Survey finding
Torn or missing sarking felt: what to do
Sarking felt findings are common on pre-1980 roofs. This page covers when felt findings matter and what the realistic remediation looks like.
Last updated: 6 May 2026. Editorially reviewed: 20 May 2026.
Finding
Torn or missing sarking felt
What this usually means
Sarking felt (or modern breather membrane) is the secondary water barrier under roof tiles or slates. Older Victorian roofs had no felt at all, relying on torched bedding. Mid-century felt deteriorates and tears; modern breather membrane lasts longer. Tears or gaps allow wind-driven rain past the tiles to wet the roof timbers.
Why it matters
Surveyor flags this when felt is visibly torn, missing, or end-of-life. Roofs without sarking felt are common on pre-1940 properties and not automatically defective. The fix is usually the next time the roof is re-covered, not now.
Ask your surveyor
- Check:Is the felt torn or completely absent?
- Check:Are the roof timbers visible from the loft and in good condition?
Ask the seller
- Check:When was the roof last re-covered?
- Check:Has sarking felt been replaced as part of any repair?
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- Outdated electrics (60-amp fuse board)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
- EPC F or G rating
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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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- Conservation area restrictions
- Restrictive covenants on title
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- Coastal erosion risk
- Flood risk zone 3
- Radon affected area
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- Trees near building
- Party wall agreement outstanding
- EICR required
- Knotweed treatment history
- Single glazing condition
- RCD protection missing
- Damp-proofing guarantee transferability
- PRC (precast reinforced concrete) house
- Airey house
- BISF (British Iron and Steel Federation) house
- Timber frame construction
- Steel frame house
- Wet rot
- 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
Localised felt repair (combined with re-tiling): £400–£1,200. Re-felt and re-bed a whole roof slope: £4,000–£10,000+. Full roof re-cover with new breather membrane: £8,000–£18,000+.
Mortgage impact
Standard if the roof tiles or slates are sound. End-of-life roofs combined with no felt may trigger a retention.
Insurance impact
Standard. Storm damage that tears felt is typically claimable.
When to pull out
Pull out only if combined with end-of-life roof covering and the seller refuses to engage on cost.
When to renegotiate, and by how much
Get a roofer's quote covering sarking and tile/slate condition together. Negotiate on quote plus 15%.
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.
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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 torn or missing sarking felt 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.