Getting started and roof covering
Before you climb
Confirm the address, scope, and safe access. Photograph the house number and all elevations. Use a ladder only on stable ground; avoid walking a roof when pitch, weather, or material makes it unsafe. Carry a camera, tape measure, flashlight, and a field sheet.
Roof covering
Identify the covering type-asphalt/fiberglass shingle, tile, metal, membrane, or other-and note its condition. The form records the covering; the inspection does not turn cosmetic wear into a mitigation failure. Look for missing, cracked, or displaced units, exposed fasteners, and flashing defects that can admit water.
Worked example
A concrete tile roof has two cracked tiles at a valley. The covering type is tile. The cracks are a maintenance issue, not a reason to change the roof-deck or roof-to-wall category. Document the location and advise repair; do not confuse a covering defect with a structural attachment defect.
Traps
- Starting the attic inspection before photographing the address.
- Calling a metal roof “tile” because of profile.
- Treating a cosmetic stain as proof of deck failure.
- Skipping elevations because the front looks fine.