Survey - cut purlin in roof

[Freezingagain]

We’ve recently had a survey for a house we’re buying and it highlighted that there was a cut purlin in the roof with insufficient support and a further support has been removed. Does anyone have any experience of this or words of advice?

They recommended we get a roof specialist to look at it, we had a roofer round who didn’t actually address the specific issues but said that it needed a new roof. Have attached photos of the issues. We want to seek further advice but not really sure who we should be asking!

Did the survey say it needed a new roof? If not then you’ve maybe got a roofer who’s just after making some money?

Ask another roofer to have a look maybe.

When our survey on a previous house said the purlin was cracked and needed replacing we had a roofer go and look at it. He said it was fine. When we sold the issue never came up again so it must have been okay.

We had a roofer look at this roof when we had a leak and asked him how much a new roof would be and he said the roof was fine and it didn’t all need replacing, it was just a few tiles.

Probably a structural engineer job if not an experienced builder. Do you know how long it’s been like that? If it has been many years then you might just sigh and say well, it’s not fallen down yet so it’s unlikely to anytime soon. New roof as I’m sure you know will be £££’s

Thanks yes structural engineer might be a good idea, not sure how long it’s been like that

Why on earth did they put the window there! Get a structural engineer in. You will need building regs sign off for structural alterations so they need to be involved

You need a chartered structural engineer. We had a very similar issue. A structural engineer will tell you what work needs doing to make it safe and building regulations compliant. They will also provide you with the necessary calculations for the work required which will also be required by the local building regulations team at your local authority in order to get the work signed off. Once the structural engineer tells what work needs to be done you can then confidently get quotes from building contractors knowing you're not going to get conned into having any unnecessary work done.

Not a big deal. The existing prop needs to be properly birdsmouthed under the purlin and an additional prop installed under the purlin on the other side of the window. Both props will probably have to sit on doubled-up ceiling joists if there's no suitable wall under.

Get a structural engineer to design and sketch it out for you.

Unless there are other issues, It seems odd (as in suspicious) to me that you'd need a whole new roof. I'd get a structural engineer in, and a different roofer.
I know of one old (and listed) house where some numpty had cut through some of the cross-beams (not sure what they're called- tie beam?) , and the roof began to push the walls out. Even that was sorted without it needing a new roof. A longitudinal beam was put in in the centre of the loft and new timbers were fixed into that. End of problem.