What Does a Roof Inspection Include? A Step-by-Step Look

What does a roof inspection include?

A proper roof inspection covers every part of the roof that keeps water out: the shingles, the flashing, the valleys, every pipe, vent and chimney that passes through the roof, the decking underneath, the ventilation and the gutters that carry water away. It ends with a report that tells you what condition the roof is in and what, if anything, needs doing.

That is a lot more than someone glancing up from the driveway. On a typical Long Island home, a thorough inspection works through these areas:

• Roof surface: shingle condition, granule loss, lifted or missing tabs, cracks and wind creases.
• Flashing and penetrations: chimneys, skylights, sidewalls, pipe boots, exhaust vents and roof-to-wall joints.
• Valleys: where two roof planes meet and the most water flows.
• Decking condition: soft, spongy or sagging areas that point to rot under the shingles.
• Ventilation: ridge and soffit vents, and outside signs that the roof is running too hot or too damp.
• Gutters and drainage: pitch, blockages, loose hangers and where downspouts discharge.
• Storm damage: wind and impact damage that may be worth raising with your insurer.

At LaRocco Roofing & Siding, our roof inspection covers all of the above, takes about 45 minutes and is free.

What happens before anyone climbs the ladder?

A good inspection starts with a short conversation and a walk around the house at ground level. That ten minutes often tells the inspector where to look hardest once they are on the roof.

Expect to be asked a few simple questions:

• Roughly how old the roof is, and whether you know if it was a full tear-off or shingles laid over an older layer.
• Whether you have seen any leaks, ceiling stains or peeling paint, and in which rooms.
• Whether anything changed after a particular storm.
• What prompted the call: a leak, a home sale, an insurance question or simple peace of mind.

From the ground, the inspector looks at the overall shape of the roof. A ridge line that dips, a wavy look across a slope or shingles that look patchy in color can all show up better from the yard than from on top. They will also note the gutters, downspouts, fascia and any staining on the siding below the roof edge, because water marks on the outside of the house often trace back to the roof.

What does the inspector check on the shingles?

On the roof itself, the inspector checks whether the shingles are still sealed down, still holding their granules and still lying flat. Those three things tell you most of what you need to know about how much life the surface has left.

Granules and wear

The granules on an asphalt shingle protect it from the sun. As a roof ages they wash off, leaving bald or shiny patches, and they collect in the gutters. Some granule loss is normal; heavy loss concentrated on the south or west facing slopes usually means those slopes are wearing out first.

Lifted, creased or missing shingles

Nor'easters and strong coastal gusts are the main cause of shingle damage here. Wind gets under a shingle edge, breaks the seal strip and folds the shingle back. Even if it lays back down, it often leaves a horizontal crease that will crack and leak later. Inspectors gently check shingles along the rakes, ridges and eaves, where wind uplift is strongest.

Nails, cracks and curling

Nail heads pushing up through shingles, cracked tabs, and edges that curl or cup are all noted and photographed. Freeze-thaw winters make these small defects worse each season, so they are worth catching early.

Why do flashing, valleys and penetrations get so much attention?

Because that is where most roof leaks actually start. Shingles are good at shedding water on an open slope; the weak points are the places where the roof meets something else.

An inspector will look closely at:

• Chimney flashing: common on older colonials and Capes, and a frequent leak source when the counter-flashing has pulled out of the mortar or has been covered over with roofing cement.
• Step flashing at walls and dormers: Cape Cod homes with dormers and split-levels where a lower roof meets a taller wall have plenty of these joints, and each one has to be lapped correctly.
• Pipe boots: the rubber collar around plumbing vents cracks with sun exposure and is one of the most common small repairs.
• Skylights and exhaust vents: checked for failed seals, missing flashing pieces and debris build-up on the uphill side.
• Valleys: checked for worn shingles, debris dams and exposed nails.

On the South Shore, salt air can also corrode older fasteners and flashing faster than it would further inland, so near the water the inspector pays extra attention to rust and loose metal. Anything that looks like it relies on caulk or tar alone, rather than properly lapped flashing, is flagged, because sealant is a short-term fix. If a problem is found, it usually leads to a targeted roof repair rather than anything bigger.

