Not All "Roof Inspections" Are the Same Thing
A roof inspection during a home purchase and a dedicated roofing inspection aren't the same service, even though both get called "roof inspections." InterNACHI's official Standards of Practice for general home inspectors explicitly state the inspector isn't required to walk on any roof area that appears, in their judgment, unsafe. So a standard home inspection's roof assessment is often a ground-level or eave-level visual check instead of a full walk of the surface. Under that standard, a general inspector is required to check roof-covering materials, gutters, downspouts, and visible penetrations like vents and flashing. That's a useful check, just a more limited one than a roofing specialist would do. It isn't a flaw in home inspections. It's a different scope of work.
What a Dedicated Roofing Inspection Covers
If some of these terms are new to you, our parts of a roof guide shows where each component sits and what it does.
Shingle or membrane condition, up close. Curling, cracking, granule loss and blistering, the kind of detail covered in our UV aging article, are far easier to catch walking the surface than looking from the ground.
Flashing and seams at every penetration. Chimneys, vents, skylights, and valleys are where thermal cycling stress concentrates (see our companion article). These spots need a close look, and a distant visual scan won't cut it.
Gutters, downspouts, and drainage paths. We check attachment, clogging and granule buildup. Those are the early warning signs covered in our monsoon and maintenance articles.
Attic access. Checking for daylight through the decking, moisture staining, and ventilation adequacy from underneath. These are signs that often aren't visible from the roof surface itself.
General structural signs. Sagging, soft spots, or anything that suggests the decking itself has been compromised along with the surface material.
How Aerial Imaging Supports Roof Inspections
Drones and aerial photos are becoming a normal part of roof work, and not only for contractors. In early 2020, KRQE News 13 reported that the City of Albuquerque's building safety inspectors had started using drones to photograph rooftops when checking finished re-roofing jobs, instead of climbing onto every roof (KRQE News 13, February 2020).
Aerial images are useful because they show the whole roof at once. Problems that are hard to see from a ladder, like uneven wear across one slope, debris packed into valleys, a sagging section or a cluster of missing shingles, often stand out from above. Photos also give homeowners something concrete to look at. Instead of taking anyone's word for it, you can see where a problem is and how large it is, and keep that record for your files or an insurance claim.
Photos have limits, though. A camera can't feel a soft spot in the decking, lift a shingle to check a broken seal, or confirm that flashing is still bonded to a wall. Fresh hail bruising and small punctures in a membrane are easy to miss in a picture. A photo should start the conversation, not finish it. Anything that matters, especially signs of hail damage that could become a claim, should be checked in person on the roof. If a storm just passed and you're not sure whether you need anyone to look, try our storm damage self-check.
Why the Distinction Between Inspection Types Matters
If a home purchase inspection reported "no issues" with the roof, that's useful information. It reflects the scope of a general inspection, though, and isn't necessarily a close roofing-specific assessment. A roof that passed a ground-level visual check during a home purchase can still have flashing or attic issues that only show up on a closer inspection. Neither type of inspection is wrong. What matters is knowing which one you had.
What This Means Practically for Homeowners
- If you're buying a home, know what level of roof inspection you're getting. Ask the inspector whether they'll get on the roof or assess it from the ground.
- A dedicated roofing inspection is worth scheduling separately if your only roof assessment so far has been part of a general home inspection.
- Ask for a written report with photos instead of a verbal summary. You'll want it for your own records and for any future insurance or warranty questions.
- Timing matters too. Our maintenance checklist article covers when a roofing-specific inspection is most useful in New Mexico's climate calendar, so you're not scheduling one at a random point in the year.