Roof Inspection in the Chicago Suburbs, With Every Finding Shown

Signs you may need roof inspection

• More than a year has passed since anyone looked at the roof up close
• Hail or high wind came through, even though nothing is leaking
• You are about to list the house, or you have an offer in on one
• Heavy icicles or ice dams formed along the eaves last winter
• Attic insulation looks damp or matted, or the attic smells musty
• Granules are washing out of the downspouts onto the driveway

What a thorough roof inspection covers

• The roofing surface. Every slope is checked for granule loss, cracking, blistering, curling, hail bruising and tabs that have lifted or come unsealed. We count layers at the eave edge and look for clues to the roof's age.
• Flashing and penetrations. Chimney step and counter-flashing, sidewall and dormer flashing, skylight curbs, valleys, pipe boots, exhaust caps, and old antenna or satellite mounts.
• Edges and trim. Drip edge, rake trim, fascia boards for rot, and soffit vents for paint, insulation or debris blocking airflow.
• The attic. The underside of the deck for stains, dark rings around nail tips, delamination or winter frost; daylight around penetrations; bath fans that dump moist air into the attic instead of outdoors; insulation that is wet, thin or piled over the soffit vents.
• Ventilation balance. Intake at the eaves against exhaust at or near the ridge, and whether mixed exhaust types are short-circuiting each other.
• Gutters and downspouts. Slope, seams, hangers, overflow stains and where the water discharges. Problems found here can go straight to our gutter installation and repair crew.

The labeled photo report you keep

Each finding gets a photo, a location you can find again ("north slope, above the kitchen bump-out"), a short explanation and a rating: no action, monitor, repair soon, or urgent. The report opens with overview shots of every slope so the close-ups make sense, and it closes with an honest range for remaining roof life based on what we saw, which is an estimate rather than a promise. Recommended repairs are priced one by one, so you can act on the urgent item now and plan the rest. The report is yours to share with a buyer, seller, agent or insurer.

When to schedule a roof inspection in the Chicago area

Once a year

Late spring catches what winter ice and freeze-thaw cycles did; early fall catches problems before snow covers them. Pair the visit with gutter cleaning, and use our seasonal maintenance checklist for the rest of the house.

After a storm

Hail and wind damage often does not leak at first. An inspection within a few weeks, while spatter marks on metal are still visible, is the most reliable way to document it. Our storm damage repair page describes what we look for.

Before you sell

Finding a cracked pipe boot yourself costs less than having a buyer's inspector find it in the middle of negotiations. A dated report also tells you exactly what you know about the roof before you complete the seller disclosure paperwork.

Before you buy

Book a roofing inspection inside your contract's inspection period. It goes deeper on the roof and attic than a general home inspection, and its remaining-life range gives you a number to factor into your offer.

Walking the roof, and inspecting roofs that should not be walked

When a roof is dry, free of frost and at a walkable pitch, we walk it. Being on the roof lets us lift a tab to check the seal strip, press on a spot that looks soft, and see flashing details that cannot be judged from below.

Steep roofs, and materials that can break underfoot such as slate, clay tile or cedar, are inspected from ladders at the eaves, from the attic and from the ground. Those views show a lot, but not everything: a cracked shingle high on a steep slope, or a seal strip nobody can reach, may stay out of sight. We tell you where those limits were, and the report notes which slopes were checked by hand and which were viewed from a distance.

After the roof inspection: what comes next

Most inspections end in one of a few ways. Nothing needs doing, and you file the report away. A few maintenance items need attention, such as clearing blocked soffit vents or resealing a storm collar. A specific problem needs a roof repair, priced in writing. Or the roof is near the end of its life, and we explain why with photos and walk through the repair-or-replace decision with you. You choose the next step; the report stays useful whichever way you go.

What it costs

A standard roof inspection with a photo report is free, and you can request a free roof inspection online. Any repairs it uncovers are quoted separately and in writing, so you decide what to fix and when.

How the work goes

1. Book a time

   Tell us why you want the inspection, whether a storm, a sale or a purchase, so the report covers what you need.

2. Ground and gutter check

   We walk the property first, looking at soft metals, gutters, downspouts and the roofline from every side.

3. Roof and attic

   The surface, flashing and penetrations are checked by the safest access method, followed by the attic.

4. Report review

   You receive the labeled photo report, and we go through each finding and its rating with you.

Roof Inspection questions

Do I need to be home during a roof inspection?

For the outside, not necessarily. For the attic, someone needs to let us in and clear a path to the hatch, which is often in a bedroom closet or the garage ceiling. Most homeowners like to be there at the end so we can go through the photos together.

Can a roof be inspected when it is covered in snow?

Not the shingle surface. We can still inspect the attic, the visible flashing and chimney, and the pattern of icicles and ice dams, which says a lot about heat loss and ventilation. The surface inspection is then scheduled for after the melt.

Can a roof inspection tell me how many years my roof has left?

It gives a range, not a date. Shingle condition, ventilation, sun exposure on each slope and past repairs all factor in. A roof over a well-vented attic can outlast one the same age that bakes every summer, so the range in your report reflects your roof rather than the label on the wrapper.

Is a roof inspection different from a home inspection?

Yes. A home inspection covers the whole house and checks the roof at a general level, often from the ground or a ladder. A roofing inspection looks only at the roof system, attic and drainage, in more depth, and is done by people who repair and replace roofs for a living. Buyers often get both.