Roof Inspection Checklist: What a Real Inspection Covers
A real roof inspection covers four systems: the shingle field, the flashing details, the drainage, and the attic underneath. It produces photos of everything it finds. Here is the actual checklist we work from, published in full so you can hold anyone to it, including us.
The surface: shingle field
- Granule condition. Bald patches and heavy granule wash in gutters mean shingles are aging out; granules are the UV armor.
- Cracking, curling, cupping. Edges lifting or centers dishing signal the asphalt drying toward brittleness. Isolated = watch; widespread = start planning per repair vs replace.
- Sealed-tab check. Wind resistance depends on tabs being glued down; we check edges and ridges where lift starts.
- Impact evidence. Hail bruises (soft dark spots), spatter marks, wind creases.
- Fastener discipline. Nail pops lifting tabs in lines up the slope.
The details: where roofs actually leak
- Pipe boots. The #1 leak source we find; rubber cracks around year 10-15.
- Chimney flashing. Both layers: step flashing woven into courses, counter flashing set into mortar, plus the mortar joints themselves.
- Valleys. Rust, nail punctures, debris damming.
- Wall and dormer transitions. Is kick-out flashing present at the bottom? (Its absence quietly rots siding.)
- Ridge caps and vents. Cracked caps, storm-shifted vent housings, exposed fasteners.
- Skylights. Seals and surrounding flashing.
The drainage: edges and gutters
- Gutter pitch, attachment, and debris. Standing water, sagging runs, and gutters full of leaves are winter ice trays.
- Fascia and drip edge. Probing for the soft wood that overflowing gutters leave behind.
- Downspout capacity and discharge. Water should land feet from the foundation, not beside it.
The underside: attic tells the truth
- Moisture evidence. Staining on decking and rafters, rusty nail tips, matted insulation. The attic records every leak the ceiling hasn’t shown yet.
- Daylight check. Light where light shouldn’t be.
- Ventilation math. Intake at the soffits, exhaust at the ridge, and a clear path between; this is the system that decides both summer shingle temperature and winter ice dams.
- Bath-fan discipline. Fans must duct outside, not into the attic, where they build winter frost that “leaks” every thaw.
What you should get afterward
Every finding as a photo, a severity call (fine / watch / repair), and numbers. Our inspections are drone-assisted for full coverage on steep roofs, modestly priced, and credited toward repair work. Most of them end with “your roof is fine, watch these two things.” If yours needs one, book it; if you’re hiring someone else, print this list and ask which items they skip.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a proper roof inspection take?
A thorough single-family inspection (roof surface, all details, gutters, and attic side) takes roughly an hour, longer for complex roofs. A ten-minute walkaround that ends in a replacement quote was a sales call, not an inspection.
What should a roof inspection report include?
Photos of every finding, locations, a severity call for each (fine / watch / repair now), and rough repair costs. Good and bad findings both; a report that only contains problems is a pitch. If there are no photos, the inspection did not happen.
Can I inspect my own roof?
From the ground and the attic, absolutely: binoculars for the slopes and details, a flashlight for the attic after a hard rain. What you should not do is walk the roof: falls aside, an untrained walk on hot or brittle shingles causes damage. Ground plus attic catches most developing problems.
What is the most commonly missed problem in roof inspections?
Attic ventilation. It is invisible from the street and does not leak; it just quietly cooks shingles from below in summer and builds ice dams in winter. Any inspection that never opened the attic hatch or counted intake vents graded the roof on half its systems.