When to book an inspection
- After a major storm or hail, even if nothing obvious is wrong
- When a leak appears, before it causes more damage
- Before buying a house, especially an older one or one near the beach
- Before selling, so you are not surprised by a buyer's report
- Every few years on roofs more than about twenty years old
- Before installing solar, to confirm the roof will outlast the panels
What the roofer should check outside
The covering
- Steel: rust at laps, cut edges and fixings; loose or missing screws; dents; paint condition; swarf damage
- Tiles: cracked, broken, slipped or porous tiles; moss and lichen; signs someone has walked on them
- Slate: slipped, cracked or delaminating slates; fixing condition
- Asbestos cement: weathering, cracking, lichen; noted without disturbing it
Ridges and hips
On tile roofs, the condition of bedding and pointing; whether caps are loose. On steel roofs, ridge capping fixings and fit.
Valleys
Rust, debris, valley width, and whether tiles or sheets are cut correctly along them.
Flashings
Around chimneys, walls, skylights, vents and changes in roof level. Whether they are mechanically fixed and folded or held only by sealant.
Penetrations
Solar mounts, air-conditioning lines, flues, aerials and vents. Whether each is properly flashed.
Gutters and downpipes
Condition, fall, blockages, overflow provision and connections.
What the roofer should check inside
If there is safe access to the roof space:
- daylight through the covering
- water stains on timber and the underside of the roof
- condition of battens and rafters
- presence and condition of sarking
- insulation: damp, compressed, missing
- signs of pests or termites
- ventilation
The verdict
A good inspection ends with a clear explanation:
- What is fine.
- What needs attention now, with photos.
- What to watch, and when to look again.
- Repair, partial replacement or replacement, with reasons.
If you are being recommended replacement, you should see photos showing why repair is not enough.
The report
For quote purposes, the roofer's photos and a written quote are usually enough. For insurance claims, pre-purchase decisions or disputes, ask for a written report describing:
- the property and date
- the roof type and approximate age
- what was inspected and what could not be accessed
- findings with photos
- likely causes of any damage
- recommendations
Reports for these purposes may carry a fee. Ask first.
Newcastle-specific things inspectors look for
- Coastal corrosion on the seaward face, in sheltered areas and at gutters
- Wind-driven rain entry under tiles and at flashings on exposed sites
- Original battens on interwar and post-war houses
- Asbestos cement on fibro-era houses, garages and verandahs
- Movement in ridge lines and wall junctions in subsidence-affected areas or reactive soils
- Box gutters on terraces and older commercial buildings
Inspection safety
The roofer should use appropriate access and fall protection for the roof's height and pitch, and should not walk on asbestos cement or fragile skylights. If a roof cannot be walked safely, they may inspect from a ladder, an elevated platform or with a camera on a pole or drone, and should note those limits in the report.
What an inspection cannot tell you
Even a thorough inspection has limits, and a straight roofer will tell you what they are. Concealed areas, such as the top of a wall plate behind insulation, the inside of a box gutter under a parapet capping, or battens under tiles that were not lifted, can only be judged indirectly. Roofs that cannot be walked safely, including asbestos cement, very steep slate and fragile old skylights, are assessed from ladders, platforms or cameras, and some faults will only show once the covering comes off.
That is why a sensible replacement quote includes a stated rate for timber or other problems found during the work, and why a repair recommendation may come with a note to recheck after the next heavy rain. If the report does not say what was not inspected, ask. Knowing the gaps helps you judge how firm the verdict is.
Preparing for the inspector's visit
A few minutes of preparation helps the inspection go further. Clear a path to the manhole and move stored items from directly under it. Unlock side gates so ladders can reach every face of the roof. Note which rooms have leaked, when, and in what weather. Find any earlier reports, warranties or invoices for roof work. If you have photos of the roof from a past sale listing or a drone, have them handy; they can show how fast things have changed.
After the inspection
If the roof needs work, compare quotes using the factors that affect roof replacement costs and the 2026 cost guide. If you are weighing repair against replacement, read roof replacement vs roof repair.