Why Regular Roof Inspections are Crucial for a Damage-Free Home

The Most Cost-Effective Home Protection

Of all the maintenance investments you can make in your home, a professional roof inspection consistently delivers the highest return. A $99 inspection that catches a failing flashing, a cracked tile, or deteriorating pointing before it causes water damage can prevent repairs costing $2,000 to $10,000 or more.

Yet despite this, most Australian homeowners never have their roof professionally inspected until something goes wrong. In Canberra, where the climate is particularly hard on roofs, this reactive approach is especially costly.

What a Professional Roof Inspector Looks For

A comprehensive roof inspection is far more than a quick glance from the ground. Here is what our inspectors check during a standard inspection:

On the Roof

• Tile condition: Every tile is visually checked for cracks, chips, displacement, and porosity. On older roofs, we check for delamination (where the surface layer separates from the body of the tile).
• Metal sheet condition: Checking for corrosion, lifting, loose fixings, scratches that have penetrated the coating, and any signs of fatigue at bends and overlaps.
• Ridge caps and pointing: Every ridge and hip cap is checked for secure bedding, intact pointing, and proper alignment. This is where the majority of tile roof leaks originate in Canberra.
• Flashings: All flashings at wall junctions, chimneys, skylights, vent pipes, and penetrations are checked for secure fixing, intact sealant, and signs of corrosion or lifting.
• Valleys: Valley flashings are checked for corrosion, debris accumulation, correct tile overlap, and adequate water flow capacity.
• Penetrations: Every roof penetration (pipes, vents, antenna mounts, solar panel frames) is checked for secure flashing and sealant integrity.
• Gutters and downpipes: Checked for blockages, corrosion, sagging, secure fixing, adequate fall, and joint integrity.
• Fascia covers and barge covers: Checked for secure fixing, corrosion, and any gaps that might allow water or pests behind.

In the Roof Cavity

• Timber framing: Checking for signs of water damage, rot, mould, termite damage, and structural adequacy.
• Sarking: Checking the condition of the underlay membrane - is it intact, properly lapped, and free of holes or tears?
• Insulation: Checking for water damage, displacement, adequate coverage, and correct R-value for the ACT climate zone.
• Ventilation: Assessing whether the roof cavity has adequate airflow to prevent condensation.
• Daylight: Any points where daylight is visible through the roof indicate gaps where water can enter.

How Often Should You Get an Inspection?

The recommended frequency depends on your roof's age and type:

• New roofs (under 5 years): An inspection at the 12-month mark to catch any installation issues while still under warranty, then every 2 to 3 years.
• Established roofs (5 to 20 years): Every 1 to 2 years. This is the period when maintenance items like re-pointing start becoming necessary.
• Older roofs (20+ years): Annually. Older roofs are more likely to develop problems, and the consequences of undetected issues are more severe because the materials are already aged.
• After major weather events: Any significant hailstorm, windstorm, or flooding event warrants an inspection regardless of the regular schedule.

For Canberra specifically, annual inspections are particularly important because of the cumulative damage caused by freeze-thaw cycles. Each winter causes incremental deterioration to mortar, sealants, and porous tiles. Annual inspection catches this progressive damage before it reaches the tipping point.

Pre-Purchase Inspections

If you are buying a home, a roof inspection before purchase is one of the smartest investments you can make. A standard building inspection covers the roof at a general level, but a dedicated roof inspection goes much deeper.

Our $199 pre-purchase roof inspections provide a detailed assessment of the roof's current condition, identification of any existing problems, an estimate of remaining useful life, and a forecast of likely maintenance costs over the next 5 to 10 years. This information gives you negotiating power and helps you budget realistically for future maintenance.

We have seen many cases where a pre-purchase inspection revealed $10,000 or more of roof work needed - information that was not apparent from the standard building report. One inspection in Curtin revealed a roof that looked fine from the ground but had extensive hidden valley corrosion and riddled pointing. The buyer negotiated $12,000 off the purchase price based on our report.

What a Good Inspection Report Looks Like

Not all inspection reports are created equal. A quality report should include:

• Photographic evidence: Clear photos of every issue identified, labelled and referenced in the text. Our reports typically include 20 to 40 photos.
• Condition assessment: An overall rating of the roof's condition, with individual ratings for major components (tiles/sheets, ridge caps, flashings, valleys, gutters).
• Prioritised recommendations: Issues ranked by urgency - immediate action, address within 6 months, address within 12 months, and monitor.
• Cost estimates: Indicative pricing for recommended repairs so you can plan and budget.
• Plain language: A report that a non-trade person can understand. Technical jargon should be explained.

We deliver our reports within 24 hours of the inspection, usually same-day. The report is a PDF document suitable for your records, for insurance purposes, or for sharing with other parties (such as a vendor during purchase negotiations).

Common Issues We Find in Canberra

Based on thousands of inspections across the ACT, here are the most common issues we identify, roughly in order of frequency:

• Failed ridge cap pointing (found on approximately 70 percent of tile roofs over 10 years old)
• Blocked or deteriorated gutters
• Cracked or broken tiles
• Degraded flashing sealants
• Corroded valley flashings (particularly on pre-2000 homes with galvanised valleys)
• Inadequate roof ventilation
• Damaged or missing insulation
• Loose fixings on metal roofs
• Evidence of possum activity in the roof cavity
• Previous repair work done poorly

Many of these issues are invisible from the ground. Without a professional getting on the roof and into the cavity, they go undetected until they cause visible damage inside the home.

Book Your Roof Inspection

A $99 inspection is the foundation of responsible roof ownership. It gives you a clear picture of your roof's condition, identifies current issues before they cause damage, and provides a maintenance roadmap for the years ahead. Book online or call (02) 5133 5608. We cover all ACT suburbs, 7 days a week.