Roof Inspection in Charleston

What we check on the roof

Every slope gets photographed, close up and wide, along with:

• The shingles. Tabs that have come unsealed or creased, granule loss, cracks, hail bruises, and nails backing out. FEMA's high-wind guidance notes that shingle tabs need sun to activate their adhesive and should be checked to confirm they actually sealed, so on a newer roof that is part of the look.
• Dark streaks. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association traces most of them to algae, with Gloeocapsa magma the usual species, and says warm, humid conditions suit it. ARMA treats it as discoloration and warns against pressure-washing it off.
• Flashing. At walls, chimneys, skylights and valleys: loose, rusted or missing metal, and sealant standing in for flashing.
• Penetrations. Pipe collars, exhaust caps, satellite mounts and anything else bolted through the roof.
• Edges and ridge. Drip edge, starter course, ridge caps and the ridge vent, where wind damage usually starts.
• Metal parts. Vents, flashing and fasteners near the water, where corrosion shows first.
• Gutters and downspouts. Pitch, joints, hangers and where the water ends up (more on gutters).

What we check in the attic

Half of a roof's story is told from underneath. With access to the attic, we look at:

• The underside of the deck. Water stains, dark rings around nails, delaminating plywood or soft OSB, and daylight where there should be none.
• Framing. Cracked or sagging rafters and trusses, and the straps or clips that tie them to the walls. South Carolina's code changes require a continuous load path from the roof down to the foundation.
• Ventilation. Whether intake at the eaves is open or buried in insulation; the code wants at least a 1-inch air space between insulation and the roof sheathing at the vents (R806.3). The roof ventilation page covers the rest.
• Termites and rot. Mud tubes and damaged wood along the plates and rafters, since the city rates the termite hazard here very heavy.
• Old leaks. Stains that are dry today still say where water got in before.

A cathedral ceiling or a low-slope roof with no attic limits what can be seen from inside, and the report says so rather than guessing.

The wind features insurers and grant programs ask about

South Carolina requires every insurer writing a homeowner policy to tell you, when the policy is issued and at each renewal, what discounts, credits or other rate differences it offers for construction that reduces windstorm loss (S.C. Code 38-75-755). What counts, and how much it is worth, is up to each insurer.

The state's SC Safe Home grant program lists the roof items it considers worth strengthening: how the deck is attached, a secondary water barrier, a roof covering rated for high wind, braced gable ends, and the connections between roof and walls. An inspection can document several of those:

• the shingle's wind class, when the packaging label or a permit record shows it (asphalt shingle packaging has to carry its ASTM D7158 class, R905.2.4.1);
• the deck nailing, where it can be seen from the attic or at an opening;
• the straps or clips at the top of the walls, from the attic;
• whether gable ends are braced.

Insurers and Safe Home use their own forms, and Safe Home uses its own participating inspectors, so our report is not a substitute for either. It is a photographed record you can show anyone. The hurricane roof protection page covers what each feature does.

Buying or selling a house here

A general home inspector looks at the roof among a hundred other things. A roof inspection goes further on the questions that cost money after closing:

• How old is it? HUD's rehabilitation guide puts roughly 20 years on the first layer of an asphalt shingle roof. Ask the seller, or the building department, for the permit from the last re-roof.
• How many layers? With two already up there, the code rules out a third, so the next roof starts with stripping both.
• What wind rating? It decides how the roof is likely to fare and what an insurer may credit.
• What approvals come with it? In a historic district or an association, the next roof may need a board's sign-off.
• Is it in a flood zone? Repairs and improvements there count toward the 50 percent substantial-improvement test. Sullivan's Island goes further and urges buyers to talk to its building official first, because a permit a past owner got within a three-year period can limit what you may do next.

Older and historic roofs

Older houses around Charleston carry roofs that few inspectors see every day: slate, clay tile, standing-seam terne or copper, and asbestos-cement shingles. Each has its own failure points, from slipped slates and broken tile to open seams and rust on painted metal.

They also carry rules. In the city's Old and Historic and Old City districts, the Board of Architectural Review's policy is to repair historic roofs wherever possible. Its staff can handle the replacement of asbestos-cement shingle roofs at the counter, and Sullivan's Island's design guidelines name cement-fiber shingles or a compatible material as their replacement. On a house like that, an inspection that separates what can be repaired from what has to be replaced is worth more than a price for a new roof.

An inspection only looks; nothing gets cut or disturbed. For the material rules by town, see metal roofing and roof shingles.

After a storm

After a tropical storm or a hail day, the inspection becomes a damage survey. Each slope is photographed, wind creases and hail bruises are marked, dents in vents and gutters are recorded, and the report lists what is storm damage and what is ordinary wear. That distinction matters, because a claim is about the storm, not about age.

The report is yours. Filing, and sharing the report with your insurer, are your calls, and the claim remains yours. South Carolina's roofing statute keeps it that way: a roofer may evaluate the roof for you, but may not stand in for you on the claim. The storm damage page explains how claims and contract rights work here.

What you get, and how often to look

The inspection is free. You get:

• photos of every slope, the edges, the flashing and the penetrations, and of the attic where there is one;
• a written report of what we found, with a remaining-life estimate;
• if work is needed, a written, line-item scope with materials named by brand and product.

The report is yours whether or not you hire anyone. There is no sales pitch attached to it.

How often? An annual condition check catches small problems while they are cheap. On top of that, look after any named storm or hail day, before buying or selling, and once a new roof has had enough sun to set the shingle adhesive.

Common questions about roof inspection in Charleston

Where we work

Roof inspection across greater Charleston, from the sea islands and beach towns to Summerville, Goose Creek and Moncks Corner. Each city has its own page with the permit rule and code edition that apply there: