Just a roof inspection.

[Phillip]

Just a question for info.

You where ask just to inspect the roof of a home.

Would you just inspected the roofing material and it flashing or would you also go into the attic to look at the decking and framing?

[Jim Katen]

Just a question for info.

You where ask just to inspect the roof of a home.

Would you just inspected the roofing material and it flashing or would you also go into the attic to look at the decking and framing?

I give them the option to do it either way, with appropriate pricing. Most of the time, someone else is making them get the roof inspection (an appraiser flagged it on a refinance, for instance) and they want as little as possible done.

Whatever they choose, I define the parameters in a contract before doing the inspection.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Bill Kibbel]

Most of the roof inspection requests I get are for commercial buildings. I insist on inspecting the "underside" of the roof too.

I once had a call to inspect "only the roof" of a small apartment building. The appraiser had some concerns and the lender insisted on a roof inspection. I mentioned in the report that the (active) chimney that collapsed has left a big leaking hole.

The owner of the listing agency demanded it not be included in the report as it wasn't part of the "roof system". I refused and the listing broker informed me that I will never work in that county again. That real estate company is now gone, but I'm still here.

[Marc]

Most of the roof inspection requests I get are for commercial buildings. I insist on inspecting the "underside" of the roof too.

I once had a call to inspect "only the roof" of a small apartment building. The appraiser had some concerns and the lender insisted on a roof inspection. I mentioned in the report that the (active) chimney that collapsed has left a big leaking hole.

The owner of the listing agency demanded it not be included in the report as it wasn't part of the "roof system". I refused and the listing broker informed me that I will never work in that county again. That real estate company is now gone, but I'm still here.

I like stories like this one where the inspector knows his ground and has stood it. I'm surrounded by many who are molded by agents and lenders as if they were putty.

Marc

[Ben H]

Most of the roof inspection requests I get are for commercial buildings. I insist on inspecting the "underside" of the roof too.

I once had a call to inspect "only the roof" of a small apartment building. The appraiser had some concerns and the lender insisted on a roof inspection. I mentioned in the report that the (active) chimney that collapsed has left a big leaking hole.

The owner of the listing agency demanded it not be included in the report as it wasn't part of the "roof system". I refused and the listing broker informed me that I will never work in that county again. That real estate company is now gone, but I'm still here.

I like stories like this one where the inspector knows his ground and has stood it. I'm surrounded by many who are molded by agents and lenders as if they were putty.

Marc

I agree. It makes ya feel all warm and fuzzy.[]

[kurt]

"Roof" includes roof structure, at least the sheathing. I"d want to look at both.

[Scottpat]

The first thing I ask the caller is why they want a roof inspection? As Jim noted, they are being prompted to get an inspection for a specific reason. Their reason for the inspection will dictate on how I price it. For single system jobs like this, I use my hourly rate fee.

[hausdok]

Unless it's physically impossible to do so, I won't look at the surface of the cover unless I also look at the roof decking from the underside. It's too easy for the cover to look great and then find something under the cover that reveals signs of either leaks that promped replacement or signs of active leaks.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[mgbinspect]

I used to get called in all the time by home owners insurance claims departments to figure out the wierd mystery roof leaks. A roof inspection is really incomplete without every effort to include forensics, which isn't possible without a roof framing and related interior surface inspection. It doesn't make sense to bless a roof and without making certain there aren't obvious active stains from the bottom side that aren't so obvious from the topside.

[Ben H]

I had a call last week from a lady wanting to get her roof inspected. During the conversation it turns out the it was a house she was renting, and wanting to buy. The bank required her to have the roof inspected. She called wanting a price. Then she asked if I had to get into the attic. After telling her yes, she said "I'll find someone who'll just look at the shingles." and hung up.

Seems kinda strange to me. Why wouldn't you want to have to thoroughly checked out? My guess is fear of finding something that will halt the loan process...

[Brandon Whitmore]

My guess is fear of finding something that will halt the loan process...

Her way of thinking: "I don't want him to see my grow op in the attic".

[hausdok]

Or the ex-boyfriend stuffed in the trunk that she told everyone had left her in the lurch. Probably a little bit of decomp odor up there.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[mgbinspect]

I had a call last week from a lady wanting to get her roof inspected. During the conversation it turns out the it was a house she was renting, and wanting to buy. The bank required her to have the roof inspected. She called wanting a price. Then she asked if I had to get into the attic. After telling her yes, she said "I'll find someone who'll just look at the shingles." and hung up.

Seems kinda strange to me. Why wouldn't you want to have to thoroughly checked out? My guess is fear of finding something that will halt the loan process...

Or, she just didn't want to be inconvenienced. Maybe she's a complete pig - a hoarder.

