A good annual roof inspection in Snohomish County costs less than a dinner out and can prevent thousands in deferred-maintenance damage. Most homeowners skip it, then pay for the consequences later.
Here’s exactly what we look for when we do one, and why each item matters.
Why Annual Inspections Pay Off
The math:
- Cost of a real annual inspection: $0 (free for our service area customers) to $300.
- Cost of a leak caught early: $500 to $2,500.
- Cost of a leak that ran for a season undiscovered: $5,000 to $25,000 (decking rot, insulation replacement, drywall and finishes).
- Cost of a roof that hits its expected service life: Replacement on schedule, no surprises.
- Cost of a roof that fails 5 years early due to deferred maintenance: Years of premature replacement spending.
Annual inspections shift the math from “wait for failure and react” to “manage condition and plan.”
The 12-Point Inspection Checklist
Here’s exactly what we work through.
1. Shingle / panel condition (visual)
Drone imagery + walked inspection (where safe). Look for curling, lifted edges, missing shingles, granule loss patterns, hail bruising, blistering, color fade. Different materials show different aging signatures.
2. Ridge and hip cap condition
Ridges and hips take the most weather. Cap shingles or metal closure strips fail before field shingles. Cracked sealant, loose caps, exposed nails get flagged.
3. Valley condition
Valleys concentrate water flow. We check for proper underlayment, intact valley metal (or proper closed-cut woven detail), and any debris damming.
4. Flashing detail review
The single biggest leak source on a residential roof. We inspect every:
- Chimney flashing (step + counter)
- Skylight flashing (head, side, sill, hood)
- Vent stack flashing
- Wall-to-roof junction flashing (kickout flashing)
- Pipe boots (rubber gaskets crack at 8-15 years)
- Roof-to-roof transitions
5. Vent and penetration boots
Flapper vents, bath fan vents, plumbing pipe boots, attic ventilation cap condition. The rubber components have shorter lifespans than the rest of the roof.
6. Gutter and downspout assessment
Sagging, joint failures, debris accumulation, downspout drainage to grade. Failing gutters cause fascia rot and foundation drainage problems.
7. Fascia and soffit condition
Visual inspection for paint failure, soft spots, visible rot. Flag anything that needs attention before water gets behind the building envelope.
8. Attic inspection (interior)
The most important and most often skipped step. We look for:
- Daylight visible through the deck (active leak path).
- Water staining or active moisture on rafters or decking.
- Insulation condition (wet, compressed, mold growth).
- Ventilation balance (intake vs exhaust ratio, blocked soffit vents, missing or improperly placed exhaust vents).
- Thermal imaging for hidden moisture.
This catches the problems you can’t see from the roof.
9. Moss, algae, and biological growth
Identify type, extent, and stage. Recommend treatment timing (cleaning now vs monitoring). See our moss treatment guide.
10. Tree contact and overhang risk
Branches touching the roof abrade shingles. Overhanging branches drop debris that holds moisture and feeds moss. Identify branches that need trimming and risks from larger limb failure.
11. Penetration sealant condition
Caulks and sealants at flashings and penetrations have shorter lifespans than the metal flashings themselves. Re-caulking on a 10-year cycle prevents many leaks.
12. Manufacturer warranty status
Verify the original install warranty registration if available. Document any work that affects warranty status. Some manufacturer warranties require periodic inspection to remain valid.
What the Report Looks Like
After the inspection, you get a written report including:
- Drone photos of every slope (4-8 high-res images).
- Annotated photos of any flagged issues.
- Severity rating for each finding (urgent, monitor, plan for next year, future replacement).
- Repair cost estimates for any urgent items.
- Remaining service life estimate based on actual condition.
- Recommended maintenance schedule for the next 12-24 months.
You keep the report. We don’t need it back to do the eventual work. Many homeowners file it with their home maintenance records.
When to Do Your First Inspection
For new homeowners or homes with no recent inspection history:
- New construction: Year 5 is when most builders’ workmanship issues surface.
- Existing home, recent purchase: Within the first year of ownership.
- Existing home, long ownership: Now, regardless of age.
- After a major windstorm or weather event: Within 30 days.
After the first inspection, annual is the right cadence for most Snohomish County roofs.
What to Do With the Findings
Three categories of action:
Address now
Active leaks, urgent flashing failures, vent boot decay, broken gutters. Don’t defer these.
Plan for the next year
Caulking, moss treatment, gutter guards, ventilation upgrades, minor sealant work. Combine into a single visit when convenient.
Save for replacement planning
End-of-life signals (granule loss, multiple flashing failures, decking soft spots). These tell you when to start budgeting for a full replacement.
DIY vs Professional
Some homeowners do their own annual inspections. That’s reasonable if you’re comfortable on a ladder and know what to look for. The honest limitation: you probably can’t:
- Get drone imagery of the entire roof.
- Use thermal imaging in the attic.
- Identify subtle hail bruising or early-stage moss colonization.
- Estimate remaining service life with calibration to actual product lifespans.
A professional annual inspection complements (rather than replaces) homeowner attention. It catches the things you can’t see.
How We Schedule
Free annual inspections are available year-round in our Snohomish, North King, and Skagit County service area. Spring (April-May) is the best time for most inspections because:
- Winter damage is recent and visible.
- Pre-summer is the right time for any preventive work.
- Schedules are open before the busy reroof season.
If you’ve never had an annual inspection, this is your sign. Book the free visit and we’ll start the maintenance baseline that lets your roof reach its full service life.