How do I check a roof without a ladder?
From the ground, at a distance. The official checklist looks for tiles and ridges that are uniform in colour and free from cracked or slipped tiles, with lead flashings properly sealed and tidy. LABC Warranty's checklist asks the same questions: are any tiles cracked or loose, and are the flashings complete and secure?
Some variation is normal. NHBC's standards say individual tiles will have minor blemishes and differences in colour and texture, but they should be mixed so the roof doesn't look banded. A white bloom on some tiles is efflorescence. It is harmless and generally fades over time.
Don't climb up. The checklist only uses a ladder to look at flat roofs less than 3m above the ground.
A trick we used the zoom on a phone camera from across the road. A photo you can enlarge shows a slipped tile far better than squinting up from the drive.
Fascias, soffits and flashings
Fascias are the boards along the bottom edge of the roof that the gutters fix to. Soffits are the boards underneath, and bargeboards run up the sloping gable ends. The checklist expects them to be even in colour and finish, and in place with their clips.
Flashings are the strips, usually lead, that seal the joint where the roof meets a wall, chimney or dormer. They should be properly sealed, with a tidy finish.
What counts as a snag in the brickwork?
Judge brickwork from at least 10m away, in daylight, and look at the whole wall rather than single bricks. NHBC's standards say a wall shouldn't have significant cracks in the facing bricks, or chips and marks wider than 15mm. Some bricks are made with marks bigger than that, and some mortar blemishes and colour variation are normal.
A white powder on new brickwork may be efflorescence, natural salts coming out as the wall dries. NHBC says it is harmless and generally disappears.
Rendered walls should be flat and even in colour. The official checklist expects render to be free from crazing (thin surface cracks), with no cracks wider than 0.2mm. Cracks in walls are covered in more detail on the year one page. NHBC says to report any crack that shows both inside and outside, or that is diagonal or stepped.
Weep holes, air bricks and the damp proof course
Weep holes are small gaps left in the outer brickwork. They let water that gets into the cavity drain back out. LABC Warranty's technical manual says there should be at least two above each window and door opening, and no more than 900mm apart along the trays they drain. They should be fitted consistently and kept clean.
Air bricks are the vented bricks low in the wall. They should be clean and undamaged, and never covered with soil or paving.
The damp proof course is a waterproof layer near the bottom of the wall. NHBC says to keep the soil below it, generally by 150mm or two brick courses. The checklist expects it to be level and at least 150mm above the finished ground, where you can see it. If you can't find it, NHBC suggests asking the builder to show you.
Is it normal for new gutters to leak?
No. LABC Warranty's checklist asks whether gutters and downpipes are leak-free during rainfall. The official checklist expects them to be securely fixed and free from kinks, dips, gaps and leaks.
The catch is timing. The checklist notes that leaks can't be checked in dry weather. So your inspection day may not show them. Watch the gutters in the first heavy rain after you move in, and report any drips at the joints, overflowing, or water running down the wall.
Wet patches on the wall below a gutter can also mean it, or the downpipe, is blocked. In a new house, report it.
A trick we used a short video from an upstairs window during a downpour. It showed exactly which joint was dripping.
Who fixes the roof after year two?
In the first two years, the builder fixes anything that doesn't meet NHBC's standards, roof included. From year three, NHBC's Buildmark covers damage from a defect in the roof, load-bearing walls, render, chimneys and flues. Damage to the roof covering itself, such as tiles, mortar and flashings, is only covered if a defect is letting water into the home.
So a slipped tile or a loose flashing is worth reporting in the first two years, even if nothing is leaking yet. Gutters need cleaning at least once a year, and that is your job.