How to check your roof from the ground

Why it matters

Most of Orange County's rain falls from December through March, so a fall check finds damage while there is still time to fix it before the storms.

Steps

1. Walk all the way around the house and look at every part of the roof you can see with binoculars. Upstairs windows can give a better angle.
2. Look for shingles or tiles that are missing, cracked or out of place.
3. Check the flashing around chimneys, vents, skylights and where the roof meets a wall for gaps or lifted edges.
4. Look in the gutters and at the downspout outlets for shingle granules, which look like coarse sand.
5. In the attic, shine a flashlight on the underside of the roof deck and the rafters, looking for stains or wet spots.
6. Inside the house, look for new stains on the ceilings and the tops of walls.
7. Photograph anything you find, so a roofer can see it before coming out.

When to call a pro

If you see damage or find a leak, call a roofing contractor; ARMA says the same. Leave repairs to them.

Safety

Stay off the roof: ARMA and NRCA both say owners should inspect from the ground only, because the fall risk is too high. In the attic, step only on the framing, never on the drywall between it.

Go deeper

• Roof replacement cost