Roof inspection in Schaumburg

What a real roof inspection covers

A good inspector walks every slope that can safely be stood on, lifts shingles at the edges to see if they are still flexible, and checks every penetration — pipe boots, exhaust caps, skylights, chimney flashing — and every valley. The gutters get a look for granules and the drip edge for rust. Then the inspector goes into the attic and looks at the underside of the deck for stains, daylight, condensation, mold and the insulation depth, and checks whether the soffit vents are actually open. Steep or icy roofs get inspected from a ladder and the attic, with a drone only where nobody can walk.

Ask for a written report with photos: each slope and each problem, an estimate of remaining life, and a recommendation in three categories — repair now, plan for replacement in a stated number of years, or nothing needed. If work is recommended, the price should be on a separate estimate so the report stands on its own. A roof inspection in Illinois winters also tells you a lot about ice dams, because the attic side shows them best.

When people book one

Buying a house. The general home inspector looks at the roof from the ground or a ladder and writes "appears serviceable." That is not enough on a 1968 Weathersfield ranch with two layers. A roof inspection before the attorney review period ends gives you something concrete to negotiate with, and a replacement credit is a common ask when the roof turns out to be at the end.

Selling. A report showing five years of life left, or a repair done and documented, takes the roof off the table in negotiation.

After a storm. Hail damage is invisible from the ground and does not leak for months. An inspection within a few weeks of a hailstorm tells you what the damage is before you talk to your insurer. See storm damage.

The roof is 15–20 years old. The 3-tab shingles put on across Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates in the early 2000s are at the end now. An inspection tells you whether you have two winters left or five, so replacement is planned rather than forced in January.

Insurance renewal. Some policies pay actual cash value on older roofs, and some insurers ask about roof age at renewal — check your declarations page or ask your agent what they want to see.

Roof inspection: Schaumburg-specific things to look for

• Layers. Lifting the drip edge shows how many roofs are up there. Local codes generally cap asphalt roofs at two layers — your village building department confirms the rule for your address — and every extra layer changes the replacement price by a couple of thousand dollars.
• Ice dam history. Stained decking above the exterior wall line in the attic, rusty nails at the eave, and shingles at the edge that have been lifted and resealed.
• Ventilation. Painted-shut soffit vents, insulation stuffed into the eaves, a ridge with no vent. A hot attic ages shingles faster and causes the ice dams.
• Flat sections. On split-levels, whether the low-slope section has a membrane or shingles, and whether the transition is flashed.
• Chimney. Mortared-in flashing, no cricket, spalling brick.
• Hail and wind. Bruising, granule loss in the gutters, creased tabs, lifted seal strips.

How to get ready for an inspection

• Clear a path to the attic hatch and move whatever is stored under it.
• Have the roof's age, any repair receipts and past insurance claims ready if you know them.
• Write down where and when you have seen stains or drips.
• Point out the flat section, skylights and any addition built later; those are where problems hide.
• If the house is being sold, say which deadline matters, so the report is ready in time.

Questions to ask about the report

1. How many layers are on the roof, and how do you know?
2. How many years of life do you estimate, and what is that based on?
3. Which items are urgent, and which can wait a season?
4. Did you find signs of past leaks in the attic, and are any of them active?
5. Is the ventilation adequate, and what would you change?
6. Are the photos dated and labeled by slope?

A clear answer to each is what you are paying for. "It has some wear" is not a report.

Drone, ladder or walk

Drones are useful for steep or fragile roofs and for a quick overview, and some inspectors use one on every job. The limits are real, though. A drone cannot lift a shingle to see if it is brittle, feel a soft spot in the deck or look into the attic. Treat a drone-only report as a first look, not the full picture.

Free estimate or paid inspection

If you already know something is wrong and want it fixed, request a repair estimate — that is usually free, and it should include the roof and attic look. A standalone inspection with a written report usually runs $150–$350; ask whether the fee is credited if you hire that roofer. The roofing contractors questions post explains why a free roof inspection from a company that only does replacements tends to find a replacement.

After the report

A good inspector doesn't follow up with sales calls. If the report says the roof has five years, plan for five years. If it says replace, get a written quote, ask how long the price is good for, and check it against the ranges on the cost page. And if you want to learn what an inspection covers so you can check the next roofer's work, signs your roof is near the end is most of it.