Guides to roof survey reports, building reports and O&M manuals
First-hand guides and free templates for UK trades, written from the documents themselves: the wording that goes in a report, what to photograph, how to grade a defect and what the customer needs to sign. They support the three documents Docutrades writes: roof survey reports, building inspection reports and plumbing and heating O&M handover manuals.
If you want to see a finished document before reading about one, download the sample roof survey report, the sample building inspection report or the sample O&M manual.
Roof survey reports
Writing, grading and sending roof survey reports: what goes in one, the Cat 1 to 3 repair categories, templates and a complete sample. See the roof survey software.
- Roof survey report: what it should contain (with example)
What a UK roof survey report should contain, page by page, with example wording for each section and a complete sample report to download and compare against.
- Roof inspection report template for UK roofers (free PDF)
A roof inspection report template for UK roofers, section by section: cover letter, Cat 1 to 3 repair categories, area pages with photos and costs. Free PDF.
- Flat roof survey report: what to check and how to word it
How to survey and report on felt, EPDM, GRP and asphalt flat roofs: ponding, laps, upstands, outlets, deck and insulation, with example wording and Cat 1 to 3 calls.
- Roof survey checklist: what to check, photograph and note
A practical area-by-area roof survey checklist for UK roofers and surveyors, with what to photograph, what to write, and how it maps to Cat 1 to 3.
- Roofing quote vs survey report: the difference explained
What goes in a roofing quote, what goes in a survey report, when to charge for the report, and how the report protects you if the customer takes a cheaper price.
- Roof survey report template (UK): free Word and PDF download
Ungated Word and PDF template with the Cat 1 to 3 table, area sections, costs and acceptance page, plus a worked example and notes on each section.
- How to write a roof survey report (UK, with real examples)
From rough site notes to the page the customer signs: one section per area, prose without invention, categories, photos, costs, disclaimer.
- Sample roof survey report (UK): every page explained
A complete ten-page report to download, with each page explained: cover letter, categories, schedule of condition, area pages, costs and sign-off.
- Roof survey categories: Cat 1, Cat 2 and Cat 3 explained
The standard wording, what each category looks like on a real report, how to decide, and how they differ from RICS condition ratings.
Building inspection reports
Whole-building condition reports for owners, landlords and block managers: structure, schedules of condition, grading and examples. See the building inspection report software.
- Building inspection report template (UK) with examples
A UK building inspection report template explained: scope, grading key, schedule of condition, one page per area with photos and costs, and a sample PDF.
- Schedule of condition template: what every row must record
A practical UK schedule of condition template for surveyors and agents: what each row needs, how to grade and photograph, and how it differs from a survey.
- What goes in a building inspection report (UK)
Page by page: scope and limitations, grading, the schedule of condition, area pages, costs and sign-off, and what to question in any report.
- Building inspection report contents: what to include and why
The sections a whole-building inspection report needs, from grounds to roof, how to grade defects, how to present indicative costs and what the disclaimer must say.
O&M handover manuals
Operation and maintenance manuals for plumbing and heating installations: the sections, the certificates and how to hand the pack over. See the O&M manual software.
- O&M manual for plumbing and heating: the handover pack
What a plumbing and heating O&M manual should include at handover: scope, system description, controls, isolation valves, bathrooms and certificates.
- Isolation valves in an O&M manual: how to record every one
How to write and photograph the isolation valves section of a plumbing and heating handover manual so the occupier can find and use every valve.
- How to write an O&M manual for a heating installation (UK)
The six sections, what to photograph, the certificates to include, the contacts table and how to hand it over at practical completion.
- O&M manual template (UK): free Word and PDF for plumbing and heating
Ungated operation and maintenance manual template with prompts for every section, a contacts table and a certificates checklist.
Written and edited by the Docutrades team. A new guide is published most weeks; the newest sits at the top of each group.