You do not need to climb on your roof to learn a lot about it. Most of what matters can be seen from the ground with a decent pair of eyes, and the rest is genuinely dangerous to check yourself. Print this, walk your property, and tick what you find.
From the ground, walking the perimeter
- Shingles in the yard, the flowerbeds, or against the fence line
- Tabs that look lifted, curled, or out of line with the course beside them
- A slope that looks patchy or two-tone compared to the rest of the roof
- Dark streaks running down from the ridge (usually algae, not damage — worth knowing the difference)
- Sagging along the ridge line or between rafters
- Missing or displaced ridge caps along the peak
- Daylight visible under the eave where the drip edge should be
The soft metals — where hail shows up first
- Dents in the gutters, especially the top lip facing the sky
- Dents in downspouts and any aluminium trim
- Bruised or dimpled vent caps and turbine housings
- Dings on the air-conditioner fins outside
- Marks on the mailbox, the grill lid, or a metal shed roof
In the attic, with a flashlight, on a bright day
- Daylight coming through the decking — especially around vents and pipes
- Dark staining or streaks running down the rafters
- Insulation that is matted, discoloured, or damp to the touch
- Rusted nail shanks poking through the deck
- Decking that gives when you press it (do not step between rafters)
- Whether the soffit vents at the eaves are blocked by insulation
- Whether there is any exhaust vent at the ridge at all
Inside the house
- Stains on ceilings — note where they sit relative to a wall or a vent above
- Bubbling or peeling paint on an upstairs ceiling
- A musty smell in a closet that shares a wall with the roofline
- Water marks around a chimney breast or a skylight well
What you cannot check yourself
Hail bruising is the big one. A hail hit does not usually punch a hole — it fractures the mat under the granules, and it often reads as nothing at all from the ground. It has to be found by hand, on the roof, by someone who knows the difference between a hail bruise, a blister, and normal granule shedding. Flashing is the other: step flashing, counter-flashing and valley metal are where Northeast Oklahoma roofs actually fail, and none of it is visible from below.
This guide is general information, not a substitute for a professional roof inspection, and it is not insurance or legal advice.