Roof inspection in Scottsdale

What a tile roof inspection covers

On a tile roof, the inspection is mostly about the layer you cannot see. Here is what a walked inspection covers:

Tile roofs. The inspector lifts tile at the eaves, in the field, at valleys and around penetrations and photographs the underlayment. Pliable, black felt or an intact membrane means years left. Gray, brittle felt that cracks when folded means the roof is on borrowed time, however good the tile looks. They count cracked and slipped tile, check that eave and rake tile are secured, look at the valley metal for rust and debris, and check pipe jacks, headwall and sidewall flashing, and the mortar or foam at the ridge and hips.

Foam roofs. The inspector walks the whole surface looking for soft spots, blisters, cracks at the parapet, ponding areas that stay wet after a rain, and the condition of the coating — thickness, chalking, pinholes — and checks every scupper and overflow drain. A foam roof that needs a recoat is a maintenance item; a foam roof that is saturated is a replacement, and the difference is a few thousand dollars against twenty.

Shingle roofs. Granule loss, curling, cracking, exposed nails, sealed-down tabs, the condition of the ridge cap, and the flashing at every wall and pipe.

The attic. Where there is a hatch, the inspector checks the underside of the deck for staining, daylight at penetrations, ventilation, and insulation that has been wet. Attic ventilation matters for the roof's life as much as for the power bill: an attic at 150°F cooks underlayment from below.

A good report comes with photos, a list of what needs doing now, what can wait, and a rough remaining-life estimate for the underlayment or coating.

What a written report should include

A useful report is something you can hand to a second roofer, a buyer or your agent and have it make sense without the inspector in the room. Look for:

• The roof type, approximate age and square count
• Photos of the underlayment at each spot where tile was lifted, labeled by location
• A count of cracked, slipped and missing tile, by slope
• The condition of valleys, pipe jacks, wall flashing, skylights and the ridge
• On foam, the coating condition, any soft spots and how each scupper drains
• What the attic showed: old stains, daylight, wet insulation, blocked vents
• A list split into "fix now," "fix within a year" and "watch"
• A remaining-life estimate, stated as a range of years

A one-page checklist with boxes ticked down the side is not the same thing. If the report does not show the felt, it has not answered the main question about a tile roof.

When to get one

Buying a house. This is the big one. A 2004 tile roof in DC Ranch or a 1996 roof in Scottsdale Ranch is at the age where the underlayment is the most expensive thing in the house nobody has priced. A written report gives you a number — $8,000–$15,000 for a relay, or nothing for five years — to negotiate with. Repair vs. replacement covers how to use it.

Before monsoon season. May or June, so the valleys get cleared and the loose tile secured before the wind arrives.

After a storm. To see what the storm did and what was already worn before you talk to your insurer. See storm damage.

Because a contractor said you need a new roof. A second opinion from someone who is not selling you a roof that day. If it does need replacing, a good inspector will say so — and if a relay or a repair will do, they will say that.

Insurance renewal. Some insurers ask about roof age at renewal — ask your agent what they need, and whether a written inspection report helps.

Buying a home: using the report

Book the roof visit early in your inspection period, not on the last day, so there is time for a second look or a repair quote. A general home inspection and a roofer's visit answer different questions; when the home inspector writes that the roof should be evaluated by a roofer, that is your cue. Once you have the report, the usual options are to ask the seller to do the work before closing, to ask for a credit based on a written price, or to accept the roof and plan the relay yourself. Your agent can tell you which fits your contract. Whatever you choose, keep the photos. They are the baseline for the roof you now own.

Between visits: what you can check yourself

From the ground with binoculars, after every monsoon season: tile on the ground, edges lifted at the eaves and rakes, ridge tile out of line, debris packed in the valleys. From a ladder at a flat roof's parapet: blocked scuppers, ponding rings and chalky coating. In the attic on a cool morning: new stains on the deck and a dry AC pan. Date your phone photos. A roof that changes between two springs is telling you something, and the photos make the next visit faster and cheaper.

Drone or walked?

Most roofers here walk. A drone is useful for a steep clay-tile roof where walking would break tile, and many use one there, but a drone cannot lift a tile or press a thumb into foam, and those are the two things that tell you what the roof is worth. Anyone who inspects a Scottsdale tile roof only from the air or the ground is guessing.

What it costs

A standalone inspection with a written report usually runs $200–$500; ask whether the fee is credited if you hire that roofer. If you are dealing with an active leak, the look at the roof is usually part of the repair estimate rather than a separate inspection. Ask before the visit which one you are getting, so the price is not a surprise.

Booking a roof inspection

Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Carefree and Rio Verde all have the same mix of tile, foam and shingle roofs, and roof inspections in Scottsdale, AZ follow the same checklist on all of them. For a pre-purchase inspection, tell the roofer your contingency deadline when you request one, and ask how soon they can come out and when the written report will follow.