By Chris, owner of Everlast Roofing North West (20+ years on Merseyside roofs) · About Everlast Roofing · Last updated 2026-10-10
Summary
An end-of-year roof inspection checklist covers six areas: slates, tiles and ridge from the ground, the loft from the inside, gutters and downpipes, fascias and soffits, chimneys and lead flashing, and any flat roofs. Do it in October or November, before Liverpool’s wettest weeks, and only from the ground, a window or the loft. Never climb onto the roof. Take dated photos as you go, because they protect a future storm damage claim. If you spot slipped slates, loose ridge tiles, damp patches or overflowing gutters, we offer a free roof inspection with photos and a written itemised quote.
From Chris, the owner
Do your loft check on a bright afternoon with the loft light switched off. Any pinpoint of daylight between the slates or round the chimney is a gap that rain will find in December. Mark each one with a strip of masking tape on the nearest rafter, so we can find it in minutes when we come out.
The end of the year is the best time to check your roof. Autumn has dropped its leaves into the gutters, the first gales have tested every loose slate, and the wettest weeks of the Liverpool winter are still to come. Our roof inspection in Liverpool covers every part of the roof with photos, but a half-hour homeowner check first tells you whether anything needs our attention before Christmas.
Most of the checks need nothing more than a pair of binoculars, a torch and a phone camera. Everything can be done from the pavement, the back garden, an upstairs window or the loft. If you find a problem, or would rather we did the whole inspection for you, call Chris on 07933 828 045.
End-Of-Year Roof Inspection Checklist For Liverpool Homes
Liverpool’s weather makes the timing of a roof inspection important. Met Office records for Crosby show that October to December is the wettest stretch of the year, with around 15 days of rain a month and some of the strongest winds blowing in off the Irish Sea. A slipped slate in October is a small repair. Left until February, it can mean wet insulation, a stained ceiling and a much bigger bill.
| Month (Crosby averages) | Rainfall | Days with rain |
|---|---|---|
| October | 89.7mm | 14.4 |
| November | 82.2mm | 15.5 |
| December | 91.9mm | 15.4 |
| January | 69.4mm | 13.8 |
An annual roof inspection at the end of the year catches problems before that wet run begins. A homeowner check covers the whole roof in about half an hour, all from safe places on the ground or inside the house. Pick a dry, bright day and take a dated photo of each part of the roof as you go.
The end-of-year roof inspection checklist
- Slates and tiles: any slipped, cracked or missing.
- Ridge and hip tiles: straight in line, with mortar in place.
- Chimney: pots, flaunching, pointing and lead flashing.
- Valleys and flashings: lead lying flat, no gaps or lifted edges.
- Gutters and downpipes: clear, straight and not leaking at the joints.
- Fascias and soffits: no rot, cracks or gaps at the roof edge.
- Flat roofs: no puddles, blisters, splits or lifted edges.
- Moss and debris: heavy moss, leaves or branches on the roof.
- Loft: daylight, damp patches, wet insulation or a musty smell.
- Inside the house: stains on ceilings and walls below the roof.
If every item passes, keep the photos with your house documents and check again in spring. If anything fails, send us the photos. Most faults found at the end of the year are small repairs that can be done in a morning, well before the Christmas storms.
Roof giving you grief?
Get Chris on the phone, no obligation
Free survey. Written itemised quote. Fair deposit, balance on completion. Chris picks up the phone himself and comes out himself, ladder and camera in hand, to show you what is actually wrong with the roof. If it is a repair, he will tell you. If it is a re-roof, he will show you why in the photos.
Or call Chris directly: 07933 828 045
Roof Inspection From The Ground: Slate, Tile And Ridge Checks In Liverpool
Most roof problems can be seen from the ground with a pair of binoculars. Stand across the street to see the front slope, then check the back from the garden or an upstairs window. Look along each row of slates or tiles. They should sit in straight, even lines, and anything out of line, darker or missing stands out once you know what to look for.
| What you see | What it usually means | How urgent |
|---|---|---|
| A slate sitting lower than the rest | Slipped slate, often from rusted nails | Book a repair before winter |
| A gap showing dark felt or timber | Missing slate or tile | Urgent, rain will get in |
| Ridge tiles out of line or rocking | Failed ridge mortar | Repair while it is mild enough for mortar |
| Cracks across concrete tiles | Frost or impact damage | Repair before frosts widen them |
| Slates or tiles in the gutter | Something has come off above | Urgent, find where from |
| Thick green moss on one slope | Damp roof, blocked water paths | Clear before winter |
Concrete tiles on 1930s semis in Allerton, Maghull and Crosby show problems differently to Welsh slate on Victorian terraces. Tiles tend to crack across the middle or lose their nibs and slide, while slates slip out of line as their nails fail. Either way, a single fault caught in November is usually a short repair from a roof ladder, with no scaffolding needed.
