A general home inspection looks at the roof briefly. A roof inspection from a roofing company looks closely, and it can change what you offer or what you ask the seller to fix. PRS inspects the roof on its own terms: on the roof where it is safe, under the covering where the evidence is, with photographs of everything found.
The gap between those two inspections is wider in this climate than in most. Valley roofs age from sun, heat and daily movement rather than from constant rain, so a roof can look sound from the street while the layer that keeps water out has reached the end of its life. That is not a fault a brief look from a ladder will catch, and it is the single most expensive thing a buyer here can miss.
What you learn
- The roof’s condition and signs of past leaks
- Whether repairs are needed now or soon
- A rough idea of when replacement may be due
- Whether previous repairs were done properly or patched over
- What kind of project a replacement would be, if one is coming
Why the layer underneath decides everything
On a tile roof the tile is armor, not waterproofing. The underlayment beneath it is what actually sheds water, and it ages faster than the tile does because heat and sunlight attack it. A tile roof can therefore present beautifully and still need work, which is why we lift and look rather than judge from above. Our tile roof inspection page explains that in more detail.
On shingle, the evidence is on the surface: granule loss, curling, brittleness and repairs that do not match. On any low slope or flat section, the questions are drainage and whether the insulation underneath has taken water, because wet insulation is a replacement problem rather than a repair problem.
What we commonly find on valley homes
- Underlayment gone brittle at exposed edges and in valleys, beneath tile that still looks new
- Cracked and slipped tiles, often left by someone walking the roof carelessly
- Sealant at vents and pipe boots that has hardened and split
- Wall and chimney flashing that has been caulked over instead of reworked
- Debris packed into valleys and under tiles, holding water against the underlayment
- Repairs in a material or color that does not match, which usually means more repairs nearby
None of that is unusual, and none of it is a reason to walk away from a house. It is a reason to know the number before you agree the price.
Timing
Book as soon as your offer is accepted, so the results arrive within your inspection period. Tell us your closing date on the booking form and we will work to it.
The sequence that costs buyers their window is waiting for the general home inspection to recommend a roofer, then finding one, then waiting for an appointment. Booking both at the start costs nothing if the roof is fine and buys you time to get a repair quote if it is not.
What to do with the report
- Read the ranking first. Urgent findings are the negotiation. Monitor items are for your own records.
- Get a quote for anything urgent. A number is far more persuasive to a seller than a description.
- Decide what you are asking for. A seller repair, a price reduction or a credit at closing. A credit usually gives you the most control.
- Keep the report after closing. It is the baseline your next inspection compares against, and it is evidence of condition if you make a claim later.
Questions worth asking the seller
- When was the roof last worked on, and by whom?
- Is any paperwork available: invoices, reports or warranty documents?
- Has the underlayment ever been replaced, on a tile roof?
- Have there been leaks, and where?
- Is any part of the roof covered by a builder or manufacturer warranty that transfers?
Answers you can document are worth more than reassurances. If no paperwork exists, treat the roof as an unknown quantity and rely on what the inspection finds.
After you close
The first year in a house is when a roof is easiest to get on top of. You already have a dated report with photographs, so any repair can be scoped against it, and the next inspection has something to compare with. Read what a residential inspection covers for the ongoing version, and check that the property falls inside the areas we serve.
Common questions
Is a roof inspection different from a general home inspection?
Yes. A general home inspector covers a whole house in one visit and treats the roof as one item among dozens, often from a ladder or the ground. We inspect only the roof and look under the covering.
- Both have their place, and a good home inspection is worth having
- The difference is depth and vocabulary, not effort
- We can say whether the underlayment is sound or brittle
- And whether flashings were reworked or past repairs were done properly
A home inspector may report cracked tiles and recommend further evaluation, which is where a roof inspection begins. A seller shown photographs, locations and causes is being shown a specific problem, so take the report into the negotiation rather than the general note.
When should I book a roof inspection during escrow?
As soon as your offer is accepted. The inspection period is short and the findings only help while you can still act on them, so book on day one.
- Waiting for a general inspection to flag the roof eats your window
- Booking both at the start costs nothing if the roof is fine
- A repair quote turns a finding into a number you can negotiate with
- Occupied properties need access arranged through the agent
Tell us your closing date when you book and we will work to it. Ask the listing agent whether the roof has been worked on and whether any warranty or invoice paperwork exists, because a documented repair history changes what we look for.
Can I ask the seller to repair the roof based on the report?
You can ask, and a photographed report with locations, causes and a repair quote is the strongest form of the request. What the seller agrees to is a negotiation rather than a right.
- It usually resolves as a seller repair, a price reduction or a credit
- For straightforward work with time to spare, a seller repair is fine
- Ask to see the invoice, the photographs and who did the work
- For larger work a credit is better, because you choose the contractor
Keep the roof separate from the rest of the negotiation if you can, because roof findings are concrete and priced. Go in with the report, one repair quote and a clear request rather than a long list of everything the house needs.
Will the report tell me how many years the roof has left?
It will give you a range you can plan against, with the reasoning behind it, not a single number. Anyone offering an exact figure from one visit is guessing.
- Remaining life depends on the weather resisting layer and how details were maintained
- Exposure and the traffic the roof takes from here on matter too
- You get the actual condition of the underlayment or covering
- Whether faults are isolated or the start of general wear
- Whether past repairs met a proper standard
That answers the question you are really asking, which is whether you are buying a roof you will have to replace soon. If replacement looks close, the report says what it involves, because a tile roof, a shingle roof and a low slope section are three different projects. Budget for the one you are buying.
Should I get a roof inspection on a newly built home?
It is worth doing, and buyers often skip it. A new roof is not automatically a correctly installed roof, and installation faults are far cheaper to raise while a builder warranty is live.
- Flashing details at walls, chimneys and skylights are hand formed and rushed
- Fasteners can be overdriven or placed wrongly
- Vents and pipe boots get sealed carelessly
- Debris left under the covering traps water
- None of it leaks on day one, which is the problem
These faults surface during the first or second monsoon season, by which time the builder conversation is harder. Ask for the builder warranty terms in writing, note when the roofing cover ends, and book comfortably before that date so you have photographs, a location and a cause to hand over.