Roof Inspections Shellharbour
Sometimes you do not need a quote, you need to know what is actually going on up there. A leak nobody can find, a roof you are about to buy, or a decision about whether to spend money on it at all.
- Tile and metal roofs
- 10+ years experience, fully insured
- Honest findings, photos included
What do you actually need to know?
The same roof gets looked at very differently depending on why. Telling us the reason up front means you get an answer to your question rather than a general opinion.
A leak nobody can find
Recurring, intermittent, or already patched a couple of times without success. These need tracing rather than guessing, and that is a different job to a quick look.
Is it worth spending on?
You are deciding between repairing, restoring or replacing, and you want an honest read on what the roof has left before committing thousands.
Before you buy or sell
You want to know what condition the roof is really in, with photos, before money changes hands. Roofs are one of the bigger unknowns in a building report.
After a storm
Something has changed and you want to know how bad it is, ideally with documentation you can use for an insurance claim.
What gets checked
The roof surface
Tiles or sheets, checking for displacement, breakage, corrosion, movement and any previous patch repairs that were done poorly.
The ridges
Capping, bedding and pointing, which on older Shellharbour roofs is usually the first thing to have given up.
The junctions
Flashings, valleys, penetrations and anything cut in later. This is where most leaks start, so this is where we spend the time.
Drainage
Gutters, valleys and outlets, and whether water can actually get off the roof in the volume the roof delivers it.
What we saw, what it means, what to do
A useful inspection keeps those three separate. What we observed is fact. What it probably means is our read on it. What we would do about it is a recommendation you are free to weigh up or ignore.
Mixing them together is how people end up being sold work on the strength of a photo of something perfectly normal. You get the photos either way, so you can see what we are describing rather than taking our word for it.
They answer different questions
Our quotes are free, and for most jobs a quote is all you need. We come out, look at the roof, tell you what it needs and price the work. That covers the majority of calls.
An inspection is different. It is for when the question is what is wrong or what condition is this roof in, rather than what will it cost to fix the thing we already know about. If you tell us why you are calling, we will tell you which one you need, and we will not push you toward the paid option when a free quote would have done.
What an inspection cannot tell you
Honest limits are what make the rest of the findings worth something.
We cannot see through things
Intact tiles, sheets, flashings and ceiling linings hide what is behind them. We report what is accessible and say plainly what we could not check.
Intermittent faults hide
A leak that only appears in driving rain from one direction may not show itself on a clear day. Your description of when it happens is genuinely valuable evidence.
Access has limits
Height, pitch, fragile surfaces and weather all affect what can be reached safely. We will not take risks to tick a box, and we will tell you what that left unchecked.
It is not an engineering report
We assess the roof and its components. Structural questions about the building itself are a different profession and we will say so.
What to have ready
Dig out what you have: when you first noticed the problem, what the weather was doing, which rooms are affected, and any invoices or reports from previous roof work. Old photos are gold, because they show what has changed.
Do not tidy up the evidence and do not go up to check. A stain you have painted over and a gutter you have just cleared both remove information we could have used. And roofs are a leading cause of serious falls around the home.
What an inspection costs
Every roof is quoted in writing after we have looked at it. The ranges below are a guide only and cover most Shellharbour homes; size, pitch, access and the condition we find can move a job outside them either way.
Assessment and written quote for work
Free
Finding and diagnosing a leak
$300 – $900
Repairs identified during the visit
Quoted before anything starts
Detailed condition report
Quoted case by case
Quoting work we have proposed is always free. A detailed written condition report is a separate piece of work, so tell us which one you need and we will confirm before anything starts.
Not sure whether you need a quote or an inspection?
Tell us why you are calling and we will tell you which one, honestly.
Shellharbour and surrounding areas
We inspect tile and metal roofs on homes and commercial properties within roughly 20 km of Shellharbour. If you already know what needs fixing, a free quote is probably all you need. See roof repairs.
Useful when you call
Why you want the roof looked at, what you have noticed and when, whether anyone has worked on it before, and whether this is about a purchase, a claim or a decision you are making.
Ryan Bruce leads the team, we have more than 10 years of roofing experience behind the work, and we are fully licensed and insured.
Roof inspection questions
Straight answers to what people actually ask us. If yours is not here, just call and ask.
Is a free quote the same as an inspection?
No. A quote prices work we have proposed, and ours are free. An inspection investigates the roof to work out what is going on or what condition it is in. Tell us why you are calling and we will tell you which one you actually need.
Do you charge for an inspection?
Quoting work we have proposed is always free. A detailed written condition report is a separate piece of work, so we confirm what is involved and what it costs before anything starts. No surprises.
Can you find a leak nobody else has?
Often, yes, because we trace the water path rather than guessing at the nearest suspect. Tell us when it happens and in what weather, because intermittent leaks give themselves away through their pattern more than their location.
Can you inspect a roof before I buy the house?
Yes, and it is worth doing. Roofs are one of the bigger unknowns in a building report, and knowing whether you are looking at a repair or a replacement changes what the property is worth to you.
Will you tell me if the roof is fine?
Yes. If your roof is in good shape we will say so and you will not hear from us again. We would rather be the people who told you the truth than the ones who sold you work you did not need.
What do I get at the end?
What we observed, what we think it means and what we would do about it, kept separate so you can judge each one. Photos are included so you can see what we are describing rather than taking it on trust.
What about storm damage and insurance?
We can document what we find with photos and provide itemised quotes for the repairs, which is what insurers generally ask for. Photograph any interior damage yourself when it appears, because timestamps help.
Should I get up and look first?
No. Please do not. Roofs are a leading cause of serious falls around the home, and tiles break underfoot. Anything you can see from the ground or from inside is enough for us to start with.
Tell us what you need to know
Tell us why you want the roof looked at and we will tell you whether a free quote covers it or whether you need a proper inspection. Helpful to include:
- Why you are asking, and what decision it feeds
- What you have noticed and when it happens
- Any previous roof work or reports
- Whether this relates to a purchase or an insurance claim
Prefer to talk? Call (02) 4215 8188.