Does Your Home Inspector Know What to Look For On a Roof?

Are you worried that the home inspector approved the roof during the inspection, only for you to discover expensive problems after you move in? Have you wondered whether a home inspector really knows enough about roofing to spot hidden issues like ventilation problems, mold, poor installation, or impending leaks?

While home inspectors provide valuable general assessments, they're not roofing specialists. That means some of the most expensive roof problems, especially those involving installation quality, attic ventilation, moisture damage, and hidden defects, can easily go unnoticed.

At RoofSmart, we have repaired and replaced the roofs of hundreds of Seattle homes. A lot of homeowners assume that just because the home was inspected, it’s good to go, and are surprised when they have roof issues right away (or within the first few years).

In this article, we'll compare what home inspectors typically look for versus what a roofing contractor evaluates, explain the roof issues that are most commonly missed during inspections, and discuss what options you may have if serious roofing problems are discovered after you buy the home.

Home Inspector vs Roofing Contractor Inspection: Who Is More Likely to Find Roof Problems?

What do home inspectors look for on the roof?

When you are buying a house, it’s common to hire a home inspector to make sure the house is in good condition or to identify any issues that you should be aware of.

Typically, a home inspector is only looking for obvious signs of damage on the roof because they aren’t knowledgeable enough about other indicators of damage or issues that might also be present on the roof.

When they're up on the roof, they're looking for two main things:

1. Cracked shingles.
2. Excessive granule wear

If it's not those two things, they're probably going to miss it. And sometimes they don’t even go on the roof.

As a result, home inspectors often miss critical roof issues (like mold growth, ventilation issues, or installation errors) because their incentive is to avoid killing real estate deals, not to find every problem on the roof. If they see some mold, they’d likely say that you need to consult with a specialist to confirm it, since they don’t do that.

Often, these home inspectors are recommended by the real estate agent, so they might be motivated to maintain that connection and keep getting referrals. The other factor holding them back is that they are not roofing experts, so most of them don’t even know what to look for.

What should home inspectors look for on the roof?

Cracked shingles and excessive granule wear are two big signs that your roof is damaged and probably even near the end of its life. However, there are so many more indicators that the roof of the home you're buying might have issues (even if it’s new):

Here are the top things that your home inspector should check for when assessing a roof:

• Were the shingles installed in the correct pattern? This one can be hard to spot unless you are really familiar with asphalt shingle installation instructions. This may seem like just an aesthetic issue, but it actually voids the roof’s warranty and puts it at risk of leaks. Shingles are meant to be installed in a specific pattern so that they sit properly on the roof and provide optimal protection.

• Are the nails in the right place? Just like placing the shingles in the correct pattern, making sure that you use the correct amount of nails and place them in the correct spot is key. If your roofer didn’t do that, then your shingles might rip off during a windstorm or be vulnerable to leaks through the misplaced nail hole.

• Is the attic ventilation working? Attic ventilation is a crucial part of maintaining the health of your roof, but it’s often overlooked by everyone (including a lot of roofers). If your roof doesn’t have air flowing through it, then it can grow mold, hold condensation, rot, and even cause your roof to get too hot and fail prematurely.

• Is there any mold in the attic? Mold is especially overlooked because the home inspector can say that they are not an industrial engineer and are not certified to test mold. While they could say, it looks like mold to me, they don't because it kills the real estate transaction. No buyer wants to hear it's moldy. Unless it’s to the point where the moldy boards are rotten, the home inspector might not call it out. And, on the other hand, if there is mold present, you can make the case that it’s the same as having mold in the shower. You can simply clean it up and move on since it’s not a structural issue.

Roof Problems Most Likely to Be Missed During a Home Inspection

These are the key factors that can determine if the roof of the house is in good shape or not.

If you’re concerned about the roof and want an expert opinion, you can hire a roofer to do an inspection and give you their thoughts on the roof’s condition (keep in mind that this might waive your right to dispute the seller’s disclosure form. More on that below).

What do I do if my home inspector approves a bad roof?

Home inspectors have a lot of ground to cover, and to really do a thorough inspection, they need to be experts in a lot of different fields. They might give a general list of things that need to be fixed around the house, but it might not hit on the big issues that an expert would notice.

So what do you do if your home inspector approves a roof and then later on you discover that the roof has issues? Well, I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice, but I do have some experience with this.

Here are some potential options:

1. Prove that the seller knew about the damage: The seller is required by law to fill out something called Form 17, which they fill out and use to disclose any issues that they are aware of. If you have proof that they knew about an issue and didn’t disclose it, then you have cause to take legal action. But proving they knew about an issue but didn't disclose it is difficult.
2. Hire your own inspector and waive your right to dispute Form 17: You can also choose to hire your own professional home inspector, but doing so means that you waive your right to dispute Form 17. If you go this route, then you have a trusted professional who can assess the roof and the rest of the house for you. If you notice any issues later on, you can take it up with the inspector you hired instead of the seller. Keep in mind that you might not get much out of this (just a refund on their fee), even if they were found to have missed something.

Either way, it can be a tough market for buyers, no matter what you do. If you inspect the house yourself and notice some damage, you might be able to negotiate with the seller or walk away from the deal. You also have 3 days to walk away from the deal after receiving the disclosure statement. But once you sign the contract, you’re pretty committed to any issues the house might have.

Can you rely on a home warranty to protect you from hidden roof problems?

As you’ve seen, a home inspector can provide a valuable overview of a property's condition, but they aren't roofing specialists. That means issues like improper installation, ventilation failures, hidden mold, flashing defects, and other costly roofing problems can sometimes slip through the cracks.

Unfortunately, many homeowners discover these issues only after they've purchased the home and moved in. At that point, one of the first questions homeowners ask is: "Will my home warranty cover this?"

The answer is often more complicated than most people expect. Home warranties typically come with limitations, exclusions, and coverage requirements that can make roof-related claims difficult to navigate.

Read our article “Can I Rely on My New Home's Warranty for Roof Protection in Seattle?” to learn what home warranties typically cover, what they often exclude, and what Seattle homeowners should know before depending on a home warranty to protect them from expensive roof repairs.