Survey finding
Missing or slipped ridge tiles: what to do
Missing or slipped ridge tiles are one of the most common roof findings on UK surveys. This page covers wet vs dry ridge, repair costs, and how lenders treat the finding.
Last updated: 6 May 2026. Editorially reviewed: 20 May 2026.
Finding
Missing or slipped ridge tiles
What this usually means
Ridge tiles run along the apex of a pitched roof. Older roofs use mortar bedding (wet ridge); modern roofs use a mechanical dry ridge system. Missing or slipped ridge tiles let water in, lift adjacent tiles, and pose a falling-masonry hazard. Most UK roofs over 25 years old need ridge re-bedding at some point.
Why it matters
Surveyors flag missing ridge tiles as routine maintenance, but a sustained absence will cause water damage to roof timbers and ceilings. Lenders rarely refuse on ridge alone but may want documented repair before drawdown for properties with extensive roof issues.
Ask your surveyor
- Check:Is the ridge bedded with mortar (wet) or mechanical dry ridge?
- Check:Are slipped tiles localised or widespread?
Ask the seller
- Check:When was the roof last inspected or maintained?
- Check:Have any ridge tiles been replaced in the last 10 years?
Next steps
- •Get two written quotes from local trades before negotiating with the seller.
- •Speak to your mortgage broker before exchanging if the finding affects mortgageability.
Browse all findings
- Spray foam insulation
- Evidence of movement
- Damp
- Japanese knotweed
- Damp proof course issues
- Underpinning
- Cracks
- Roof issues
- Timber decay
- Electrical issues
- Non-standard construction
- Asbestos containing materials
- Roof covering needs repair
- Single skin wall construction
- Timber decay / wet rot
- Settlement cracks
- RAAC concrete
- Wall tie failure
- Party wall matters
- Drainage issues
- Subsidence monitoring
- Full electrical rewire needed
- Flat roof condition
- Cladding issues
- EWS1 form required
- Lintel failure
- Structural crack BRE category 3
- Structural crack BRE category 4-5
- Chimney stack movement
- Chimney flashing failure
- Parapet wall movement
- Bay window cracking
- Flat roof ponding
- Cold roof inadequate ventilation
- Warm roof insulation issues
- Prefab concrete construction
- Large panel system (LPS) construction
- Rising damp
- Penetrating damp
- Condensation vs damp distinction
- Dry rot (Serpula lacrymans)
- Woodworm
- Timber floor springiness
- Cellar / basement damp
- Outdated electrics (60-amp fuse board)
- Aluminium wiring
- Partial rewire needed
- Gas boiler condition
- Back boiler
- Unvented hot water cylinder issues
- Lead pipes (pre-1970)
- Lead paint
- Asbestos in Artex ceilings
- Asbestos floor tiles
- Asbestos cement roof
- Asbestos insulated board (AIB)
- Asbestos soffit boards
- Pointing / repointing needed
- Render cracking
- Pebbledash delamination
- UPVC window seal failure
- Sash window condition
- Flat roof membrane condition
- Zinc roof
- Felt roof condition
- Corrugated asbestos roof
- Cavity wall insulation issues
- External wall insulation issues
- No building regulations certificate
- No planning permission for extension
- Certificate of lawfulness needed
- Indemnity insurance required
- Neighbour dispute on file
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- Off-gas-grid property
- Solar panel lease vs owned
- Ground source heat pump property
- Air source heat pump property
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- Wall bowing
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- RCD protection missing
- Damp-proofing guarantee transferability
- PRC (precast reinforced concrete) house
- Airey house
- BISF (British Iron and Steel Federation) house
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- Steel frame house
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- Heave (ground movement)
- Chimney condition and stability
- Short lease (under 80 years)
- Fire safety: flat and leasehold issues
- Blocked or condemned flue
- Spalling brickwork
- Diagonal cracks in walls
- Retaining wall condition
- Tanking failure in basement
- Missing or slipped ridge tiles
- Lead flashing condition
- Gutters and downpipes
- Double glazing condensation (failed units)
- Skylight or roof light condition
- Dormer condition and weathering
- Torn or missing sarking felt
- Chancel repair liability
- Easement or right of way
- Boundary dispute or unclear boundary
- Adverse possession risk
- Flying freehold
- Ground rent escalation clause
- High or variable service charge
- Extension without planning consent
- Loft conversion: no building regs
- Single-phase electrical supply only
- Shared or private sewer
- Blocked or collapsed drains
- Cesspit or septic tank
- Solid fuel heating
- No mains gas supply
- Low water pressure
- Private water supply
- Wimpey No-Fines concrete house
- Reema construction
- Unity or Boot construction
- Laing Easiform
- Cornish Unit house
- Cross-wall construction
- In-situ concrete construction
- Oak frame construction
- Radon: mitigation required
- Missing or inadequate fire alarms
- Single staircase: means of escape
- No earthing or bonding
Tool shortcut
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What you need to know
Severity
Maintenance item. Worth quoting and including in negotiation.
Typical cost to fix
Replace and re-bed a single ridge tile: £150–£300. Full ridge re-bed (typical 8m terrace): £600–£1,500. Conversion from wet to dry ridge: £900–£2,500. Whole-roof re-bed where ridge is part of a wider roof issue: rolled into roof costs.
Mortgage impact
Standard maintenance for most lenders. Multiple roof items combined may trigger a retention.
Insurance impact
Storm-related ridge tile loss is typically claimable. Wear-and-tear is not.
When to pull out
Almost never a pull-out trigger in isolation. Pull out only if part of a wider roof failure pattern.
When to renegotiate, and by how much
Get a roofer's quote. Negotiate on quote plus 15%. Typical settled outcome is full quote deducted from price.
Thinking of pulling out or renegotiating? What to do after a bad survey
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The Survey Decoder explains the wording. The full report adds address-specific flood, subsidence, EPC, crime, listed status, building age and price comparison data, so a single finding isn't judged in isolation.
Run the check
Check the property before you offer
Flood, subsidence, EPC, crime, schools, transport, broadband, tenure, age, listed status and price checks where data is available.
Run a free previewRead next
Roof issues , often sits near missing or slipped ridge tiles on a survey and is the next thing to check.
Editorial review
Editorial owner: BiteRight Ltd, operator of MyPropertyScan. We review buyer guides against UK public property datasets, RICS survey wording, lender requirements, and common buyer questions.
Pages are updated when source coverage, property-risk guidance, survey cost assumptions, or product checks materially change. Methodology and dataset limitations are explained on the MyPropertyScan methodology page.
Sources used
We use UK public and specialist sources where they are available. Public datasets can be incomplete, delayed, or missing for some addresses. Treat them as a starting point, not as a replacement for professional advice.
Source standard: preference goes to official government datasets, statutory bodies, professional standards, and primary dataset publishers. We cite the source family on the page and explain coverage limits rather than filling gaps with unsupported estimates.