Annual roof inspections are a once-a-year professional check of the roof covering, flashing, drainage and attic, booked at the same point each year so problems are caught and repaired on your schedule. The best time is late summer or early fall: at NOAA stations in Santa Barbara and the San Fernando Valley, almost nine-tenths of the year’s rain falls from November through March. To book yours, call NEMA Roofing at 866-631-3366.
When is the best time of year for an annual roof inspection?
Before the rain, with enough dry weeks left to finish any repairs. NOAA’s 1991-2020 climate normals show how lopsided the rainy season is:
| NOAA station | Normal yearly rain | Share falling November to March | June to September, combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara | 18.98 inches | 87% | 0.21 inches |
| Woodland Hills (Pierce College) | 16.41 inches | 88% | 0.19 inches |
A roof can hide a problem all summer because nothing tests it. An inspection in August, September or early October finds the cracked vent boot or lifted flashing while there is still time to fix it in dry weather. Booked in January, the same inspection often finds the problem through a ceiling stain.
Does inland heat or mountain snow change the schedule?
It changes what the yearly visit focuses on. The same NOAA normals put the Redlands station, near San Bernardino, at about 104 days a year of 90°F or hotter, against about two at the Oxnard airport on the coast. Big Bear Lake averages 58.6 inches of snow and about 176 nights a year at or below freezing.
- Hot inland valleys: an early fall visit looks at what summer did: brittle or cracked sealant, shingle wear on the sunniest slopes, and attic ventilation that lets heat out.
- Coast: rust on fasteners and flashing, and moss or algae on shaded slopes.
- Mountains: an inspection before the first snow checks flashing, gutters and the eaves; a look after the thaw catches what freezing and snow load left behind.
Our San Bernardino County page covers the inland and mountain towns we serve.
What should each yearly inspection compare?
The value of an annual inspection grows with every year on file, because the inspector can compare instead of guess:
- Photos from the same spots as last year, to see how fast granules, rust or cracking are spreading.
- Last year’s repairs, to confirm they held through a rainy season.
- Items marked “watch” last year, to decide whether they now need work.
- The attic, for any new stain since the last visit.
Over a few years this record shows how the roof is aging, which is what lets you plan a replacement instead of reacting to one. For what you can check yourself between visits, use the roofing inspection checklist.
How does the annual inspection fit a roof maintenance plan?
A roof maintenance plan is the inspection plus the small jobs around it, spread over the year:
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Late summer to early fall | Annual inspection and report |
| Early fall | Repairs from the report; gutters, valleys and drains cleared |
| After the first big storm | Quick attic and ceiling check with a flashlight |
| Spring | Clear debris from the winter; look for wind damage from the ground |
| Any time | Inspection after a severe storm, before a sale, before solar, after other trades work on the roof |
Our roof maintenance service can take on the repairs and cleaning on this calendar.
Who needs more than one inspection a year?
- Roofs near the end of their life, where each season can change the picture.
- Homes under trees that drop leaves and branches into valleys and gutters.
- Flat and low-slope roofs where water ponds; the flat roof maintenance checklist covers them.
- Commercial buildings with rooftop equipment and regular service traffic.
Does insurance require an annual roof inspection?
That depends on your policy, so read it and ask your agent. Whatever it says, a file of dated inspection reports and repair invoices shows what condition the roof was in before a storm, which helps if you ever make a claim. For the full list of what regular inspections do for a home, see the benefits of regular roof inspections.
Put your roof on a yearly schedule
NEMA Roofing has five locations, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Woodland Hills, Tarzana and Downey, and schedules annual inspections anywhere in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. See what the visit includes on our roof inspection service page, then call 866-631-3366 to pick a date before the rains.
