Roof survey categories: Cat 1, Cat 2 and Cat 3 explained
Most UK roof condition reports grade every part of the roof into one of three categories. The customer reads the category before anything else, and a block manager or insurer will often read nothing else. This guide gives the standard wording, shows what each category looks like on a real report, and explains how the roofer’s three categories differ from the condition ratings a chartered surveyor uses.
The three categories and their standard wording
| Category | Colour | Standard definition |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 (Cat 1) | Green | No immediate action or repair is needed. |
| Category 2 (Cat 2) | Amber | Repairs or replacement requiring future attention, but estimates are still advised. |
| Category 3 (Cat 3) | Red | Urgent repairs or replacements are needed now. Failure to deal with them may cause problems in other parts of the property or cause a safety hazard. |
That wording follows the repair categories used in the Scottish Home Report’s single survey, which is why homeowners, solicitors and block managers north of the border already recognise it. It has become the common form for roof reports across the UK because it answers the only question a customer has: do I need to do something, and how soon?
What each category looks like on a report
These three areas come from the sample report we send to prospective customers. The wording is the surveyor’s, tidied for print; the category sits beside the photos for that area.
Category 3: chimney stacks
“The render on the front stacks has cracked and come away in places, leaving the brickwork exposed to the weather, and there is open jointing to the upper courses. The lead flashings at the base of the rear stack have lifted and no longer form a proper seal against the slates.”
Cat 3 because water is getting in now and the failed render is a falling hazard. The recommendation names the fix (hack off, re-render with a bellcast, repoint, renew the lead) and carries an indicative cost, so the customer can instruct the work from the report.
Category 2: main roof, front pitch
“Roughly a dozen slates on the front pitch have slipped or cracked and several have been patched in the past with lead tingles. The ridge tiles are bedded in mortar that has weathered back and two have moved. The sarking boards visible from the loft are dry and sound.”
Cat 2 because the covering is serviceable today but the nails are tired: the repairs are real, the timing is not urgent, and the report says plainly that re-slating should be budgeted for within ten to fifteen years. An estimate is still advised, which is what Cat 2 means.
Category 1: flat roof, rear extension
“Torch-on felt renewed within the last few years. The laps are well bonded, the upstands are dressed under a lead cover flashing, and the outlet is clear. No ponding was noted and the ceiling below shows no staining.”
Cat 1 is not “nothing to say”. It records what was inspected, what was found, and the one maintenance point (keep the outlet clear each autumn). A Cat 1 entry protects the roofer as much as it reassures the customer, because it shows the area was looked at.
How to decide the category
- Is water getting in, or could someone be hurt? Cat 3. Falling render, lifted flashings, open joints on a stack, missing slates over a walkway, rotten fascia holding a gutter.
- Will it fail within a year or two if left, but not today? Cat 2. Nail sickness, weathered ridge mortar, a felt roof past its life but still dry, cracked but seated tiles.
- Sound, with routine maintenance only? Cat 1. Say what you checked and what to keep an eye on.
- When in doubt between 2 and 3, ask whether the customer would be angry in six months if it had been called a 2. If yes, it is a 3.
One category per area, never per photo. If a single pitch has a Cat 3 chimney and a Cat 1 covering, split it into two areas so each carries its own category, photos and cost.
Cat 1, 2, 3 versus RICS condition ratings
A RICS Home Survey (Level 2 or Level 3) also uses a three-point scale, Condition Rating 1 to 3, with 3 meaning “serious defects, urgent repair”. The numbers line up, but the two systems are not the same document:
- A RICS survey covers the whole building for a buyer and is written by a chartered surveyor. A roof survey report covers the roof for an owner or manager and is written by the roofer who will quote for the work.
- RICS ratings do not carry costs. A roof report’s categories usually sit next to indicative costs and a recommended-works table.
- The roofer’s report is the one the customer signs and instructs from, so the category wording needs a disclaimer that it is an opinion based on a visual inspection on the day, not a warranty.
If your customer has a Home Report or a Level 3 survey in hand, your Cat 3 will usually correspond to their Condition Rating 3 on the roof section. Saying so in the summary saves a phone call.
Putting the categories on the page
On a Docutrades report each area page carries the area name, the description, the recommendation, a coloured category block with its label, and up to five captioned photos. The categories page near the front repeats the three definitions in a table, so the customer never has to ask what “Cat 2” means, and the summary page lists every costed area with its category and a total. You can walk through the sample report to see all three categories in place, or get a copy with your own logo on it.
Written by the Docutrades team and edited by Damien Harvey, founder. The category wording is the standard text used on Docutrades reports; the examples are from the sample survey. Drafted with the help of the same tidy-up tool the product uses, then checked and edited by a person. Published 20 September 2026.