Roof Inspections, What’s Required and What to Expect on your Inspection.

A common question we get, is do you get on the roof? – Well, It Depends. 

We get it, you want a thorough inspection, and you want the inspector to personally touch and inspect all parts of the home, including the roof, and we want too as well. As with everything, we do need to be realistic in our expectations, as to what is required and what is doable. To unpack this a bit, we’ll begin with the Standards of Practice and then discuss our approach. 

First Let’s review the InterNACHI Standards of Practice (Section 3.1) 

3.1. Roof 

I. The inspector shall inspect from ground level or the eaves: 

1. the roof-covering materials; 
2. the gutters;
3. the downspouts;
4. the vents, flashing, skylights, chimney, and other roof penetrations; and 
5. the general structure of the roof from the readily accessible panels, doors or stairs.

 

II. The inspector shall describe:

1. the type of roof-covering materials.

 

III. The inspector shall report as in need of correction: 

1. observed indications of active roof leaks.

 

IV. The inspector is not required to:

1. walk on any roof surface.
2. predict the service life expectancy.  
3. inspect underground downspout diverter drainage pipes.
4. remove snow, ice, debris or other conditions that prohibit the observation of the roof surfaces.
5. move insulation. 
6. inspect antennae, satellite dishes, lightning arresters, de-icing equipment, or similar attachments.
7. walk on any roof areas that appear, in the inspector’s opinion, to be unsafe.
8. walk on any roof areas if doing so might, in the inspector’s opinion, cause damage.
9. perform a water test.
10. warrant or certify the roof.
11. confirm proper fastening or installation of any roof-covering material. 

 

To summarize the standards of practice, the Inspector is NOT required to walk the roof. If we stayed on the ground and used a pair of binoculars or the zoom on our phone’s camera, we’ve met the standards. In fact, if we do get on the roof, we have gone beyond what IS required. Using a Drone as a tool also exceeds the standards of practice. Which is exactly why we’ve invested good money in a quality drone. Because we want to provide the best inspection possible for our clients.

Our Approach to Roofs:

If the Inspector determines that the roof is accessible and suitable to be walked on, we will plan to walk on during the inspection. But it depends on the conditions and other factors at the time of the inspection.

• The Slope of the Roof 
  • If the roof is too steep, beyond a 6:12 slope, then we will NOT be walking the roof. Steeper roofs require special equipment and pose a greater risk for the inspector. A fall on some houses, could be life altering. 
• Is it covered with Snow? Moss? Rain?
  • If the roof looks slick, it probably is, and we’re going to stay off it.
• What’s the roof covering material?
  • Metal roofs are slick and dangerous
  • Clay or Tile roofs are easily broken if you step in the wrong place.
• Roof Access – sometimes, there’s just not a good place to setup a ladder.

 

What we want our clients to understand is that we have a family that is expecting us to come home after an inspection, and climbing a roof presents a lot of risk and danger. So, if it looks unsafe, we’ll forgo getting up there. But that doesn’t mean we don’t complete the inspection.

So how do we ensure a quality inspection, if we don’t climb the roof? 

Short Answer: We use a Drone with a very good camera. Here’s a couple of sample pictures showcasing the quality of pictures our drone can take

Longer Answer: If possible, we’ll start with a ladder to look at the roof and gutters and facia at the eaves. This allows us to check the drip edge flashing, look at the general condition of the gutters and how many layers of shingles are present from the eaves. We can climb a ladder to reach a portion of the roof without having to get on the roof.

From there we use our drone to look at the fascia boards, roof penetrations, chimneys, and overall condition of the roof. 

We have obtained our FAA Part 107 Drone Pilot License, and we have invested in a quality drone with a high-end camera. This allows us to safely stay back from the roof to avoid collisions, while zooming in and getting high quality pictures that we can embed straight into the inspection report.  The benefit of this is that weather permitting, we can use the drone to get a good view of all portions of the roof, eaves, and gutters from multiple angles in a matter of minutes while taking hi-resolution pictures. The camera is good enough to see nail pops and inspect the caulking around roof penetrations.

A big benefit of having a drone in the toolbox is, with many of today’s roofs having complex structures that may not be readily accessible via a ladder, that would otherwise be commented out, we can use the drone to visually inspect the roof. Thus, providing a more thorough inspection! 

In summary, we have at our disposal multiple tools and capabilities to ensure we are providing a quality roof inspection under a variety of circumstances and scenarios.

Book today, for your inspection!