Three roofers wanted $32k after the June hailstorm. Roof Doctor NM walked the roof, took 84 photos, and said the hail was cosmetic. Saved me from a fraudulent claim.
Sarah K.Albuquerque · Nob Hill
How every Roof Doctor NM inspection is actually performed
The 42-point methodology behind every report.
What separates a professional inspection from a walk-around is the process — not the letters after the name. This is the standardized flow used on every NM roof. Nothing changes based on what you're paying: only how far the documentation goes.
Six phases · 2–3 hours on-site
The standard flow.
01
Intake & scope confirmation (15 min)
- · Confirm homeowner concerns, insurance context, HOA constraints, and any prior repair paperwork.
- · Walk the property perimeter for gutter, downspout, and drip-edge condition.
- · Photograph existing damage claims and set up the report skeleton.
02
Drone imaging — FAA Part 107 (20 min)
- · Pre-flight airspace check (NM is heavy with restricted airspace around ABQ, KAFB, and Los Alamos).
- · Standard flight plan: nadir orthomosaic, four oblique passes at 45°, close-in on flashings and penetrations.
- · Every image is geo-tagged and time-stamped for the report and any downstream insurance claim.
03
Field walk of accessible planes (30–60 min)
- · Where slope, condition, and safety allow. If not safe, drone imagery covers it — noted in report.
- · Field-of-view inspection of every flashing: chimney, skylight, wall-to-roof, pipe boots, satellite penetrations, HVAC curbs.
- · Fastener pattern, granule loss, blistering, tenting, cupping, hail bruising, and mechanical damage cataloged.
04
Moisture verification (20 min)
- · Non-invasive moisture meter passes on suspect areas — particularly foam roofs and low-slope decks.
- · Attic bay checks where accessible: sheathing staining, ridge-vent function, insulation compression.
- · Findings correlated to visible topside symptoms.
05
IR / thermal scan when conditions allow (variable)
- · IR is only useful in specific conditions: enough thermal delta, no rain in last 24h, correct time of day.
- · When conditions permit, wet insulation shows up on flat/foam roofs and around suspect penetrations.
- · When conditions don't permit, we say so in writing rather than pretending a scan was diagnostic.
06
Written report — delivered in 48 hours
- · Every finding tied to a photo, a location on the roof plan, and a remaining-life estimate.
- · Scope of work section written so any qualified NM roofing company can bid apples-to-apples.
- · For insurance-relevant work: language aligned to policy sections, adjuster-ready.
Documentation standards
Every photo has a purpose.
- · Minimum four wide shots per plane, plus close-ups on every finding.
- · Every image labeled by plane, orientation, and finding number.
- · Slope, pitch, and dimensions captured to a roof plan diagram in the report.
- · Insurance-oriented reports include a claim-ready photo index.
What the report is designed to do
Portable across every contractor and carrier.
- · Written in scope-of-work language every NM roofer already uses.
- · Findings ranked by urgency so you know what to fix now vs monitor.
- · Remaining-life estimates by roof section — not just one number for the whole roof.
- · Photos and diagrams support adjuster negotiations without a public-adjuster license.
Not on the roof
Anything I won't do — in writing.
- · No walking a slope over 8/12 without proper tie-off — drone covers it.
- · No walking wet, iced, or actively deteriorating roofs — safety and damage risk.
- · No stamped engineering opinions — that requires a licensed NM PE.
- · No legal advice — I can document facts an attorney can act on.