Should You Get a Roof Inspection Before Buying a House?
Yes. Get a roof inspection before you buy a house. Do this even if the home already passed a general home inspection. A home inspector gives the roof only a quick look. A roofing contractor climbs up and checks it close. You get a written report on its real shape, how long it should last, and what repairs the deal should cover.
Call Certified Construction at (386) 423-0404 to book a pre-purchase roof inspection before you close on your next home.
Does a regular home inspection already cover the roof?
Only part of it. As of 2026, a standard home inspection runs about $250 to $400. It checks the roof along with every other part of the house. Most of that check is just a look from the ground or through the attic. A roof-only inspection from a roofing contractor runs about $120 to $700. The price depends on the method used. These are market ranges, not a quote. Certified Construction prices a general inspection, a wind mitigation inspection, and a pre-purchase review separately. You get a real number after a free visit.
What does a roof inspector check that a general inspection misses?
A roofing contractor walks the whole roof up close. Certified Construction checks the shingles or tiles, the flashing, the valleys, and every spot where a vent or pipe comes through. The crew looks for cracked or missing shingles. It checks for worn flashing and soft or sagging spots. Those spots are hard to see from a ladder or an attic hatch. Every finding goes into a written report. You learn the real shape of the roof before you close, not just a pass or fail.
Who pays for a roof inspection when you are buying a house?
In most home sales, the buyer pays for any inspection they order. That includes a roof inspection on top of the standard home inspection. This is true whether you hire a general inspector or a roofing contractor. When you pay for your own inspection, the report works for you alone. No one is rushing the sale or protecting the seller.
What happens if the inspection finds roof damage?
What happens next depends on how much of the roof is hurt. Florida's 25% roof rule is the key fact here. It says a roof must meet full current code once repair work covers more than 25% of the roof in one year. A 2022 law called SB-4D changed this a bit. It excuses roofs already built to the 2007 code or newer from that full-replacement rule. In plain words, a small-looking repair on an older home can turn into a full, required re-roof. A contractor finds this out by measuring the damaged area. This is why an honest, written report before closing matters so much. It tells you if you are talking about a patch or a whole new roof.
Why does a wind mitigation inspection matter when you buy on this coast?
Volusia County's wind speed map runs from 130 to 140 mph. The 140 mph band sits right along the coast. Land within a mile of the coastline also counts as a wind-borne debris zone. A wind mitigation inspection writes down the wind-resistant parts a roof already has. That means the roof shape, how the deck is nailed down, and any hurricane clips or straps. This written record can change your home insurance cost right after you close. It is worth asking for one on any home you plan to buy here.
Who is doing your pre-purchase roof inspection?
Certified Construction has inspected roofs on the Volusia coast since 1984. That is over 40 years of climbing coastal roofs. The crew has seen how salt air, sun, and wind wear a roof down here. Owner Johnny Puccio is a Florida Certified Roofing Contractor, license CCC1330932. He is also a GAF Certified Contractor and a CertainTeed ShingleMaster. If the company later replaces the roof, the new roof carries a 25-year manufacturer material and labor warranty. A repair carries a 6-year labor warranty instead. A roofer with nothing to gain from your sale is the second opinion a house purchase deserves. Ours has climbed coastal roofs here for over 40 years.
Ready to know what the roof on your next home really needs? Contact Certified Construction for a pre-purchase roof inspection, or read more about a smaller repair instead of a full replacement, what a full roof replacement involves, or our storm damage roof repair service if the home you are buying already shows storm wear.
Talk to Certified Construction
Questions about your roofing job? We serve Port Orange and the surrounding area with honest, upfront advice.
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FAQ
Related questions
Can a bad roof inspection help me negotiate the price of a home?
Yes. A written report gives you real facts to point to. If it shows a roof near the end of its life, or damage that needs work, you can ask the seller for a credit. You can ask for a price cut or a repair before closing. Without that report, you are only guessing.
How old is too old for a roof when I am buying a house?
There is no single cutoff. It depends on the material and how well the roof was built and kept up. But many homes in Certified Construction's own service area were built between 1976 and 1989. A lot of roofs on the market here are already on a second or third shingle cycle. An inspection tells you the real life left in the roof, not just a guess based on the home's age.
Should I get my own roof inspection even if the seller already provided one?
It is worth asking who paid for the seller's report and what kind it was. A seller-provided report can still be honest. But your own inspection works only for you. Certified Construction has inspected roofs on the Volusia coast since 1984. The crew gives buyers a straight answer, with nothing to gain either way.