A Written Roof Condition Report Before a Sale in San Diego

What can a roof inspection see, and what can it not?

An inspection sees the surface of the roof, the flashing and vents it can reach, and the underside of the deck from the attic. It cannot see inside the walls, under a finished ceiling or beneath a covering that was laid over a failed deck without an opening.

Most of what a buyer needs is visible: the covering, the flashing and the gutters. The hidden parts are where a surprise tends to come from, and a report that says so plainly is more useful than one that claims to have seen everything.

The limits of a walk are also stated in the report. A roof that cannot be stepped on safely, because it is steep, cracked or wet, is viewed from the ground and from a ladder at the eave. The report says which parts were seen from below and which were seen up close, so a buyer knows how much weight to put on the observations.

Why does the report name the material rather than a score?

A score hides the detail that matters. A roof with clay tile, a composition shingle and a flat section each fails in its own way, and the report records the condition of each one so the buyer can judge the risk.

Naming the material also shows the buyer what the next repair will involve. Clay tile needs a different crew and different tools from a flat membrane, and the owner can budget with that in mind.

The condition is written in plain terms: sound, worn, failing or not seen. Each term has a reason beside it, such as a crack, a blister or a stain, so the buyer can check the observation for themselves.

Where two materials meet on the same roof, such as a tile field and a metal valley or a shingle slope and a flat porch cover, the report records each junction separately. Junctions are where most roof defects are found, and a report that treats the roof as one surface misses them. The condition of each junction is described with a photograph and a short note on what was seen.

What does the attic reveal that the roof does not?

The attic shows the underside of the deck, the rafters and the ventilation. It is where a leak that has been patched on the outside still shows as a stain, and where soft or dark boards show that water has been reaching the structure.

The attic also shows whether the vents are working. A blocked intake or a missing ridge vent shortens the life of the covering, even when the surface looks sound from below.

A stain that has dried in an older pattern is recorded as older, and the owner is asked whether a repair was made. The answer goes into the report so the buyer does not assume the roof was fine throughout.

A buyer who wants the attic checked more closely can ask for the access to be opened at the hatch and the insulation to be moved in one bay. That request is written into the scope before the visit, because some attics cannot be entered without damage to the insulation and the owner should know that in advance.

How do disclosure and the report work together?

A report is a fact sheet for the sale. It does not replace the seller's disclosure duties or the buyer's right to inspect, and it should be read alongside both.

A seller who shares the report with the disclosure gives the buyer one consistent picture of the roof. A buyer who has the report can ask better questions of the seller and of their own inspector.

This page does not state a legal duty or a contract term. Those are for the parties and their advisers to settle.

A report is also dated and signed by the person who wrote it, and the date matters. A roof can change in a single season, so a report written before a storm is a record of the roof as it was on that day rather than a description of its present state, and the owner should say so when sharing it.