How often should you inspect your roof?
Updated July 2026
Inspect your roof twice a year — a ground-level walkaround with binoculars each spring and fall — plus after any major hail, wind, or ice storm, and bring in a professional every 2–3 years (or after suspected hail damage, when an insurance clock may be ticking). You're not climbing anything: the twice-yearly look is about catching a $300 repair while it's still a $300 repair.
What changes the interval
| Your situation | Interval | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingles under 10 years old | DIY look twice a year | Young roofs mostly fail at penetrations and flashing, visible from the ground |
| Asphalt shingles 15+ years old | Twice a year + pro every 2 years | Past mid-life (15–30 yr typical), wear accelerates and hides better |
| After hail or 50+ mph winds | Within days | Insurance claims often have 6–12-month filing windows |
| Overhanging trees | Add a post-storm check each time | Abrasion and dropped limbs are the top localized-damage source |
| Tile, metal, or slate roof | Pro every 2–3 years | Longer-lived materials, but walking them causes the damage — leave it to pros |
| Any ceiling stain or attic daylight | Pro now | Interior evidence means water has already been traveling for a while |
The cost of skipping it
What skipping it costs: a lifted shingle or cracked pipe boot is a $150–500 repair the day you spot it. Undetected, water follows the sheathing: rotten decking, wet insulation, stained ceilings — $1,000–5,000 — and a chronic leak can drag a roof that had years left into an early $10,000–30,000 replacement. Missed storm damage has a second cost: insurers commonly require claims within 6–12 months of the storm.
How to do it (20 minutes from the ground · binoculars, no ladder)
- Walk the full perimeter with binoculars: look for missing, cracked, curling, or lifted shingles and any exposed black underlayment.
- Study the flashing points — chimney, vents, pipe boots, skylights, valleys — where the majority of leaks start.
- Check the gutters for heavy granule accumulation (bald shingles age fast) and the downspout splash for granule piles after storms.
- Inside: scan the attic with a flashlight for water staining, damp insulation, or daylight at the ridge/valleys, and ceiling corners for stains.
- Log what you see (photos date-stamp themselves) so slow changes are visible year over year — OnOtto keeps the history with the recurring task.
Knowing the interval is the easy half. OnOtto reminds you at the right interval — and won't let you snooze it into next year. Tasks persist until they're done, and completing both roof checks schedules the next one automatically.
Put this on autopilot — free for 30 daysFrequently asked questions
Should I walk on the roof to inspect it?
No — for safety and for the roof. Binoculars from the ground catch most of what matters; a drone photo set is even better. Walking asphalt scuffs granules, walking tile cracks tiles, and falls from residential roofs are among the most common serious DIY injuries. The things a walkaround can't see are exactly what the every-2–3-year professional inspection ($150–400) is for.
What does a professional roof inspection include, and what does it cost?
Typically $150–400: on-roof examination of shingles/tiles, all flashing and penetrations, seals and boots, plus attic-side checks of decking and ventilation, ending in a written condition report with photos. Free inspections from roofing contractors can be fine, but understand the incentive — a paid independent inspection has no repair to sell.
How do I know if hail actually damaged my roof?
From the ground: dented gutters, downspouts, and AC fins are the proxy evidence — if soft metal took hits, shingles likely did too. On the roof (pro): dark bruises where granules were knocked away, often with a soft spot beneath. If nearby metal is dented after a hailstorm, get a professional inspection promptly and photograph everything; the insurance filing window is commonly 6–12 months.
How long should my roof last?
Typical US ranges: 3-tab asphalt 15–20 years, architectural asphalt 20–30, metal 40–70, concrete tile 50+, slate a century. Ventilation, shade/moss, storm history, and installation quality move every number — which is why inspection frequency should climb as the roof passes mid-life.