Old adobe and territorial homes leak in ways modern inspectors miss. Vigas, canales, parapet caps, and buried earth substrates all have failure modes unique to NM historic construction. I inspect what's actually there — layer by layer — and write a scope that preserves the character without preserving the leaks.
Substrate probe (is there still earth under the membrane?)
Every viga end individually documented
Canale slope, flow, and outflow-splash condition
Parapet cap metal and stucco crown survey
Traditional-vs-modern repair options with cost comparison
SHPO / Santa Fe HDRB awareness on protected properties
Full walk with substrate probe at accessible flat areas. Each viga end photographed, measured for movement, and probed for rot. All canales flow-tested (bucket method) and splash-zone assessed. Parapet caps, cricket transitions, and stucco crowns documented individually. Membrane layer sequence identified (dirt / cap sheet / mod-bit / SPF). Written report with historic-sensitive repair scope AND a modern-materials alternative for comparison.
Owners of pre-1950 Santa Fe, Taos, Old Town Albuquerque, or Corrales adobes. Buyers under contract on historic NM properties. HDRB-protected homeowners planning restoration work. Property managers of historic commercial adobes.
Verbal Walk — $149 Written Historic Roof Report — $349 Detailed w/ Viga Census + Canale Test — $649 Multi-Building Historic Property — Custom, $1,500 minimum Most residential historic-adobe inspections are $349–$649. Santa Fe HDRB and Taos properties may include a compliance-review add-on.
Maybe. Many pre-1940 NM adobes still have traditional earth roofs under later layers of asphalt, cap sheet, or mod-bit. I probe to find the substrate and score whether the buried assembly is still doing structural work or has become dead-load only.
Viga ends are the #1 leak source on Pueblo and territorial roofs. They project through the parapet, expand and contract seasonally, and the sealant around them fails on a 3–5 year cycle. Every viga end gets its own line item in my report.
Yes — if the parapet caps, canales, and viga ends are detailed correctly, a traditional-looking roof can be watertight for 20+ years. I score whether your current assembly is worth restoring or whether a sensitively-detailed replacement makes more sense.
Manufacturer + workmanship defect audit.
Yearly punch-list + service-life estimate.
Pre-listing & buyer due-diligence reports.
Reserve study + per-unit documentation.
I've watched too many neighbors sign contracts they didn't understand for roofs they didn't need. That stops with a written report they own.