Roof inspection in Madison

What fails on a Madison roof, by age

Most roof inspections in Madison are a question about age, so that's the place to start.

Why the attic is half the inspection

A roof is a system with a top and a bottom, and in Madison the bottom causes most of the trouble. From inside, a roofer looks for water trails on the underside of the decking, rusted or frosted nail tips that mean warm moist air is hitting a cold deck, insulation shoved into the soffits so there's no intake, a ridge vent that was never cut through, and bath fan ducts that end in the insulation. A 1960s ranch with six inches of settled fiberglass over a leaky ceiling will ice-dam no matter what's on top, and no drone photo will tell you that.

On the roof itself: seal strip adhesion (a few shingles lifted by hand on each slope), every boot and vent, chimney step and counter-flashing, valleys and whether there's membrane under them, the first three courses at the eave, drip edge, decking softness underfoot, and skylight flashing and seals.

Two things a home inspector won't do

Madison's housing market gives buyers a short contingency window, and a general home inspector often checks the roof from a ladder. Their report often says "recommend evaluation by a qualified roofing contractor," especially on older houses. What they usually don't do: walk it, and open the attic hatch with the roof in mind. A written roof estimate a buyer can hand their agent — this boot, this valley, this many winters left, this price — is what turns that sentence into a negotiation.

Sellers use the same report in reverse. Fix the two $400 items, show the buyer a report with eight years of life on it, and the roof stops being a reason to knock $15,000 off.

Snow on the roof

From December to March the shingles are under snow and nobody can inspect them honestly. What a roofer can do in winter is the attic, the eaves from a ladder, the flashing that's visible, and the ice dam pattern, which says a lot about the attic. The shingle walk happens after the thaw, and the report gets updated. If you're under contract in February, that's the usual plan.

The report and what it costs

A good report has a photo of each issue, what it means in plain language, a repair price for each line, and an honest number of winters left. If the roof is fine, it should say the roof is fine.

A standalone inspection with a written report usually runs $150–$300, depending on roof size and pitch; ask whether the fee is credited if you hire that roofer. Most local roofers give free written estimates when they're quoting a specific repair.

What you can check yourself first

You don't need a ladder for most of this. From the ground with binoculars: shingles lifted or missing, bald patches on the south and west slopes, a ridge line that dips, flashing pulled away from the chimney. In the gutters: a layer of coarse granules. In the attic on a bright day: daylight through the deck, dark stains on the plywood, wet insulation, frost on nail tips if it's cold. Write down what you saw and where. The roofer can then spend the visit on the things you can't check, and you'll know whether the report covers what you noticed.

How to read the report

Sort the lines into three groups. Now: anything letting water in, soft decking, flashing pulled loose. This year: boots near the end of their life, cracked sealant, gutters pulling away. Watch: wear that will need a replacement in a few years. Each line should have a photo and a price, and the report should say which group it falls in. If everything lands in the "now" group on a roof that isn't leaking, ask why.

The "winters left" number is an estimate, not a promise. Ask what it's based on — granule loss, curling, decking, the attic — and what would change it.

Questions to ask before you book

• Will you walk the roof, or look from a ladder or a drone?
• Will you go into the attic?
• Is the report written, with photos, and when will I get it?
• Do you charge for the visit, and is the fee credited if I hire you?
• If you find something small, will you price it in writing before fixing it?

A note for buyers

Your contingency window is short, and the seller may already have a report from their own roofer. Read it, but get your own if the roof is over 15 years old. Send the report to your agent with the prices on it. A specific number for a specific problem is far easier to negotiate than "roof may need work."

When to book one

• Buying or selling — the moment you're under contract. Tell the roofer the contingency deadline.
• April — after a hard winter, to catch lifted eave shingles and soft decking before summer storms find them.
• After June hail — so you know what you're looking at before you call your insurer.
• The 20-year mark — "one more year or replace now?" is a question a roofer can answer on the roof, and the answer is often two or three more winters plus two small repairs.

The same roof inspection, Madison to DeForest, WI and Waunakee, WI, covers the same list. Drones get used on roofs too steep or icy to walk and for the overview photo. They can't lift a shingle, feel a soft deck or see a rusted nail tip. Our post on finding a roof leak from inside shows the attic side of an inspection, the roof repair page covers what happens to the items on the list, and questions to ask Madison roofing contractors is worth reading before you hire anyone off the report.