Take your photos with the zoom on your phone and save them in a folder with the date. If you send them to us, we can often tell you straight away whether a repair is needed, before we even visit.
Loft Roof Inspection Checklist For Merseyside Homes
The loft shows what the outside of the roof cannot. Choose a bright afternoon, switch off the loft light and let your eyes adjust. Daylight coming through between slates, around the chimney or along the ridge shows exactly where rain can get in. Then turn the torch on and check the timber and insulation for signs of water.
What to check in the loft
- Daylight showing through the roof covering, especially near the chimney and ridge.
- Dark stains or tide marks on rafters, purlins and roof boards.
- Damp, flattened or discoloured insulation between the joists.
- Torn or sagging felt under the slates on older roofs.
- A musty smell or mould, which can point to a leak or poor ventilation.
- Droppings or nesting material, showing birds are getting in at the roof edge.
Many Victorian terraces in Liverpool have no felt under the slates at all, so you will see the underside of the slates from the loft. That is normal for the age of the house, and those roofs often show daylight at the edges by design. What matters is fresh staining on the timber or wet patches, because those show water is getting through.
Walk only on the joists or on boarded areas, never on the insulation or the ceiling between joists. If your loft has no boards and limited headroom, check from the hatch with a torch and leave the rest to us during an inspection.
“Called Chris at Everlast to carry out some pre winter roof repairs. Needed some tiles replacing and loose cement replacing and ridge tiles repointing. Excellent quality work carried out as promised, all waste removed and would highly recommend.”
Caroline Guilfoyle · Homeowner, Merseyside, pre-winter roof repairs (Google review)
Roof And Gutter Inspection Before A Liverpool Winter
Gutters do more damage when they fail than most people expect. A blocked gutter overflows down the wall, soaks the brickwork, rots the fascia board and can push water back into the edge of the roof. Late autumn, once the leaves have fallen, is the right time for a roof and gutter inspection, and once a year is enough for most Liverpool homes. Houses near large trees in Sefton Park, Calderstones or Woolton often need it twice.
From the ground, look for plants growing out of the gutter, water staining down the wall, sagging sections and drips from the joints after rain. On older terraces, cast iron gutters can crack and rust at the joints, and the Met Office warns that loose cast iron guttering is a real danger in high winds. Our gutter repairs in Liverpool cover clearing, resealing, re-bracketing and full replacement.
| Gutter and roofline job | Our typical Liverpool price |
|---|---|
| Clear a blocked gutter and downpipe | £80 to £150 per elevation |
| Reseal or replace a leaking joint | £90 to £180 |
| Re-bracket a sagging run | £150 to £300 |
| Replace one downpipe | £120 to £250 |
| Full gutter replacement, one elevation | £400 to £800 |
While you are looking at the gutters, check the fascia boards behind them and the soffits underneath. Rotten timber, peeling paint, cracked uPVC or gaps where birds are getting in all need sorting before winter, because water and wind work their way in through the smallest gap at the roof edge.
Chimney, Lead Flashing And Flat Roof Maintenance Checks In Liverpool
Chimneys cause more winter leaks than any other part of a pitched roof. The lead flashing where the stack meets the slates lifts, cracks or comes loose over time, the cement flaunching around the pots cracks in frost, and old pointing lets water soak into the brickwork. From the ground, look for lead that is lifted or missing, cracked flaunching, leaning pots and gaps in the mortar.
| Chimney or flat roof problem | What to look for | Our typical repair price |
|---|---|---|
| Lead flashing around the chimney | Lifted, split or missing lead at the base | £280 to £450 |
| Cracked flaunching | Cracks in the cement around the pots | Quoted after inspection |
| Valley leak on a terrace | Lead valley with gaps or debris | £300 to £550 |
| Felt patch on a flat roof | Split, blister or lifted edge | £180 to £300 |
| EPDM rubber patch | Small tear or lifted seam | £200 to £350 |
Our chimney repairs in Liverpool cover lead flashing, repointing, flaunching and capping, and most can be done in a day from a roof ladder or a small scaffold tower. Chimney lead and flaunching are best repaired before the frosts, because water that gets into cracks freezes, expands and turns a small gap into a leak by January.
