The ground-level roof inspection checklist

Stay off the roof

Falls from residential roofs are one of the most common serious home-maintenance injuries. Everything below is done from the ground with binoculars, or from inside the attic.

From the driveway 1. **Sight down each roof plane.** It should be flat and straight. Dips, waves or a sagging ridge mean decking or structural trouble. 2. **Look for missing, lifted or crooked shingles**, especially along ridges and edges where wind gets under. 3. **Check for curling or cupping** on the sunniest slope — that slope ages first. 4. **Scan for dark streaks and moss.** Streaks are algae and mostly cosmetic; moss holds water and lifts shingle edges. 5. **Look at the flashing** where the roof meets the chimney, walls and dormers. You want metal that tucks under siding or into masonry, not a bead of caulk. 6. **Count the pipe boots.** Cracked rubber collars are a top leak source after year 12.

At the gutters 7. **Look for granules** in the gutter and at the downspout outlet. Heavy sand-like accumulation means the shingle surface is wearing off. 8. **Check the drip edge** — bare wood at the roof edge invites rot.

In the attic (bring a flashlight, walk only on joists) 9. **Look for daylight** at the ridge or around penetrations. 10. **Look for dark stains or streaks on the underside of the decking** and along rafters. 11. **Touch the insulation** near the eaves. Damp insulation means a leak or condensation problem. 12. **Check for frost or mold in winter** — that is a ventilation failure, and it destroys a roof from below.

What to do with the results Two or more findings in the attic section means get a professional inspection with photos before you take any quote seriously.