Most roof problems are visible long before they become expensive — but only if someone knows where to look. This checklist covers what a thorough professional inspection includes, and what you can safely check on your own without ever leaving the ground.

What you can check from the ground

Walk your property with binoculars or a phone camera zoomed in. Look at each slope of the roof separately, and check after any significant storm.

• Missing, cracked, or lifted shingles — especially along ridges and edges where wind gets underneath
• Granule loss — bald or shiny patches on shingles, or excessive granules collecting in gutters and at downspout outlets
• Dented or dinged metal — gutters, downspouts, vents, and flashing show hail impact more visibly than shingles do
• Sagging rooflines — any dip or wave in what should be a straight ridge or slope
• Damaged or missing flashing — the metal around chimneys, vents, skylights, and where roof meets wall
• Debris or standing water — particularly in valleys and on any low-slope sections
• Overhanging limbs — branches contacting or scraping the roof surface

What to check inside the house

Interior signs often appear before exterior damage is obvious, and they're the ones that indicate active water intrusion.

• Attic daylight — any light visible through the roof deck is a hole
• Water staining on decking or rafters — dark rings or streaks, even if currently dry
• Damp or compressed insulation — a sign of repeated wetting
• Ceiling stains — brown or yellow rings, particularly near exterior walls and chimneys
• Musty attic odor — often the first sign of a slow leak
• Peeling paint near the roofline — outside or in

What a professional inspection covers

A thorough inspection goes well past the shingle surface. Here's what should be examined and documented:

How often should you have your roof inspected?

In Central Texas, once a year is the baseline, and again after any hail event or severe wind storm. Roofs over ten years old benefit from twice-yearly checks, since that's when material fatigue begins showing up. If you're buying or selling, a dedicated roof inspection is worth having separately from the general home inspection — a general inspector typically notes roof condition in a line or two without ever assessing flashing details or attic moisture.

Between inspections, the roof maintenance guide covers the seasonal work that keeps a sound roof sound.

Signs you should stop looking and call

Any of the following means the roof needs eyes on it now rather than at the next convenient moment — start with a free roof inspection, or go straight to emergency roof repair if water is actively coming in.

• Any active drip or water entering the home
• Daylight visible through the roof deck in the attic
• A visible sag or dip in the roofline
• Shingles scattered in the yard after a storm
• Widespread granule loss with bald patches

What happens after the inspection

We offer free roof inspections in Pflugerville and across Central Texas, with photo documentation you keep whether or not you hire us. If a roof repair is all your roof needs, that's what we'll tell you — and if it isn't, the roof replacement quote will show you exactly why, line by line.

See all our Pflugerville roofing services for the full range of what we handle, from new roof installation to metal roofing and commercial roofing.

Common questions