Roof inspections in Phoenix after storms and before you buy

We start on the ground, looking at roof lines for sags, at fascia and soffits for stains, and at gutters and downspouts for granules or broken tile pieces. Then we walk the roof where it is safe. On tile we step carefully on the lower part of each tile, checking for cracks, slipped pieces and gaps at hips and ridges. On shingles we look at granule loss, seal strips, nail pops and pipe boots. On foam and flat roofs we look for blisters, ponding, coating wear and damaged edges.

Flashing gets close attention because most leaks start there: chimney and wall flashings, skylight curbs, valley metal and the bases of AC and cooler stands. We also check parapets and scuppers, where many Phoenix flat roofs fail. Inside the attic we look for daylight, water trails on the underside of the deck, damp insulation, pest activity and how well the attic is venting. Every finding gets a photo, so you can see exactly what we saw.

Monsoon storms between mid June and the end of September often do damage that waits. Wind can lift a row of shingles and break their seal without tearing them off, so they lie flat again and leak only when the next storm arrives. Tiles shift a few inches, exposing underlayment to direct sun. Flying debris dents vents and cracks skylights. A haboob packs grit into valleys and scuppers, so the next downpour backs up instead of draining.

Catching that early is the whole point. A slipped tile reset now is a small job, while underlayment cooked by a summer of exposure is a much bigger one. If you plan to file a claim, damage documented soon after a known storm date is far easier for an adjuster to tie to that event. Our monsoon roof prep checklist covers what to look for from the ground, and when damage is clear we move straight to storm damage repair.

For buyers, the key question is how much life the roof has and what it will cost to keep it dry. A general home inspection may note that a tile roof looks older or that some tiles are cracked, but it often cannot tell you whether the underlayment is nearing the end. We lift a few tiles where appropriate, look at the underlayment directly and put a rough repair or replacement cost in writing that you can use during negotiations.

If the seller or lender asks for a formal document, a roof certification goes a step further. Before solar, we check that the roof will outlast the panels' early years and that the deck can take the mounts. In older neighborhoods like Sunnyslope, where many homes have mixed roof types and decades of patches, an inspection before solar usually turns up items worth fixing first.