Roof Inspection Checklist for Arkansas Homeowners

You can learn a lot about your roof without climbing on it. Use this checklist from the yard and the attic. Your roof should be looked at least once a year, and again after any hail or high wind. Please stay off the roof; binoculars work well from the ground.

An inspection every year with the Patriot Care Club

The easiest way to make sure your roof gets looked at every year is the Patriot Care Club. Members get an annual 21-Point Roof Checkup and Attic Analysis with photos, priority appointments within 24 hours, a 10% repair discount and no repair service fee.

From the ground

• Missing shingles, or shingles that are lifted, creased or flapping.
• Curling or cracking across several slopes, a sign of age.
• Bare dark spots where granules have worn off.
• Ridge cap pieces missing or cracked along the peak and hips.
• Flashing around the chimney, walls and vent pipes that is bent, rusted or pulled away.
• Pipe boots with cracked rubber collars.
• A sagging roofline or a dip in the ridge.

Gutters, edges and trim

• Granules piling up in the gutters or at downspouts.
• Gutters pulling away from the house or overflowing in rain.
• Stained, soft or rotted fascia and soffit.
• Debris piled in the roof valleys.

In the attic

• Water stains or dark spots on the underside of the roof deck.
• Damp or matted insulation.
• Daylight showing through the roof boards.
• Rusty nail tips poking through the deck.
• A musty smell, or an attic that feels much hotter than outdoors on a summer afternoon.

Inside the house

• Ceiling stains, especially near bathrooms, the kitchen, the chimney or where two rooflines meet.
• Peeling paint or bubbling on ceilings or upper walls.

What to do with what you find

One or two problems in one spot are usually a repair. See our roof repair cost page. Problems across the whole roof, or a roof that is 15 to 20 years old, may point to replacement. See signs you need a new roof.

A professional inspection

Our inspectors climb the roof, check the attic and give you our 21-Point Roof Inspection Report with photos. A storm or replacement inspection is free. A leak or repair visit is the $79.99 diagnostic. A roof inspection with a written photo report is $379. See our roof inspection page.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I check my roof?

At least once a year, and again after any hail or high wind. Patriot Care Club members get a 21-Point Roof Checkup every year.

Is it safe to walk on my roof to check it?

We do not recommend it. Use binoculars from the ground and check the attic instead.

Want a professional look?

Book a free 30-minute storm or replacement inspection. You get our 21-Point Roof Inspection Report with photos, so you can see your own roof and decide for yourself.