Roof Inspection
21-Point Inspection. Free for East Bay Homes

The Inspection That Prevents the Panic Call

A Pleasanton homeowner called us for a routine inspection last September — his realtor had mentioned his roof was "probably getting close" and he wanted to know how close. We spent 45 minutes on the roof and another 20 in his attic. The shingles looked fine from the driveway, but up close, the south slope had lost most of its granules and the felt was cracking. More importantly, his attic had a 4-by-6-foot stain on the north-side decking where a bathroom exhaust vent had been routing into the attic instead of through the roof for probably 15 years. He had no idea. The decking was spongy under the stain. Another two wet winters and he'd have had a rot problem that reached into the rafters.

We fixed the vent in a half-day for $680, gave him two years of life back on that roof, and put him on our maintenance plan. If he hadn't called us that September, his next call would have been a replacement conversation — or worse, a ceiling collapse.

That's what inspection is for. Roofs rarely fail suddenly. They deteriorate on a predictable curve, and if you catch problems when they're small, you pay small. If you wait until there's water in the living room, you pay big.

What a Roof Inspection Actually Involves

A proper inspection isn't a five-minute walk-around. It's a systematic look at the entire roofing system — the visible roof, the attic side of the decking, the ventilation pathway, and the way water moves off the roof into the gutters and away from the foundation. When we inspect a home, we're evaluating five separate systems:

1. The weather surface. Shingles, tile, or metal. Condition, wear pattern, granule loss, uplift, cracking.
2. Flashings and penetrations. Chimneys, skylights, plumbing vents, wall junctions, satellite mounts, solar penetrations.
3. Drainage. Valleys, gutters, downspouts, drip edge, grade slope away from the foundation.
4. Ventilation. Ridge vents, soffit vents, gable vents, attic airflow, insulation depth relative to intake.
5. Structural. Decking condition from the attic side, rafter or truss integrity, sagging, evidence of past water intrusion.

When You Need an Inspection

Five situations where inspection is the right call:

• Annual maintenance inspection. Once a year, ideally September, before the first real rain. Catches the small stuff that developed over summer's UV exposure.
• Pre-purchase inspection. You're buying a home and the general home inspector flagged the roof, or you just want a specialist opinion before closing. We'll tell you how much life is left and what repairs the seller should be on the hook for.
• Post-storm inspection. After a Diablo wind event or an atmospheric river. We walked 14 roofs the week after the February 2024 storm system and found wind-lifted shingles on nine of them. Homeowners didn't know.
• Insurance claim inspection. The adjuster wants documentation. We provide photos, Xactimate-compatible scope, and meet the adjuster on-site when it helps.
• HOA compliance inspection. Roundhill, Blackhawk, Ruby Hill, and several other HOAs require documented roof condition reports at certain intervals or before architectural review board approvals. We've written hundreds of these.

Our 21-Point Inspection Checklist

Exterior Evaluation (Points 1-12):

1. Shingle or tile condition — cracking, curling, missing pieces, granule loss patterns
2. Ridge cap integrity and sealant condition
3. Valley condition — wear patterns, debris buildup, membrane exposure
4. Hip and ridge alignment and fastener condition
5. Flashing at walls, chimneys, skylights, and vent pipes
6. Drip edge presence and condition at eaves and rakes
7. Pipe boot and vent cap seal integrity
8. Gutter attachment, slope, and drainage flow
9. Soffit and fascia condition — rot, paint failure, pest damage
10. Ventilation balance — ridge vents, soffit vents, gable vents
11. Chimney cap, crown, and mortar joint condition
12. Satellite dish, antenna, and solar panel mount waterproofing

Interior Evaluation (Points 13-18):

13. Attic insulation depth, type, and condition
14. Attic ventilation airflow — intake and exhaust adequacy
15. Roof decking condition from below — stains, sagging, daylight visible through deck
16. Rafter and truss structural integrity
17. Condensation or mold evidence on the underside of the decking
18. Bathroom and kitchen exhaust vent routing (these should terminate through the roof, not dump into the attic)

Overall Assessment (Points 19-21):

19. Estimated remaining useful life
20. Prioritized repair recommendations with cost estimates
21. Maintenance recommendations for maximum lifespan

On top of the 21 points, we also check for moss and algae growth on shaded slopes, ice dam risk on north-facing valleys, nail pops, evidence of previous repairs that weren't done well, and any signs that the roof has been walked on by someone who shouldn't have been.

