Free roof inspection checklist

Fill it in on the roof and leave the homeowner a report as a PDF. Mark each part Good, Repair or Replace, tick off the photos as you take them, and say what you found and what you recommend.

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Quoting the work? Use the roofing estimate template.

Fill in a roof inspection checklist

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Roof inspection

Customer

The roof

From the ground

Tap Good, Repair or Replace for each. Tap it again to clear it.

  • Roof line: sagging or dips
  • Gutters and downspouts: loose, clogged, or draining by the house
  • Fascia and soffit: rot or gaps
  • Trees: branches on or over the roof

The covering

  • Shingles: missing, cracked, curled or lifted
  • Granules: bare or worn patches
  • Hail and wind: bruises, creases, torn edges
  • Ridge and hip caps: cracked or loose
  • Valleys: worn, cracked or holding debris
  • Nails: popped or showing
  • Decking: soft or sagging underfoot

Flashing and openings

  • Chimney flashing: gaps, rust or old caulk
  • Wall and step flashing: gaps or rust
  • Pipe boots: cracked or loose
  • Vents: damaged, blocked or loose
  • Skylights: cracks, or leaks at the edges
  • Drip edge: missing or bent

In the attic

  • Decking from below: daylight through it
  • Leaks: stains, wet insulation or mold
  • Ventilation: intake and exhaust vents blocked
  • Fans: bathroom or kitchen fans venting into the attic

More checks

Photos to take

Tap each one as you take it. Only the ones taken print.

  • Each side of the house, from the ground
  • Each slope, from a corner of the roof
  • Every problem close up, with a tape measure for scale
  • Chimney, vents and pipe boots
  • Gutters and downspouts
  • The attic, under any stain

What we found

What a roof inspection covers

The list starts from what InterNACHI’s standards of practice ask a home inspector to look at on a roof and in the attic, and adds what a roofer checks from on top. NRCA, the roofing contractors’ association, recommends inspecting a roof at least twice a year, preferably in spring and fall, and again after severe weather such as a hailstorm.

  1. From the ground first The roof line, the gutters, the fascia, and branches over the roof.
  2. What it’s covered with Its type, age and layers, and any missing, cracked, lifted or worn shingles.
  3. Flashing and openings Chimney, walls, vents, skylights and pipe boots: every place the roof is cut or meets a wall.
  4. Gutters and downspouts Attached, clear, and draining away from the house.
  5. Signs of a leak Stains, wet insulation and daylight, from the attic.
  6. The structure Sagging from the ground, soft decking underfoot.
  7. Photos of all of it Each side, each slope and every problem, so the homeowner sees what you saw.
  8. What you found, and what you recommend In plain words, with the price to follow.
Where this comes from

Checked October 22, 2026. It’s in plain words, not quoted; the links are the authority, not this page.

Ridgeline Roofing

2030 E Lincoln Way, Sparks, NV 89434
(775) 555-0148 · office@example.com
NV license #000000

Roof
inspection

Date
Oct 20, 2026
Inspector
Sam Ortiz
Reason
Leak after a storm

Customer

Kim Nguyen
(775) 555-0129 · kim@example.com
4471 Lakeside Dr, Reno, NV 89509

The roof

Covering
Architectural asphalt shingles
Age
About 16 years
Layers
1
Pitch
6/12

From the ground

  • Roof lineGood
  • Gutters and downspoutsRepair
  • Fascia and soffitGood
  • TreesGood

The covering

  • ShinglesRepair
  • GranulesGood
  • Hail and windRepair
  • Ridge and hip capsGood
  • ValleysGood
  • NailsGood
  • DeckingReplace

Flashing and openings

  • Chimney flashingGood
  • Wall and step flashingGood
  • Pipe bootsReplace
  • VentsGood
  • Drip edgeGood

In the attic

  • Decking from belowGood
  • LeaksRepair
  • VentilationGood
  • FansGood

Photos to take

  • Each side of the house, from the groundTaken
  • Each slope, from a corner of the roofTaken
  • Every problem close up, with a tape measure for scaleTaken
  • Chimney, vents and pipe bootsTaken
  • The attic, under any stainTaken

What we found

The rubber boot around the plumbing vent over the garage has split, and water has run down the pipe: that’s the leak. The decking around it is soft. Nine shingles on the north slope were lifted by the wind, and the gutter over the back door pulls away from the fascia.

What we recommend

Replace the pipe boot and the two sheets of decking around it, nail down and seal the nine lifted shingles, and refasten the gutter. We’ll text you the price today.

The roof’s life left, our estimate

About 5 years

Inspector signatureDate

Good: sound, nothing needed. Repair: fix it to keep the roof sound. Replace: past repair. A part with no mark wasn’t checked or isn’t there.

A filled-in inspection, the way this page’s PDF comes out: the report you leave the homeowner. The shop, the customer and the roof are made up.

Four ways to turn an inspection into the job

  • Show them the photos

    A homeowner can’t see the roof. A close-up of the split pipe boot does the explaining.

  • Put the worst first

    Say what leaks or is unsafe before what can wait.

  • Send the price the same day

    Write it in What we recommend, or say when it’s coming.

  • Book the next look

    NRCA suggests spring and fall, and after a big storm.

Questions about this checklist

More templates for roofing shops are on the free templates page.

How often should a roof be inspected?

NRCA, the roofing contractors’ association, recommends at least twice a year, preferably in spring and fall, with another inspection after severe weather such as a hailstorm or a hurricane.

What do Good, Repair and Replace mean?

Good: sound, nothing needed. Repair: fix it to keep the roof sound. Replace: it’s past repair. A part you leave unmarked doesn’t print, and the PDF says what each mark means at its foot.

Do I have to walk the roof?

Not for every part. InterNACHI’s standards let a home inspector inspect from the ground or the eaves, and never ask them to walk a roof that looks unsafe or might be damaged by it. Walk it when it’s safe to, and say in What we found where you looked from.

Can the report go to an insurance company?

The homeowner can send it with their claim, with your photos. It’s your inspection in your words, not the insurer’s own form, so ask the insurer what else it needs.

Can I add my own checks?

Yes. Add your own check puts a part under the list with its own Good, Repair and Replace. Your checks stay for the next inspection, with their marks cleared.

Does it cover flat or metal roofs?

It’s written for the most common home roof, a sloped one with shingles. For a flat, metal or tile roof, write the covering at the top and add your own checks for what that roof needs.

Is this checklist free?

Yes. There’s no account, no trial and no email address to give. Fill it in and download the PDF as often as you like.

Where does what I type go?

Nowhere. It stays in this browser on this device, so it’s there next time you open the page. Wakeman never sees it, and Clear everything removes it.

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