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Roof maintenance checklist

Build an inspection checklist for your roof: pick the roof type, what’s on it and when you’re inspecting, and download it as a PDF to print or share with whoever goes up.

The checks follow published guidance from the HSE, roofing bodies and manufacturers. Anyone going onto the roof should be competent to work at height, and a roof condition survey records what the checklist finds in more depth.

Your roof

The checklist builds itself as you choose.

When
On the roof

Roof inspection checklist

Unit 4, Mill Lane · Single ply membrane · Spring

Roofcheckroofcheck.co.uk

Date

Inspected by

Weather

Before going up. Only people competent to work at height should go onto the roof. Rooflights and some roof sheets are fragile and won’t take a person’s weight: stay off them and use the safe access route.

Access and safety

  • Edge protection and safety lines in place, undamaged and in date for inspection
  • Access route clear, with ladders and hatches secure

Drainage

  • Outlets clear of leaves, silt and debris, with guards in place
  • Internal gutters clear, with no standing water or splits in the lining
  • Ponding recorded: where, how big, and how deep

Roof covering

  • Debris cleared from the roof, including anything left by other trades
  • Winter damage looked for, such as anything split, cracked, lifted or moved
  • Membrane free of punctures, splits and blisters, across the roof and round the edges
  • Laps and seams sound, with no lifting or open edges
  • Fasteners fixing the membrane or insulation not raised or loose

Details

  • Upstands and flashings secure, with terminations and sealant sound
  • Penetrations around pipes, supports and cables sealed
  • Edge trims and copings secure, with nothing lifted by the wind

Rooflights

  • Rooflights free of damage and discolouration, with guarding or mesh in place
  • Every rooflight easy to see, not hidden by paint or dirt, with warning signs at the access points

Plant and services

  • Plant supports stable, with no damage to the membrane beneath
  • Leaks and spills from plant cleaned off before they damage the membrane

Inside the building

  • Ceilings and walls below the roof checked for new stains or damp
  • What occupants have noticed, such as drips or damp, noted
  • Deck, where it can be seen from below, free of sagging, rust or cracking

These results are a guide only and don’t replace a survey or professional advice.

Sources

How to use it

  1. Describe the roof

    Pick the roof covering and tick what’s on the roof. The checklist adds and removes checks as you go.

  2. Choose when

    Spring and autumn checks differ a little, and the after-a-storm list looks for wind and impact damage.

  3. Download and use it

    Download it as a PDF or print it. Whoever inspects ticks each check and notes what they find, and you keep it with the roof’s records.

What it covers, and what it cannot

A checklist makes sure nothing obvious is missed. It isn’t a survey.

It covers

  • The routine checks for the roof covering you choose
  • Drainage, details, rooflights, plant and access, as they apply
  • What to look for at each time of year and after a storm
  • A record of who inspected, when, and what they found

It cannot

  • Find leaks, wet insulation or breaches too small to see
  • Say how much life the roof has left
  • Make the roof safe to walk on, or replace a risk assessment
  • Meet a warranty’s inspection terms unless the warranty accepts it

Questions about roof maintenance

How often should a commercial roof be inspected?

Roofing manufacturers and trade bodies generally recommend at least twice a year, in spring and autumn, and after severe weather. Some warranties set their own inspection terms, so check yours.

Who should carry out the inspection?

Someone competent to work at height on that roof, with a safe way up and a safe route across it. Fragile rooflights and roof sheets are a serious hazard, and the HSE’s guidance on roof work sets out what’s needed.

What matters most on a flat roof?

The outlets. Where water can’t get away it ponds, and ponding lets more water in wherever the roof is damaged, adds weight to the deck and leaves dirt that can block the outlets further.

What should I do with what the checklist finds?

Keep it with the roof’s records, so the next inspection can see what’s changed. Anything beyond routine clearing, such as splits, blisters or new damp inside, is worth a closer look by a roofer or a survey.

When is a survey better than an inspection?

When there’s a leak nobody can find, damp that keeps coming back, a refurbishment to plan or solar to fit. A survey uses methods that see what an inspection can’t, such as wet insulation and breaches too small to spot.

Get the right survey for your roof

Whether you’re investigating a problem or planning ahead, we’ll help you choose the right survey for your roof. Get in touch for a free quote.

Get a free quoteCall 0113 868 0097

Roof condition surveys

Every defect photographed, graded and located on a plan of the roof.

About condition surveys

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Whether the drainage was ever big enough for the roof.

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All measurements, calculations and estimates provided by Roofcheck’s online tools are for guidance purposes only and should not be relied upon as definitive or technically accurate. Results should be independently verified through a professional roof survey or assessment before undertaking any works or making decisions. Roofcheck accepts no liability for any loss, damage or costs arising from reliance on these results, to the fullest extent permitted by UK law.

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