Why You Need a Roof Inspection When Buying a Home

If you're about to purchase a new home, think about getting a complete roof inspection. While a home inspection does look over your property, a roof inspection is more specific. A roof inspection will go over the exterior of the roof as well as the attic to identify any major problems. Here's why you might want to pay for a complete roof inspection.

While many inspectors will walk the roof, they aren't required to. In fact, home inspectors aren't required to do anything but look at the roof from ground level. That's just not enough to find many roof-related problems. Home inspectors also don't need to go into the attic. Because they may not go into the attic, they may not notice signs that the roof has leaks or damage. While home inspectors are extremely competent, their jobs are simply to look around the property for anything obviously wrong, and they may miss some more minor signs of issues.

A home inspection looks at all aspects of the property, but a roof inspector will look just at the roof alone. Roof inspectors are usually certified and will be able to identify any major issues with a roof that could be a problem. A roof inspection will cover:

• Looking for mold in the attic and checking to make sure that the area is well-ventilated. The inspection may also cover the R-value of the attic, which will make sure the attic is well-insulated.
• Inspecting the shingles, chimney, and flashing of the roof for potential leaks. Damage can occur on a roof that may not be visible from the ground. The inspection may also find areas with pulled up shingles.
• Creating estimates for the damage. This is particularly important if you want to purchase the house because it'll tell you how much you'll need to invest to fix the roof. Unlike other renovations, roofs usually aren't optional.

Roof inspectors don't tear up the roof or cause any damage to it. They just visually inspect it. They have methods that they can use that are nonintrusive and will tell them what they need to know about the roof.

If a roof has been on a house over 20 years, it may actually predate the current owners. If someone sells a house after living in it for five years, they may not actually know that the roof leaked a few years before they bought it. Homeowners are only required to disclose what they know about a property. If they don't know things, it won't be listed on the property disclosures. A thorough inspection will reveal things that may not be on the disclosures.

oundations and roofs are two of the most expensive repairs for a home. You need to know if a property has a roofing problem before you purchase it because a roofing problem could cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix. While you may not be able to demand that a seller replace the roof of a home, you can ask them to make minor, needed repairs. You can also calculate the roof repairs into the cost of the house, which will help you when you compare the house to other properties. A roof inspection is only a few hundred dollars and will save you from potentially tens of thousands of dollars' worth of expense. It's incredibly important to know what you're getting into before you purchase a new house. If you want a complete roof inspection, contact Cal Roofing Systems Inc .