A general home inspector spends about 15 minutes on your roof, usually from the ground. That is not enough on a $500K home. Here is the checklist a dedicated home roof inspection should hit.
The 17-point checklist
1. Every roof plane walked, not glassed from below 2. Field granule inventory (shingle) or membrane probe (flat) 3. Valley wear and metal condition 4. Ridge and hip cap sealant strip 5. Every penetration flashing (pipe boots, vents, HVAC curbs) 6. Chimney counter-flashing and cricket 7. Skylight curbs and gaskets 8. Edge metal and drip edge condition 9. Gutter capacity, slope, and downspout termination 10. Attic deck moisture staining (active vs old) 11. Attic framing sag or deflection 12. Insulation contact and baffle presence 13. Ventilation NFA math (1/300 or 1/150) 14. Exhaust termination (bath/dryer venting into attic = defect) 15. Ice-and-water shield presence in valleys (per NM amendments) 16. Manufacturer wind rating vs your exposure 17. Repair-vs-replace determination with cost ranges
Why the 15-minute pass fails
Most NM roof failures start hidden: cracked pipe boots, split field on aging shingles, parapet pinholes, and attic moisture. From the ground, you miss all of them.
Book a full home roof inspection
Start at /home-roof-inspection or the sample report at /reports/sample.