September 2026
Anybody can climb a ladder and say your roof needs work. Here is what a real inspection actually covers, so you can judge the report you get handed.
It starts on the ground and inside
A proper inspection begins before the ladder. Ground level tells you about granules in downspouts, dents in soft metals, sagging lines in the roof plane, and the condition of gutters, fascia and soffit.
Inside, the attic tells you things the surface cannot: daylight where there should not be any, damp or stained sheathing, compressed or blocked insulation at the eaves, and whether the space is ventilating.
Somebody who goes straight up the ladder and straight back down has skipped half the information.
Ask whether the inspection included the attic. Plenty do not, and the attic is where a leak's actual path becomes visible rather than just its endpoint.
On the roof, in order
The field of the roof: granule coverage, brittleness, lifted or creased tabs, and nail pops. Then the ridge and hip caps, which take the most weather.
Most leaks live at transitions and penetrations, not in the open field of the roof.
Then every penetration: pipe boots, which have a shorter life than the roof and are a leading leak source, vents, and skylights.
Then the transitions: valleys, sidewall and headwall flashing, chimney flashing and counterflashing, and the drip edge. Most leaks live in this paragraph, not the one before it.
Ask about ventilation specifically. It affects the roof's remaining life more than almost anything else and it is routinely skipped in a quick look.
What the report should contain
Photographs of your roof, enough of them, showing both the overall condition and each specific finding. Location described clearly enough that you could find it yourself.
A plain statement of what needs doing now, what should be watched, and what is fine. All three categories should have entries. A report where everything is urgent is a sales document.
And a straight answer on remaining life, given as a range with reasoning, not a precise number nobody can actually know.
Ask what they did not or could not inspect, and why. Steep or slick sections sometimes get assessed from a ladder rather than walked, and that limitation belongs in the report.
What it should not contain
Pressure. A roof does not become an emergency because you did not decide today.
Vague severity language with no photograph attached. If it cannot be shown, ask to see it.
A quote for replacement with no repair option priced alongside it, unless the roof is genuinely past repair, in which case that should be explained with evidence.
A good inspector will volunteer all three of those without being asked.
Reading the report you get
A useful report separates what it observed from what it concluded. Observation is a photograph of a cracked boot. Conclusion is that the boot is the source of the bedroom stain. Both belong in the report and they are different things.
Watch for severity language with no evidence behind it. Words like severe, critical and failing should each attach to something you can see in a photograph.
Check that the report addresses the thing you called about. If you called about a ceiling stain and the report is a general condition survey with no theory about your stain, it did not answer your question.
And keep it. A dated inspection report is useful later for insurance, for resale, and for comparing against the next inspection to see what has actually changed.
Questions we get asked
How long does an inspection take?
Usually under an hour for a typical house, longer for complex roof lines or when we are documenting for a claim.
Do you charge for it?
No. Jonathan walks it, photographs it and tells you what he sees.
Can I go up with you?
We would rather you did not, for liability and safety. You get the photographs instead, which show more than standing on a slope would.
How often should I have it done?
Once a year is sensible on an older roof, and after any severe weather event.
What if you find nothing wrong?
Then we tell you that, and you have peace of mind and a dated record of condition.
What to take from this
A real inspection includes the ground, the attic and the roof, in that order.
Transitions and penetrations are where leaks live. That is where attention belongs.
A good report has three categories: fix now, watch, and fine.
A report where everything is urgent is a sales document.
Get it handled
Jonathan Stephenson answers the phone himself, walks the roof, and gives you a written number. Serving Germantown, TN and the Memphis metro.