Types of Inspections We Perform

Annual maintenance inspection. The routine check. Free with any repair or replacement estimate. Visual 21-point evaluation, photo documentation, verbal walk-through, and a short written summary by email. This is what 80% of our inspection volume is.

Pre-purchase inspection. For buyers (or sellers who want to disclose). Full written report with remaining-life estimate, prioritized defect list, estimated repair costs, and certified findings that satisfy real estate due diligence. $250-$450 depending on home size and complexity.

Post-storm damage inspection. After wind, hail, or falling-object events. We document damage with photos suitable for insurance claims and write scope to Xactimate line items. If you're filing a claim, we'll meet your adjuster on-site.

Insurance claim inspection. Full damage documentation, cause-of-loss determination, and scope writing. We work with every major California carrier and know what adjusters are looking for.

HOA compliance inspection. Written reports formatted for architectural review board submission. We know what Roundhill, Blackhawk, Stonegate, and Ruby Hill require and we format our reports to match.

Drone and infrared inspection. For steep or unsafe roofs, or when we need to find hidden moisture under the surface. High-resolution aerial imagery plus thermal scanning. Usually a $150-$250 add-on to a standard inspection.

Materials and Tools We Use

Inspection work depends on good tools. Ours include:

• FLIR thermal imaging cameras for moisture detection in decking and insulation.
• Moisture meters (pin and pinless) for verifying suspected wet areas.
• DJI drones with 4K imaging for steep and complex roofs.
• Professional fall protection on every roof over 6:12 pitch — we walk roofs safely or we don't walk them.
• GAF and CertainTeed condition-assessment guides as reference for product-specific wear patterns.
• Digital photo reporting software that annotates images and produces the PDF report.

We note product-specific wear patterns because different shingle lines age differently. A 15-year-old GAF Timberline HDZ looks different from a 15-year-old CertainTeed Landmark. Knowing what normal wear looks like on each brand is part of giving you an accurate remaining-life estimate.

Code and Compliance Notes

Inspection isn't regulated the way installation is, but the findings we document reference the same codes the inspectors enforce:

• CRC Section R105.2 — identifies what level of work would or wouldn't require a permit if you proceed with repairs.
• CRC R908 — re-roofing provisions, layer count, underlayment requirements.
• California Building Code Chapter 7A — for any property in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, we flag compliance gaps on vents, gutters, and fire rating that would need to be addressed on any significant repair or replacement.
• California Title 24, Part 6 — cool roof and energy compliance status for future work planning.

We tell you what your roof is today, and we tell you what the code would require if you started work on it tomorrow.

Pricing and Timeline

• Free inspection — paired with a repair or replacement estimate. 30-60 minutes on-site, verbal summary plus photo email within 24 hours.
• Written report — $200 to $450 depending on home size and report depth. Delivered within 48 hours.
• Pre-purchase inspection — $250 to $450, certified written report suitable for real estate transactions.
• Insurance claim inspection — pricing varies based on scope; we often bill the inspection to the claim.
• HOA compliance report — $200 to $350 depending on formatting requirements.

Most inspections are scheduled within the same week you call. Emergency post-storm inspections usually happen within 24-48 hours.

Cities We Serve

We inspect roofs across the East Bay every week. Top inspection cities include Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Danville, Alamo, San Ramon, Pleasanton, Dublin, Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, and Fremont.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schedule Your Inspection

Call East Bay Roofers at (925) 722-4916 or request a free inspection online. GAF Master Elite certified, CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster, CA license #987654 (C-39), 4.9 out of 5 across 527 reviews. Family-owned since 1988, based at 2310 Bates Ave in Concord.