What "not accessed" actually means
Wellington building reports very often include language like:
"The roof was visually inspected from accessible points on the interior and/or exterior. If a roof is too high, too steep, wet, or composed of materials which can be damaged by access, the roof was not accessed. Client is advised that this is a limited review and a licensed roofer should be contacted if a more detailed report is desired."
That's standard wording from one of Wellington's main building inspection franchises. Variations of it appear in nearly every report on a steep, tile, or older roof. It means the inspector did what they could from accessible viewpoints (ground level, a ladder at the eaves, inside the roof space looking up) but didn't get on the roof itself.
Why they didn't get on the roof
Accessing the roof is not part of a standard building inspection. Inspectors work to safety standards, and their training and insurance set clear limits on what they can climb onto. Those limits keep them off a roof when:
- It's too steep. Most NZ inspectors won't go onto a roof above about 25 degrees without a fall arrest system, and many keep to much shallower roofs.
- It's too high. Single-storey homes can be reached from a ladder; two-storey homes on Wellington hill sections often can't.
- It's slippery. Wet metal, moss-covered tile, or anything else with reduced grip is automatic ground-only.
- The material is fragile. Older tile cracks under load. Older membranes can puncture. Decramastic stone-chip surfaces wear with traffic.
- There's no safe edge protection. No parapet, no rail, no harness anchor.
Wellington's geography makes most of these conditions normal rather than exceptional. Many homes sit on steep sections with steep pitched roofs, two-storey-plus heights from the downhill side, and often-wet conditions. The roof might be physically there, but not safe to reach.
What gets missed when the roof isn't accessed
Ground-level and ladder-edge inspection tells you a lot: gutters, fascia, soffits, lower flashings, what's visible from the eave line, plus binoculars-from-the-ground for the upper roof. But it can't reliably tell you about:
- Ridge tile condition (pointing, fixings, loose tiles)
- Upper-roof flashings (chimney details, dormer junctions, valley intersections)
- Tile condition mid-roof (cracks, slips, repaired sections)
- Metal roof seam laps, fastener heads, and edge folds on the upper roof
- Penetrations (vent flashings, skylights, satellite mounts)
- Membrane condition on hidden flat sections behind parapets or upper dormers
- General condition of the roof field beyond what's visible from the ground
Roof leaks often start in exactly these areas, which is the reason building reports so commonly recommend engaging a roofer to assess.
Close-up access from the air
A drone reaches the upper roof from the air. A small commercial drone with a high-resolution camera can fly close to the roof, photograph it from several angles, and capture detail on surfaces an inspector can't safely reach from a ladder. Because it can hover and reframe, it often shows more than a close-up look from the surface would.
A drone-assisted assessment typically gives you:
- Close-up imagery of the upper roof, including ridges, hips, and details out of reach from a ladder.
- A photo record for the assessment letter that you can refer back to.
- No scaffolding, which keeps the cost down and the timeline short. Setting up scaffolding for a single inspection visit is rarely economic.
- Access to roofs that aren't safe to stand on, including steep pitches, brittle tile, wet surfaces, and high two-storey-plus roofs.
What a drone assessment can't do
A drone assessment has limits. It can't:
- See inside the structure. If the issue is in the framing, lining, or insulation under the roof, we can't see it from outside.
- Lift tiles or peel back flashings. We comment on what's visible. We don't do destructive investigation.
- Guarantee a leak diagnosis. No roof inspection method, drone or otherwise, can promise this. We tell you what we observed and what it might mean.
- Test water tightness in real conditions. Roofs that look fine on a sunny day can still leak in driving rain. Inspection records visual condition, not weather-tested performance.
Common questions
Why didn't the building inspector get on my roof?
Most building inspectors follow safety standards that prevent them from getting onto roofs that are too steep, too high, slippery, fragile, or otherwise unsafe without scaffolding. On Wellington's steep hill sections this rules out most roofs. The standard report wording acknowledges this and recommends a roofer for closer assessment.
Is a drone inspection as detailed as close-up access?
For visual inspection of visible roof areas, yes, often more thorough. A drone can hover at any angle, photograph any surface from close range, and capture detail you'd miss from the surface itself. It doesn't replace destructive investigation, internal cavity checks, or moisture testing, but no inspection method does.
What does 'roof was not accessed' or 'limited review' mean on my building report?
It means the inspector could not safely physically access the roof. They've observed from ground level, ladder edge, and inside the roof space, but their report reflects only what was visible from those vantage points. A drone-assisted assessment fills in the rest.
How quickly can a drone-assisted assessment be done?
The on-site visit is usually under an hour for an average residential roof. Booking is subject to weather (we don't fly drones in high wind or heavy rain), so tell us your timing and we'll let you know what's possible.
Does Wellington's wind affect drone flying?
Yes. Commercial drones have wind limits and we don't fly in conditions that compromise control or safety. Wellington's wind means we sometimes have to be flexible on timing. We'll work with you to find a usable weather window.