What Are the Signs You Need a Roof Inspection?
You need a roof inspection when shingles go missing or start to curl. Granules piling up in the gutters point the same way. Inside, a stain on a ceiling or daylight in the attic says it is time. Age counts too, even when the roof looks fine from the yard.
Timing matters as much as the signs. The national roofing contractors’ trade association recommends an inspection at least twice a year. It adds one after any severe weather, such as a hailstorm or a tornado. A home sale is another good time.
Dillon Roofing and Remodeling does roof inspections across the Louisville area. Most of the signs below can be checked from the yard or the attic.
What signs can you see from the ground?
Start in the yard. The same trade association says homeowners should check a roof from ground level only. A pair of binoculars helps with the upper slopes.
- Missing or curling shingles. The trade association calls curling or splitting a sign of wear. It says a missing shingle tab should be repaired to keep the roof watertight.
- Granules in the gutters. Shingles shed some granules as they weather, and that is normal. Bare patches where the black asphalt shows usually mean the shingles are near the end of their life.
- Loose or rusted flashing. Flashing is the metal that seals the joints at chimneys, walls, vents and valleys. When it lifts or rusts, water can get in at the seams.
- A sagging roof line. A dip along the ridge or across a slope can mean the roof boards are wet or weak.
- Dents in soft metal. After hail, look at the gutters and the fins on the outdoor air conditioner. Metal holds a record of the hail it has taken. Dents in those fins are a good gauge of hail size.
What signs show up inside the house?
Some of the clearest signs are indoors. A brown or yellow stain on a ceiling, or high on a wall, often points to a roof leak. Pipes and air conditioner lines can stain a ceiling too. A stain that grows after each rain points back at the roof.
Water can run along the roof boards before it drips. So the leak is often not right above the stain. Tracing that path is the first step of roof leak repair.
Then check the attic on a bright afternoon with a flashlight. Step only on the framing or on floored areas. Look for these signs:
- Pinpoints of daylight through the roof boards. Some light along a ridge vent at the peak can be normal.
- Dark stains or water marks on the roof boards and rafters.
- Damp or flattened insulation, or a musty smell.
- Rusty nail tips poking through the roof boards.
Does the age of your roof matter?
Yes. Age is a sign on its own, even with no damage in sight. A national home inspector group’s life-expectancy chart puts three-tab asphalt shingles at about 20 years. It puts architectural shingles, the thicker layered kind, at about 30.
The chart adds that real life depends on local weather, design, material quality and upkeep. A roof near those ages is worth an inspection before problems show. The inspection can estimate how much life is left. When wear covers most of the roof, the talk turns from patches to roof replacement in Louisville.
When does a roof inspection matter most?
After a hail or wind storm
Louisville sees both. On March 3, 2023, the National Weather Service measured a 79 mph gust at Louisville’s airport. Gusts of 60 to 80 mph caused widespread wind damage and power outages across the region that day.
Hail is harder to judge from the ground. The weather service calls a thunderstorm severe once its hail reaches 1 inch across. An engineer writing in the national roofing trade magazine put the damage point for three-tab shingles at about 1 inch. For thicker laminated shingles, it was about an inch and a quarter.
Some hail damage does not show on the surface. It can be felt as a soft spot, which roofers call a bruise. The trade association recommends inspecting every roof hit by severe weather, whatever it looks like from below.
Before you buy or sell a house
A home inspection looks at the roof, but often from a distance. Kentucky requires home inspectors to follow the standards of practice they chose on their license application. The report must name that standard.
One national standard has the inspector check the roof from the ground or the eaves. It does not require walking on the roof or predicting how long it will last. A roof inspection gives a closer look at the roof alone.
Buyers learn what they are taking on before the sale closes. Sellers can fix small problems before a buyer’s inspector writes them up.
On a routine schedule
The trade association’s advice is two inspections a year, one in spring and one in fall. The group says regular checks find problems early, while they are easier to fix. An inspection also looks at the valleys and gutters, where leaves collect and slow drainage.
What does a roof inspection generally cover?
A roof inspection works from the shingles down to the attic. One national home inspection standard lists the roof covering, gutters, downspouts, flashing, vents and chimneys. It also covers the general structure of the roof, seen from the attic access.
| Part of the roof | What gets checked | Signs of trouble |
|---|---|---|
| Shingles | The whole roof surface | Missing tabs, curling, bare spots or hail bruises |
| Flashing | Metal at chimneys, walls, vents and valleys | Lifted edges, rust, gaps or worn sealant |
| Pipe boots and vents | Collars where pipes and vents pass through | Cracked rubber or loose metal |
| Gutters and downspouts | Drainage along the roof edge | Clogs or heavy granule buildup |
| Attic | The underside of the roof boards | Daylight, stains, damp insulation or a musty smell |
| Roof structure | The lines of the roof | Sags or dips |
Ask for photos of anything the inspector flags, plus a written list of what each problem needs. That record helps you plan the work and compare quotes.
What happens after a roof inspection?
The findings point one of two ways. Damage in one or two spots usually calls for roof repair, such as new shingles or resealed flashing. Wear across most of the roof points toward a full roof replacement. Either way, ask for the price in writing before work starts.
How do you get a roof inspection in Louisville?
If you spotted any of these signs, or a storm just passed, now is a good time for a look. Dillon Roofing serves Louisville and the surrounding counties. Read more about our roof inspection service, or call or text (502) 817-7791. If the roof needs work, we look at the job and put the quote in writing.