Flat roof maintenance matters just as much on extensions, garages and dormers. Check for puddles that are still there two days after rain, blisters and splits in felt, lifted edges and moss along the trims. Ponding water is the most important warning sign, because it means the roof has sagged or the outlet is blocked, and it is the first place a winter leak starts. Our flat roofing team in Liverpool repairs felt, EPDM rubber and GRP fibreglass roofs.
Victorian Slate Roof Maintenance And Nail Sickness In Liverpool Terraces
Liverpool has thousands of Victorian and Edwardian terraces still wearing their original Welsh slate. The slate itself can last well over a century, but the iron nails that hold it rust through long before that. This is called nail sickness, and it is the main reason slates slip on older roofs in Anfield, Walton, Kensington, Wavertree, Aigburth and Toxteth.
Signs of nail sickness on a slate roof
- Several slates slipping across the same slope, rather than one in a storm.
- Lead strips (tingles) holding slates in place from earlier repairs.
- Slates sliding into the gutter after ordinary wind and rain.
- Rusty marks below slate nail holes on close inspection.
One or two slipped slates are a simple repair. When slates keep slipping across a whole slope, patching every winter becomes a false economy, and that is the point to ask whether the roof needs re-slating. Our guide to slate roof repair or a full re-roof explains the test we use to decide, and we always show you photos so you can see the evidence for yourself.
Nail sickness also matters for insurance. Insurers treat it as wear and tear, so storm damage on a nail-sick roof can be harder to claim for. Finding and fixing it during an end-of-year inspection protects both the roof and any future claim.
Roof Inspection Cost In Liverpool And What Our Survey Includes
Our roof inspection in Liverpool is a free survey. We come out, inspect the roof from a roof ladder and the ground, check the loft where it is safe to do so, and photograph anything that needs attention. You get the photos and a written itemised quote for any work, with no charge for the visit and no pressure to go ahead.
What our roof survey includes
- Step 1: A call with Chris to talk through what you have spotted.
- Step 2: A visit to inspect slates, tiles, ridge, chimney, valleys, gutters and any flat roofs.
- Step 3: Photos of every problem, so you can see exactly what we see.
- Step 4: Honest advice on what needs doing now and what can wait.
- Step 5: A written itemised quote listing access, materials, labour and VAT.
If the survey finds faults, most end-of-year repairs are small jobs. Replacing a cracked or missing slate typically costs £150 to £250, and repointing a short run of ridge tiles £220 to £400. Our breakdown of roof repair costs in Liverpool shows what each common job costs and what pushes the price up or down.
A free roof inspection from a roofer is different from a paid survey report for a house purchase or a building surveyor’s condition report. If you are buying a home and need a formal written report for a lender, ask for that service specifically. For homeowners who want to know whether their roof is ready for winter, our free survey with photos covers what you need.
Annual Roof Maintenance Plan For Liverpool Homeowners
Annual roof maintenance does not need to be complicated. A short check in spring, a full inspection in late autumn and a quick look after every major storm keep most Liverpool roofs in good order for decades. Spreading the jobs through the year also means small repairs are done in the right weather, when mortar sets properly and slates are safe to work on.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Spring | Check for winter damage, clear moss, book any repairs while the weather is mild |
| Summer | Best time for bigger jobs such as re-roofing, chimney rebuilds and flat roof replacement |
| October to November | End-of-year roof inspection, gutter clearing, fix slipped slates and ridge tiles |
| December to February | Check after every storm, deal with leaks straight away |
Keeping a record pays off when something goes wrong. Standard home insurance will not usually cover damage caused by wear and tear or a poorly maintained roof, so dated photos and repair invoices show an insurer that the roof was looked after. Keep them in one folder with your buildings insurance documents.
If you would rather not keep track of it yourself, we can inspect your roof every autumn and send you the photos each year. It is the simplest way to catch small problems early and keep a clear history of the roof.
Roof Maintenance Safety: When To Call A Liverpool Roofer
A homeowner’s roof inspection should always be done from the ground, a window or the loft. Roofs are slippery in autumn, with wet leaves, moss and early frosts, and falls from ladders and roofs cause serious injuries every year. The Health and Safety Executive advises that ladders are only suitable for short, low-risk tasks and that anything longer than about 30 minutes needs different access equipment.