How are the decking and ventilation checked?

The decking is the plywood or plank layer the shingles are nailed to, and an inspector checks it mostly by feel and by sight lines. Ventilation is checked by looking at the vents themselves and at the outside symptoms of a roof that cannot breathe.

Walking the roof, an experienced inspector can feel areas that are soft or give underfoot, which usually means the wood beneath has been wet for a while. Along the eaves, the edge of the deck can sometimes be seen behind the gutter or drip edge, and dark, crumbling wood there is a clear warning sign. Long straight lines that sag between supports are noted too.

For ventilation, the inspector looks at whether there are ridge vents, soffit vents or both, whether soffit vents have been painted over or blocked, and whether the intake and exhaust appear balanced. Outside clues of poor ventilation include blistered shingles, shingles aging much faster on one part of the roof, and a history of ice dams along the eaves in winter. Ventilation problems are easy to overlook, but they shorten shingle life and can contribute to winter leaks.

What happens with the gutters and drainage?

Gutters are part of the roof system, so a full inspection checks that they are carrying water away rather than sending it back toward the house.

The inspector looks for gutters that are pulling away from the fascia, sagging between hangers, holding standing water because the pitch is wrong, or packed with leaves and shingle granules. They also check the downspouts: whether they are clear, connected and discharging away from the foundation. Overflowing gutters can rot fascia boards, stain siding and feed ice dams in a cold snap, so a blocked downspout is worth fixing even if the roof itself is fine.

What should you get after the inspection?

You should come away with a clear picture of your roof, ideally in a photo report, not just a verbal opinion on the doorstep. Photos let you see exactly what the inspector saw on a roof you cannot safely climb yourself.

A useful report covers:

• Overall condition of each roof slope, with photos.
• Specific problems found, where they are and how urgent they are.
• Remaining service life: an honest estimate of how many years the roof has left.
• Storm damage that may be worth raising with your insurance company, documented so you have evidence to share.
• Recommended next steps, which might be nothing at all, routine upkeep, a repair, or planning for replacement.

Plenty of inspections end with good news. If the roof is sound, the most useful outcome is knowing that, and perhaps setting up roof maintenance to keep it that way. If the roof is near the end of its life, a good inspector will say so plainly and explain what a roof replacement would involve, without pressure to decide on the spot.

What can you safely check yourself?

You can do a useful check from the ground, but leave the roof itself to a professional. The National Roofing Contractors Association advises homeowners to inspect only from ground level after storms because the fall risk is too high without proper safety equipment.

From the yard or a window, with binoculars if you have them, look for:

• Missing, lifted or creased shingles, especially after a nor'easter.
• Shingle pieces or heavy granule build-up on the lawn, driveway or in downspout outlets.
• Gutters that sag, overflow in rain or have pulled away from the house.
• Flashing around the chimney that looks bent, loose or patched with tar.
• Water stains on ceilings or peeling paint near the tops of exterior walls.

If you spot any of these, take a photo and note the date. It helps the inspector, and it helps with any insurance conversation later.

When is the right time to book a roof inspection?

Book one after any major storm, before buying or selling a home, when you notice a leak or stain, and periodically as the roof gets older. Many homeowners also like a fall check so small problems are fixed before winter.

Fall is a sensible time on Long Island because the leaves are mostly down, the weather is still workable, and anything found can be fixed before freeze-thaw cycles and ice dams start testing the roof. Spring is the other natural window, to catch anything winter left behind. After a nor'easter or high-wind event, do not wait for a leak to appear; wind damage often shows up as a lifted seal that only leaks weeks later.

LaRocco Roofing & Siding offers free, no-obligation roof inspections across Long Island (Nassau County and Suffolk County) and Queens, NY. If you would like a clear, photo-backed answer about your roof, you can request a free inspection or call (516) 924-2050.

Related service: Roof Inspection