours covers the whole job, from scaffold and strip-out to materials, labour, rubbish removal and repairs to finishes.

A quote visit suits a clear, defined job, such as a known leak, a section of fascia, a chimney flashing or a repair after a storm. It also suits a roof you already understand, for example one you had surveyed last year and now need a specific part of replaced.

A survey starts from the roof rather than the job. We look at every slope, the ridge and hips, the verges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys, the gutters and the loft. We check condition against what we would expect of that covering and age, and note faults whether or not they are causing trouble yet.

What you are left with is a written report, illustrated with pictures taken on your roof. It records what we found, where, how serious it is and what we would do about it. That makes it useful for decisions that depend on evidence: selling a house, buying one, planning a re-roof, dealing with an insurer, or deciding which of several roofing jobs to do first. Our guide to photographing roof defects shows how the images support the findings.

On cost, MyBuilder's 2026 inspection price guide shows £150 to £500 for a roof survey, a standard one at £150 to £250, a drone survey at £200 to £400 and a thermal survey at £300 to £500. Those are national figures from a third party, not ours. Our quote visit to price a job is free, and the quote that follows covers the whole job.

On time, a quote visit is shorter because it is narrower. A survey takes longer because it covers the whole roof, the loft and the written report. Neither should feel rushed, and the longer one will naturally take more of your morning, because the surveyor climbs into the loft and walks the whole outside. If a roofer spends five minutes looking from the drive and then quotes for a full re-roof, ask what they saw and ask for photographs.

Avoiding a double charge

If a survey leads to work with us, ask whether the survey fee counts towards it. Settle that before the visit, in writing, so there is no confusion afterwards. The same goes for what the report will contain, whether it will include a priced list of work, and who owns the photographs, which should be you.

Choose a quote visit when the problem is known and the job is small and clear. A slipped tile, a leaking flashing and a blocked gutter fall into this group.

Choose a survey when the picture is wider, or when you will need proof later: you are about to sell or buy, the roof is old, you have found damp and you do not know where from, a storm has hit, or you are planning a re-roof and want to scope it before inviting prices. Our guide to the survey before a re-roof explains how the survey shapes the job. Where a roof is new, a new-build roof inspection checks the original workmanship.

Some people want both. A survey first, then a quote built from its findings, gives the quote a firm basis, because the scope is documented before any price is set.

The two are not rivals, and booking one does not rule out the other. A quote visit sometimes uncovers something that deserves a fuller look, such as soft battens, a failed underlay or damp in the loft, and we will say so before pricing more than you need. A survey often leads to a quote, since the report lists what needs doing, and the quote covers it.

Either way, the pictures are of your roof, and a 10-year workmanship guarantee, given in writing, stands behind anything we build or repair. If a job proves notifiable under the Building Regulations, we explain what that means and make the notification for you. The site is left clear when we go.

Not sure which to book? Ring 01453 933613, or send a handful of pictures by WhatsApp, and we will tell you which visit suits. More on the choices is on our roof inspections and surveys page.