Most roof inspections are a truck in the driveway and a pair of binoculars. The roofer looks up, says it looks okay or it looks rough, and leaves a card.

That is not an inspection. It is a glance. A real one takes about an hour, gets on the roof and into the attic, and ends with a written report you can hand to an insurance adjuster or a home buyer. Here is what our free 21-point roof inspection actually covers, and the situations where you will need one whether you planned to or not.

The four things a real inspection checks

The attic. This is the part almost everyone skips, and it is where roof problems show up first. We check ventilation and airflow, moisture and condensation, insulation condition, and the underside of the decking. Daylight around a vent pipe or dark staining on the plywood tells you about a leak months before it reaches your ceiling.

The roofing system. Not the shingles, the layers under them. Underlayment coverage, drip edge, ice and water shield in the valleys and at the eaves, ridge vents and intake vents. This is what separates a roof that lasts 25 years from one that leaks at 12.

Shingle health. Cracking, curling at the edges, granule loss and bald patches, blistering from heat, lifted or missing shingles, and fastener placement. On a Western Washington roof we also look for moss, which holds water against the shingle and shortens its life.

Penetrations. Every place something pokes through the roof is a place water can get in. Chimney flashing and mortar, skylight flashing and seals, pipe boots, step and kick-out flashing along walls, satellite mounts, HVAC seals. Most leaks trace back to one of these, not to the field of the roof.

Every point is photographed and scored. You get a written summary and a plain-language walk-through of what is solid, what is aging, and what needs attention. Then you get options: monitor it, repair it, treat it, or replace it. Never just one answer.

When your insurer will require one

Homeowners insurance in Washington has gotten stricter about roofs, and a professional inspection is often the thing that keeps a policy in force or a claim moving. Three common situations:

After a storm, for a claim. If wind or a falling branch damaged your roof, your insurer will send an adjuster. What the adjuster sees is what gets paid. An independent inspection with photos, done before or alongside the adjuster visit, documents the full extent of the damage and separates storm damage from old wear. We handle storm damage repairs and work directly with adjusters, and the inspection report is where that starts.

At renewal, on an older roof. Many insurers now ask for a roof inspection or a roof age confirmation before renewing a policy on a roof that is 15 to 20 years old or more. Some will not write a new policy on an older roof without one. If your agent asks for documentation, a 21-point report with photos answers the question.

When buying or selling. A general home inspector looks at the roof from the ground and the attic hatch. Buyers, lenders, and insurers increasingly want a roofer’s report. Sellers benefit too: a clean inspection removes the roof from the negotiation.

If you are not sure what your policy requires, ask your agent directly. The inspection itself is free, so there is no downside to having the report ready.

When to get one even if nobody is making you

A roof that is 10 years old or older should be inspected every few years. After any windstorm that took down branches in your neighborhood. Before a remodel or new insulation, so you do not finish a project under a roof that is about to leak. And any time you see the signs inside: a water stain, a musty attic, damp insulation.

The cost of finding a problem early is a repair. The cost of finding it late is a ceiling, drywall, insulation, and sometimes decking on top of the repair.

What makes ours different

Most roofing companies inspect your roof with one outcome in mind. Ours is set up to give you the real picture and let you decide. Our crews are licensed, bonded, and CertainTeed ShingleMaster Premier certified, an elite designation held by fewer than 15 contractors in the Greater Seattle area, and they inspect the attic on every visit.

Sometimes the answer is a small roofing repair. Sometimes it is a rejuvenation treatment that buys a healthy older roof several more years. Sometimes it is time to replace. You will hear which one it is, and why, in plain language.

Get the report

Whether an insurer is asking for it, a home sale depends on it, or you just want to know where your roof stands, the inspection is free, it takes about an hour, and it includes your attic.

Your home deserves a roof done right. Book your free 21-point roof inspection or call (425) 292-8327.