Roof Inspection Checklist: What a Good One Covers
There are three kinds of roof inspection in Des Moines. The home inspector's, which is a look from the driveway and a line that says "recommend evaluation by a roofing contractor." The storm chaser's, which is a "free inspection" that always finds a roof. And a real one, where someone walks the roof, goes in the attic, and writes down what they saw with photos. This roof inspection checklist covers what the third kind should include, so you can tell whether you got one.
What you should get
A written report within a day or two, with:
- Photos of every issue, taken on the roof and in the attic
- A plain description of each: what it is, what it will do if ignored
- A price for each repair, and whether it's urgent, this year, or watch it
- An honest estimate of remaining life
- Whether any damage is storm damage that might be a claim, and whether it's worth filing
If you got a phone call and a replacement quote, you didn't get an inspection. You got a sales visit.
The roof inspection checklist, from the roof
A walked inspection on a Des Moines house should cover all of these. Ask about any that aren't in the report.
Shingles
- Granule loss, and where (south and west slopes age first)
- Bald spots with mat exposed
- Curling, cupping, cracking, thermal splitting
- Hail bruising — dark, soft spots — with a test square counted on each slope if there's been a storm
- Wind creases and lifted tabs
- Seal strip adhesion, checked by hand on each slope. The derecho unsealed roofs across the metro that look fine from the ground
- Nail pops
- Blisters
Penetrations and flashing
- Every pipe boot — cracked collar, lifted flange
- Chimney step and counter-flashing, cricket, mortar condition
- Wall and dormer step flashing
- Skylight flashing kit and seal
- Vents, furnace and water heater flues, satellite mounts
- Valleys — open or closed-cut, what's under them, rusted metal
Edges
- Drip edge at eaves and rakes
- First courses at the eaves, where ice dams work
- Gutters and fascia — pulled hangers, soft wood, overflow staining
- Starter strip present and sealed
Structure and surface
- Soft decking, felt underfoot
- Sags in the ridge or slopes
- Moss, algae, debris in valleys
The checklist, from the attic
Half the roof's story is under the deck, and a drone can't see any of it.
- Water trails on the underside of the decking, traced uphill
- Daylight through the deck
- Rusted or frosted nail tips (condensation)
- Bath fans and dryer vents ending in the attic
- Insulation depth and whether soffits are blocked
- Whether the ridge vent is actually cut through the deck
- Rafter and truss condition, cut or missing ties
- Layers of shingles visible at the eave from below
- Mold or delaminating plywood
Drone roof inspection or a walked one?
A drone roof inspection is a good tool for the overview photo and for roofs that are too steep, too icy or too fragile to walk. It's a poor tool on its own. A drone can't lift a shingle to check the seal strip, can't press a thumb on a hail bruise to tell it from an old scar, can't feel a soft deck, and can't go in the attic. An inspection done only from the air is a set of photos, and after a hail storm the difference between a bruise and a blemish is the whole claim.
A careful inspector walks the roof whenever it's safe and uses the drone for the rest. On a 12/12 Beaverdale roof in January, that means drone plus attic plus a ladder at the eaves, and the report should say which parts were seen how.
Reading the report
"Recommend replacement" with no per-item prices is a sales document. A good report prices the repairs and the replacement separately, so you can see whether the repairs get you three more years at a fair cost.
Storm damage claims. The report should say whether the damage looks like sudden storm damage or wear, and give you a repair price so you can weigh it against your deductible before filing.
Urgency. Three tiers: fix now (active leak, exposed deck), fix this season (cracked boots, open valley, missing membrane at the eaves), watch (minor granule loss on a young roof).
Remaining life. A number of years and a reason. "Five to eight years; south slope is losing granules but the seal strips are sound and there's no decking damage" is an answer. "It's getting old" isn't.
When to book one
- Before you buy: the contingency window here is usually 7–10 days, and a roof credit negotiated with a real report beats a guess
- Before you sell: fix the boots and the valley, hand the buyer the report
- After a hail or wind storm, before you call the insurer
- Any roof past 18 years, once a year
- Any leak you can't trace yourself
A standalone inspection with a written report typically runs $150–$300 in the metro. Ask up front what it costs, whether the fee depends on hiring anyone for the work, and what the report will include. The roof inspection page has the details, and if it's a storm you're worried about, start with the storm damage checklist.
After the inspection
A report is only useful if something happens next:
- Fix the "now" items first, even if you plan a replacement later.
- Book the "this season" repairs before the weather turns.
- Put the "watch" items on your calendar and look at them again after the next big storm.
- Keep the report and photos. After a hail storm, they show what the roof looked like before.
- If the report recommends replacement, get a second opinion and at least one more written quote.
Inspection mistakes to avoid
- Relying on the home inspector's one line about the roof without a closer look.
- Letting a door-to-door crew's free look be the only inspection you get after a storm.
- Booking on a wet or icy day and accepting a drone-only report without asking what was missed.
- Not asking for the full set of photos.
Common questions
How do I describe my roof when I call for an inspection?
Give the basics you can see from the yard: the shape (gable, hip, or a mix with dormers), roughly how steep it is, what it's covered with, and about how old it is. Mention whether it's a one- or two-story house and whether there's a chimney or skylights. Then describe the problem in plain words: where the stain is, when it shows up, and whether a storm came through recently. That's enough for the inspector to come prepared.
What is in my roof, layer by layer?
From the inside out: rafters or trusses, then the roof decking (plywood, OSB, or old wood planks on older houses), then underlayment, with ice-and-water membrane at the eaves and valleys. On top sit the shingles or metal, plus flashing at every wall, chimney and pipe, drip edge at the edges, and vents at the ridge and soffits. A good inspection looks at every one of those layers it can reach, which is why the attic matters as much as the roof.
Is a drone roof inspection as good as walking the roof?
Not on its own. A drone gets good overview photos and is the safe choice on steep, icy or fragile roofs, but it can't check seal strips, feel soft decking, or tell a fresh hail bruise from an old blemish. The best inspections combine a walk where it's safe, the attic, and a drone for the parts nobody should stand on.
How long does a roof inspection take?
On an ordinary Des Moines house, a walked roof plus the attic is usually a matter of an hour or two, not a whole day. Steep, cut-up roofs and big or hard-to-reach attics take longer. Ask the inspector how long to plan for, and when to expect the written report.
Need roof work in Des Moines?
Call for a free estimate. Mon–Sat 7am–7pm.