Call a roofer rather than doing it yourself if
- You would need to climb onto the roof or lean out from a ladder to reach it.
- Slates, tiles or lead are loose and could fall.
- Water is coming in, or there are fresh stains inside.
- The chimney leans or the flaunching is cracked.
- The gutter is above a single storey or on a three-storey house.
- A flat roof is ponding or the deck feels soft underfoot.
We carry out end-of-year roof inspections across Liverpool, Crosby, Maghull, Woolton, Sefton and the Wirral, with photos and a written itemised quote on every visit. Every repair comes with a fair deposit, the balance on completion and a workmanship guarantee. Call Chris on 07933 828 045 or book your free survey online.
Book a free roof survey
Book Your Free End-Of-Year Roof Inspection
We inspect roofs across Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley and the Wirral, photograph every slope, gutter and chimney, and give you a written itemised quote for anything that needs doing before the winter storms.
- Free survey with photos of what we find
- Written itemised quote before any work starts
- Fair deposit, balance on completion
- Workmanship guarantee of up to 20 years and full public liability insurance
Book your free survey → or call 07933 828 045
Roof Inspections And Repairs By Our Liverpool Roofers
Recent inspection and repair work from our team across Merseyside, from slate ridges to gutters and flat roofs.
Your End-Of-Year Roof Inspection Checklist
- Check slates, tiles and the ridge from the street and garden with binoculars.
- Look in the loft for daylight, stains and damp insulation.
- Clear the gutters once the leaves have fallen.
- Check the chimney for lifted lead, cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- Look for puddles and splits on flat roofs two days after rain.
- Take dated photos of every part of the roof for your records.
- Book repairs before December while the weather still allows mortar work.
Related roofing services and areas
Useful external links
Everlast Roofing North West
Honest advice, fair price, balance on completion
Twenty years on the roofs of Merseyside. Chris quotes the job and Chris runs the job, photos every step of the way. If the roof has another ten years in it, we will tell you. If it does not, we will show you why in the pictures and give you a written itemised quote with scaffolding, skip, materials and VAT broken out, the lot. Deposit on booking covers materials, balance on completion.
Or call Chris on 07933 828 045 · office 0151 374 1078
Roof Inspection And Maintenance FAQs
What Should Be On A Roof Inspection Checklist?
A roof inspection checklist should cover slates and tiles, ridge and hip tiles, the chimney and its lead flashing, valleys, gutters and downpipes, fascias and soffits, any flat roofs, moss and debris, the loft and the ceilings below the roof. Check from the ground, a window or the loft, and take dated photos as you go.
How Much Does A Roof Inspection Cost?
Our roof inspection in Liverpool is a free survey. We inspect the roof, photograph anything that needs attention and give you a written itemised quote for any work, with no charge for the visit. Formal written survey reports for a house purchase are a separate, paid service from a surveyor.
How Much Does A Roof Survey Cost?
A roof survey from Everlast Roofing is free across Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley and the Wirral. You get photos of the roof and a written itemised quote. If repairs are needed, small jobs such as replacing a cracked slate typically cost £150 to £250, and repointing a short ridge run £220 to £400.
Is A Free Roof Inspection Really Free?
Yes. Our free roof inspection costs nothing and there is no obligation to book any work. We show you photos of what we find, explain what needs doing now and what can wait, and give you a written itemised quote. If the roof is in good condition, we tell you so.
How Often Should A Roof Be Inspected?
Most homes should have a roof inspection once a year, ideally in late autumn before the winter storms, plus a quick check after any major storm. Older Victorian slate roofs, roofs near large trees and homes in exposed coastal areas such as Crosby, Formby and the Wirral benefit from a check in spring as well.
What Does Annual Roof Maintenance Include?
Annual roof maintenance usually includes replacing slipped or cracked slates and tiles, checking and repointing ridge tiles, clearing gutters and downpipes, checking chimney lead flashing and flaunching, removing heavy moss and checking flat roofs for ponding and splits. Small faults fixed each year prevent bigger repairs later.
How Do I Prepare My Roof For Winter?
Check the roof from the ground and the loft in October or November, clear the gutters after the leaves fall, fix slipped slates and loose ridge tiles while it is mild enough for mortar, check the chimney lead and remove heavy moss. Take dated photos for your insurance records and book any repairs before December.
For more local roofing advice, browse the Everlast Roofing blog or call Chris on 07933 828 045.
