Typical inspection components
- Ground and safe-access exterior observations
- Roof material, approximate age indicators, slopes, transitions, and penetrations
- Flashings, valleys, drainage, eaves, and visible damage
- Attic or interior moisture, ventilation, and deck indicators where accessible and within scope
- Measurements, photos, access limitations, and safety constraints
- Repair, replacement, or further-specialist recommendations
What an inspection may not establish
- Hidden deck conditions before tear-off
- Every source of intermittent water entry
- Structural adequacy without engineering scope
- Mold, lead, asbestos, or indoor-air conclusions without the right specialist
- Insurance coverage or exact damage cause
What to receive after the visit
For a paid or held inspection product, define in advance whether the consumer receives photos, measurements, a condition summary, repair estimate, replacement proposal, or another deliverable. A calendar appointment alone should not be mislabeled as an inspection result.
What an inspection can establish, and what it cannot
Being clear about that boundary is what separates a useful report from a sales document. An inspector can tell you that granule loss is advanced, that step flashing has been surface-sealed rather than integrated, that a valley is worn, that the attic shows frost or staining, and what those observations usually imply. No inspector can tell you with certainty how much sheathing is soft under an intact roof, and any report implying otherwise is overreaching.
Ask what access was actually achieved. A report based on walking the roof, entering the attic and photographing details is a different instrument from one based on drone imagery or a look from the driveway. All three are legitimate; they support different conclusions and should be labelled accordingly.
| Access method | What it supports | What it cannot show |
|---|---|---|
| Walked roof plus attic entry | Detailed condition, fastener and flashing assessment, deck feel underfoot | Anything beneath intact covering |
| Ladder at the eave | Edge, gutter, drip edge and lower-course condition | Upper slopes, ridge, far-side planes |
| Drone imagery | Overall condition, plane count, obvious damage, safe on steep roofs | Texture, flexibility, fastener detail, underfoot feel |
| Ground observation only | Gross damage, missing material, obvious sag | Most of what matters |
What the report should contain
- How the roof was accessed, and what was not reachable
- Dated photographs of the actual conditions found on your roof, not generic examples
- A clear separation between what was observed and what was concluded from it
- Attic observations where entry was possible, including frost, staining and insulation condition
- Any recommendation stated as scope rather than as a bare price
- A note of anything referred to another trade — masonry, structural, electrical, mould
Independence is worth knowing about
An inspection performed by a company that would also perform the resulting work is not disqualified by that fact — most estimating includes an inspection, and free inspections are entirely normal. But it is worth knowing which you have. Before a large replacement commitment, a second view is cheap insurance.
For a property purchase, commission the inspection independently rather than relying on a report supplied by a party to the sale. A roof is one of the larger foreseeable expenses in a transaction, and a general home inspection may not include detailed roof assessment or attic entry.
Published August 12, 2026 and last reviewed August 16, 2026 by Greater Burlington Roofing. General roofing information; an on-site inspection is required for property-specific recommendations.