Roof Inspections Before Buying a Home: What to Ask the Inspector

A Texas home inspection includes the roof, but it is a visual check with defined limits, not a promise about how long the roof will last. Under the Texas Real Estate Commission's (TREC) standards of practice, the inspector reports what they see and from where, but is not required to estimate remaining life, count layers, find hidden hail damage, or say whether the roof is insurable. Knowing those limits tells you what to ask the inspector and when to ask for a roofer's opinion before your deadlines.

This guide is for buyers. It does not give legal or real estate advice; for contract timing and options, talk to your agent or attorney. And it does not give insurance advice beyond pointing you to what the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) publishes.

What the inspector is required to look at

The TREC standards for roof covering materials say the inspector shall inspect the roof covering from the roof surface, and report:

• The type of roof covering.
• The vantage point — where the roof was inspected from.
• Evidence of water penetration and evidence of previous repairs.
• Deficiencies in fasteners, adhesion, materials, flashing, skylights and penetrations (vents, pipes, chimneys).

For the roof structure and attic, the inspector reports the vantage point, the approximate average depth of attic insulation, evidence of water penetration, and deficiencies such as ventilation problems, sagging roof surfaces, missing insulation or framing issues.

What the inspector is not required to do

This is the part buyers most often miss. Under the TREC standards, the inspector is not required to:

• Inspect from the roof level if, in the inspector's reasonable judgment, they cannot safely reach or stay on the roof, or walking on it could significantly damage the roofing. In that case the report should say where the roof was viewed from.
• Determine the remaining life expectancy of the roof or the number of layers.
• Identify latent hail damage — damage that isn't visible yet.
• Enter attics where the opening is smaller than 22 by 30 inches or headroom is under 30 inches.
• Determine insurability or warrantability, the age or life expectancy of items, or code compliance.
• Provide repair cost estimates.

If the inspector departs from the standards (for example, didn't go into part of the attic), the rules say they must tell you at the earliest practical opportunity and note it on the report.

Questions to ask the inspector

Before the inspection:

1. Do you expect to walk the roof, and what would make you decide not to?
2. Will you go into the attic, and how much of it can you reach?
3. Will you use any other method (binoculars, a pole camera, a drone) if you stay on the ground? (Ask; methods vary by inspector.)
4. Can I be there for the walk-through at the end?

After the inspection, about the report:

1. Where did you inspect the roof from? "From the ground with binoculars" and "walked the roof surface" are very different levels of information.
2. What did you see in the attic? Water stains on the roof deck, daylight at penetrations, damp insulation and ventilation notes matter as much as shingles.
3. Which items are deficiencies and which are observations? Ask what each note means in plain words.
4. Were there signs of past repairs? The standards ask the inspector to report evidence of previous repairs; ask where they were and what they might mean.
5. What would you want a roofer to look at more closely? Inspectors can't give repair prices, but they can say what deserves a specialist's eye.
6. Was anything not inspected, and why?

Questions to ask the seller (through your agent)

• How old is the roof, and is there an invoice or permit for the last replacement?
• Have there been leaks or roof repairs? When, and who did them?
• Have there been any storm-related repairs or claims on the roof?
• Is there a manufacturer warranty or a roofer's workmanship warranty, and can it be transferred? Transfer rules are specific and may have a deadline after the sale; see roof warranties.

Ask for copies, not summaries. Paperwork you collect now also starts your own records; see roof storm damage documentation.

The insurance side: ask your agent early

TDI explains that some policies pay to repair a roof at current prices (replacement cost) and others pay less if the roof is older or worn (actual cash value). TDI also notes that as roofs age, some companies switch roof coverage to actual cash value, and if a roof is in poor condition a company might not cover the roof at all. Wind and hail deductibles can be different from other deductibles.

You don't need to become an insurance expert, but you should ask your own agent, before your deadlines, how the roof's age and condition affect the policy you are buying. The inspector, by rule, does not decide insurability, and a roofer cannot speak for your insurer.

When to bring in a roofer

Consider asking a roofing contractor to look at the roof when:

• The inspector couldn't walk the roof or reach the attic.
• The report notes water penetration, deficient flashing or past repairs.
• The roof is old, or the seller has no records of its age.
• The area recently had hail and you want an opinion on damage that a visual inspection may not show.

A roofer's visit can tell you whether a repair is reasonable or whether replacement is likely; see roof repair or replacement in Dallas and what a Texas roof replacement estimate should include. Keep in mind that a roofer's opinion is not an inspection under TREC rules, and a roofer selling a roof has a stake in the answer — ask for photos and a written explanation.

What you can safely do yourself

• Look at the roof from the ground and from across the street: missing or out-of-place shingles, lines that look wavy or sagging, debris piled in valleys. Take photos to ask about.
• Look at ceilings inside, especially under bathrooms, around chimneys and in closets, for stains.
• If the attic has a proper floor and safe access, look from the hatch with a flashlight. Do not walk on ceiling joists between rafters where there is no flooring; a step in the wrong place can go through the ceiling.
• Do not climb onto the roof.

Getting help through HVACandRoof

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