I once had to do a restoration job for a hoarder (that was a joke). There were little foot paths about 18" wide throughout the house. To either edge of those paths crap just went up at about a slope of thirty degrees to the walls - discarded clothing, checkbooks, notices, you name it. All the countertops were buried in these slopes.

There was only one uncluttered room - the living room, which was the dog's potty room. They were careful not to mix their crap with the dog's crap. [:-graduat Or.. perhaps the dog was a hoarder too and clearly the "A personality" of the household, since there were about fifty of his processed past meals hanging out in there.

I've never seen anything like it, and never want to again. It's real challenge trying to reason and deal with people that are obviously out of their right minds.

[hausdok]

I had a call last week from a lady wanting to get her roof inspected. During the conversation it turns out the it was a house she was renting, and wanting to buy. The bank required her to have the roof inspected. She called wanting a price. Then she asked if I had to get into the attic. After telling her yes, she said "I'll find someone who'll just look at the shingles." and hung up.

Seems kinda strange to me. Why wouldn't you want to have to thoroughly checked out? My guess is fear of finding something that will halt the loan process...

Or, she just didn't want to be inconvenienced. Maybe she's a complete pig - a hoarder.

I once had to do a restoration job for a hoarder (that was a joke). There were little foot paths about 18" wide throughout the house. To either edge of those paths crap just went up at about a slope of thirty degrees to the walls - discarded clothing, checkbooks, notices, you name it. All the countertops were buried in these slopes. There was only one uncluttered room - the living room, which was the dog's potty room. They were careful not to mix their crap with the dog's crap. [:-graduat

I've never seen anything like it, and never want to again. It's real challenge trying to reason and deal with people that are obviously out of their right minds.

Did an inspection on a house where a hoarder lived a couple of months ago. The elderly wheelchair ridden mother owned the house and she, her daughter and grandson lived there. The main house, the owner's room and the son's rooms were normal but the daugther was a hoarder and I couldn't even get in the door of her room. The door hung off of one hinge and to get in she has to climb up onto a pile of stuff about four feet tall to get to her bed which looks like it's an in-ground pool in a yard made of clothing and other crap. I excluded the room from the inspection.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Tom Raymond]

In a former life I did a window replacement project on a turn of the century hotel that had been converted into 100+ subsidized apartments on nine floors. I saw every kind of filth and disfunction you could imagine. My personal favorite was the accountant that had lost his marbles. He wasn't the typical horder, he only saved paper, and his piles were impeccable. They covered every horizontal surface in his apartment with amazingly precise spacing and alignment, yet if you asked him to produce the reciept for some obscure purchase from months ago he knew exactly where it was. This poor man tortured himself for weeks until we finally got past his floor. He had to box all of his papers so they didn't blow away when we removed the windows (and so we could navigate to them). It's a wonder he didn't jump.

[Tim H]

Just a question for info.

You where ask just to inspect the roof of a home.

Would you just inspected the roofing material and it flashing or would you also go into the attic to look at the decking and framing?

I get a handful of these a year, mostly on fresh installations where the homeowner gets scammed by some jackleg. A couple of weeks ago it was a little old lady who paid for 35 year architectural shingles and got paper thin 3-tab. I always go into the attic (if possible).

Tim

[Marc]

I don't get many roof inspections either but when I do, I want the entire house made available to me. Sometimes ceiling stains tell the story. Since I'm responsible, if anyone wants to limit what I can see, they can call someone else. I'll try to explain to them why inspecting the ceiling is so important but I won't waste much time with them.

Marc

[davidlord]

Speaking of trunks. Not uncommon but rarely see them with the drawers and hangers.

Click to Enlarge

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[Ben H]

Speaking of trunks. Not uncommon but rarely see them with the drawers and hangers.

Click to Enlarge

66.23 KB

American Pickers!

[Phillip]

Thanks for all of the input.

I am in the group that wants to look at the deck and framing.

[RickSab]

I've only run into this once. The city wanted the roof certified before the property could close. I contacted the city for my client to see what they required and their only requirement was that a Licensed Roofer put in writing that the roof was in good condition and submit it on company letterhead.

[msteger]

When I do "roof-only" inspections, I look at the exterior surface, flashing, sheathing/decking, attic ventilation, upper level ceiling, etc. I like to follow the same standards for a roof only inspection that I would follow for inspecting the roof during a full home inspection.

The woman who wanted you to look only at the shingles tells you a lot.

[George Russell]

Just had a lady call this morning want a roof only inspection because the roofers ripped off her 80 year old mother. After a few questions, and finding out the house will be put on the market in a few months, I sold her a full inspection to be done in the morning. Turned a small fee into a much larger one.

[robert1966]

On roof inspections I insist on seeing the roof and the attic structure to make a full assessment. The same goes for foundations, I want to see the interior structure to make a fulle assessment. I charge a flat rate fee for foundations and roof inspections.