By the time the rhododendrons bloom in Mill Creek and the fog finally lifts off Lake Stevens, your roof has just survived another seven months of Pacific Northwest weather doing its worst. Atmospheric rivers in November, freeze-thaw cycles through January, and that long March drizzle that never quite stops — all of it leaves fingerprints up there. Late spring is the window when our crews at Premier Roofing NW get the most calls, and it’s also the easiest time of year to catch small issues before they turn into ceiling stains in October.
Here’s the walkaround we recommend Snohomish County homeowners do every May, and the signs that mean it’s time to hand the binoculars to a professional.
Start From the Ground, Not the Ladder
You don’t need to climb anything to learn a lot about your roof. Grab a pair of binoculars and walk a slow loop around the house — ideally on a dry, overcast afternoon when glare isn’t fighting you.
Look for shingles that are cupping, curling at the corners, or sitting at slightly different angles than their neighbors. After a wet Snohomish winter, granule loss is the most common thing we see; if your gutters are full of what looks like coarse black sand, that’s asphalt granules shedding faster than they should. A few seasons of that exposes the mat underneath and the clock starts ticking.
Pay close attention to the north and west slopes. Those faces get less sun, hold moisture longer, and are where moss almost always shows up first in Monroe, Stanwood, and the wooded neighborhoods around Bothell. Even faint green fuzz between shingle courses is worth noting.
Walk the Perimeter and Check the Drainage
Your gutters tell you the story of the winter. Pop the downspout splash blocks and check for sediment. A thin layer of grit is normal — a half-inch of granules is not.
While you’re down there, look up at the fascia and soffits. Peeling paint, dark streaks, or any visible swelling in the wood usually means water got behind the gutter at some point. In Whidbey Island and waterfront Mukilteo homes, salt air accelerates that decay, so it’s worth a closer look if you’re near the Sound.
Check that downspouts actually carry water away from the foundation. We see a lot of homes in older Everett and Lynnwood neighborhoods where the original drain tile has collapsed and water now pools against the house — that shows up as basement musk before it shows up as a roof problem, but it’s all the same water system.
Look Inside the Attic Before You Climb Outside
This is the step most homeowners skip, and it’s the most useful one. On the next sunny morning, head into the attic with a flashlight and turn the light off for a minute.
Any pinpoints of daylight through the roof deck are obvious red flags. More commonly, you’ll see dark staining on the underside of the sheathing around vent pipes, the chimney, or skylights — that’s where flashing tends to fail first. Touch the insulation near those spots; if it feels damp or compressed, water has been finding its way in.
While you’re up there, look for frost residue or rusted nail tips, both of which point to ventilation problems. Snohomish County’s damp climate punishes under-ventilated attics, and trapped moisture rots decking from the inside long before anything fails on the surface.
Know When to Stop and Call Someone
There’s a clear line between homeowner inspection and professional inspection, and we’d rather you call early than late. Escalate when you see:
- Shingles that are visibly missing, cracked through, or have exposed black mat
- Flashing that’s lifted, rusted, or pulling away from the chimney or sidewalls
- Sagging anywhere along the ridgeline or between rafters
- Moss growth more than a light dusting — especially thick mats on north-facing slopes
- Any interior staining on ceilings, even faint ones, that weren’t there last fall
Walking a wet PNW roof is genuinely dangerous, even for people who do it every day. Our team uses fall protection, soft-soled boots, and we know how to read a roof without damaging it further. A free inspection takes about 45 minutes and you get a clear, photographed report of what we find — no pressure to do anything you don’t need.
Why the Snohomish County Climate Demands This Routine
The combination of mild winters, heavy rainfall, and abundant tree cover creates conditions that are uniquely hard on asphalt shingles. We’re not seeing the dramatic hail damage that hammers the Midwest, but we are seeing slow, persistent moisture intrusion, biological growth, and UV breakdown on south-facing slopes during our increasingly hot summers. A spring check catches all three before the next wet season begins.
If anything on your walkaround gave you pause — or if you just want a baseline assessment before summer — give our team a call at (425) 307-0460. We’ve been inspecting roofs across Snohomish County, Whidbey Island, and the greater Puget Sound region for over thirty years, and we’ll tell you straight whether you need work done now, in a few seasons, or not at all.