Plenty of homes in Kirkland, Edmonds, and Puyallup go under contract between November and February, and every one of them gets a home inspection. The roof is one of the first things the inspector photographs and one of the first things a buyer’s agent asks about. If your roof has a problem, a wet December is exactly when it will show itself. Here is what to expect, and how to get ahead of it.
Roof Age on the Disclosure Form
Washington sellers fill out a disclosure statement that asks directly about the roof: its age, whether it has leaked, and whether repairs have been made. Answer honestly and specifically. “Roof replaced 2011, chimney flashing repaired 2022” is far better than “unknown,” because a buyer reads unknown as a risk and prices it that way. If you do not know the roof’s age, a professional inspection can estimate it from the shingle condition.
What Home Inspectors Flag
Home inspectors are generalists, and most do not walk steep or wet roofs. They look from a ladder at the eaves, from the ground with a zoom lens, or increasingly with a drone. The items that show up on inspection reports in our region over and over are:
Moss. Green growth in the shingle courses on a north slope is the single most common roof note on Puget Sound inspection reports. Even light moss gets written up, because inspectors know it holds water against the shingles.
Granule loss and bald spots. Dark patches where the granules have worn away tell an inspector the shingles are aging. So do heavy granule deposits in the gutters, which they will check.
Flashing. Lifted, rusted, or heavily caulked flashing at chimneys, walls, and pipe boots gets flagged, and a caulk-over-everything repair is a red flag in itself. Inspectors know caulk is temporary.
Multiple layers. A second layer of shingles over the first will be noted. Buyers hear that the next replacement will cost more because of the extra tear-off, and some lenders and insurers have opinions about layered roofs too.
Attic conditions. A good inspector spends time in the attic looking for staining on the sheathing, daylight around penetrations, and mold from poor ventilation. Attic findings often carry more weight than anything seen from outside.
Why a Pre-Listing Roof Inspection Pays
The worst time to learn about a roof problem is after the buyer’s inspector finds it. At that point you are negotiating from behind, often against an inflated repair credit, with a deadline. A pre-listing inspection from a roofing contractor, rather than a general home inspector, puts a roofer’s eye on the roof before anyone else sees it. We walk the roof, photograph everything, and give you a written condition report you can hand to your agent and include in the listing packet. A clean report from a roofing company carries weight with buyers and with an inspector who is otherwise guessing from a ladder.
Repair or Replace Before Listing
If the inspection turns up problems, you have three options: fix them, replace the roof, or disclose and price accordingly. The right answer depends on the roof.
Small, specific problems like moss, a few damaged shingles, a failing pipe boot, or a lifted flashing edge are almost always worth repairing before listing. They cost little relative to the credits buyers ask for, and they clear the inspection report.
A roof near the end of its life is a harder call. A full replacement before listing is a large expense you may not fully recover in price, but a visibly failing roof can cost you buyers who never make an offer, and the ones who do will ask for a credit that is often larger than the replacement would have cost. In competitive neighborhoods in Sammamish or Mill Creek, a new roof with a long warranty can also be what separates your listing from the one down the street.
Disclosing and pricing in the roof is legitimate if the roof is serviceable but aging. Just be realistic that buyers will discount for it.
We are glad to walk through this math with you, and we will tell you plainly which option we would choose.
Transferable Warranties as a Selling Point
If you do replace the roof before selling, the warranty becomes part of what you are selling. Our replacements come with a 50-year architectural shingle, a 45 to 50 year manufacturer warranty, and a 15-year workmanship warranty from us. Manufacturer warranties like the GAF Golden Pledge include transfer provisions, so ask us about the specifics for your roof and keep the paperwork organized so it can go to the buyer at closing. A buyer who knows the roof is covered for decades has one less thing to negotiate.
Get Your Roof Ready to Sell
If you are listing a home anywhere in the Greater Puget Sound area this winter, let us look at the roof first. Premier Roofing NW has been inspecting and replacing roofs here for more than 30 years, and our inspections and estimates are free, with no pressure. We will give you a written report for your agent, fix what needs fixing on your timeline, and tell you honestly when a repair is enough. Discounts are available for seniors, military, and first responders. Call us at (425) 247-0088 before the buyer’s inspector calls first.