Moss on the roof when you're buying or selling a house

What the surveyor actually looks at

On an RICS Home Survey Level 2, the surveyor looks at the roof from ground level, or from neighbouring public land where they can, using binoculars and a torch. If it's safe, they go into the roof space and look at the structure from inside. They won't usually climb onto the roof. So a survey comment about moss is based on what can be seen from below, and a roofer's closer look often gives you a clearer picture.

What the condition ratings mean

Moss on its own is usually a maintenance point rather than a serious defect. A 3 on the roof deserves a proper look, and RICS advises getting written repair quotes before you commit to buy.

If you're buying

• Read exactly what the surveyor wrote. A note that moss should be removed is very different from one about moss with slipped tiles and signs of water getting in.
• RICS's advice, where repairs are needed, is to "get quotes from at least two experienced contractors before you make a legal commitment to buy the property".
• Ask the seller's permission for a roofer to look and take photos. RICS says to get the owner's agreement for any access specialists need.
• Ask for the quote in writing, with photos of what the roofer found.
• Keep it in proportion. NFRC, the roofers' trade body, says moss rarely causes problems, and only needs removing if it's blocking gutters and other drainage points.

One Mumsnet user's survey "advised it needed to be removed". On most roofs, that's a straightforward job.

If you're selling

Buyers and their surveyors notice gutters and roofs, so a few things are worth doing before you list:

• Clear the gutters and downpipes. Overflow stains and plants growing out of gutters are easy for a buyer to spot.
• If moss is heavy, washing into the gutters or holding water, have it removed by hand.
• Don't pressure wash the roof to make it look newer for the photos. Marley warns against high-powered jet washes, which it says can damage the surface of the slate or tile.
• Keep the invoice and the before and after photos. They answer a buyer's questions before they're asked.
• If the roof is just weathered, leave it. Marley says tiles "gradually change in appearance over time through the action of natural weathering", and a surveyor will know that.

Timing it around a sale

Book early. Moss removal is best done outside nesting season. The RSPB says the main nesting season runs from March to September, and active nests are protected by law. If you're planning a spring listing, a winter clean means it's done, photographed and invoiced before the house goes on the market.

We're roofers, not surveyors

We can tell you what's on your roof and what it'll take to put right, with photos. We can't tell you what a surveyor will rate it, or what it means for your sale. If a survey has flagged something serious, talk it through with the surveyor too.

How we can help

Send us the surveyor's comment and a few photos of the roof. We'll tell you whether it's moss and nothing more, or something that needs repairing, and give you a written quote you can share with a buyer, seller or solicitor. If it needs doing, we remove the moss by hand, clear the gutters and photograph every slope.

Written by Hawkes Roofing, roofers based in St Albans who remove roof moss by hand across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and north-west London. Last reviewed 26 October 2026.