Structural damage to your roof

Structural damage goes beyond the covering — it affects the timber frame holding your roof up, and it's the most serious category of roof problem.

What counts as structural damage

Problems with the load-bearing structure: cracked, rotten or undersized rafters and joists; roof spread (walls pushed outward by roof load); failed or altered supports (sometimes from a botched loft conversion); wall-plate failure; and damage from impact, fire or long-term water ingress.

Why it needs expert attention

Structural issues can affect the safety of the whole building, so they often need a structural engineer's assessment alongside a roofer's. Warning signs include a sagging or wavy roofline, bowing walls, cracks where the roof meets the walls, and doors or windows distorting at the top of the house.

Repair and rebuild costs

Putting structural damage right can range from reinforcing or replacing individual timbers to partially rebuilding the roof structure and re-covering. Costs vary widely with the cause and extent — a proper survey is the only way to get a real figure.