The most useful roof tips for new homeowners come down to five steps: find out what roof you bought and how old it is, act on the roof items in your inspection report before the first rainy season, collect any warranty and permit papers, set a simple twice-a-year check, and know who you will call before a leak starts. Questions about the roof on your new home? Call NEMA Roofing at 866-631-3366.
What to find out about your roof in the first month
Most buyers know the roof only as a line in the inspection report. A few facts, gathered while the paperwork is still fresh, make every later decision easier:
- The covering. Asphalt shingle, clay or concrete tile, metal, wood shake or a flat membrane. Each ages differently and needs different care.
- The age. Ask the seller’s agent for the date of the last reroof and the roofer’s name. The city or county building department keeps permit records by address, and a reroof permit there dates the roof better than anyone’s memory.
- Past leaks and repairs. Reread the seller’s disclosure statement (the Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement required by California Civil Code section 1102.6) and the inspection report for anything about the roof, stains or earlier repairs.
- Solar or other roof equipment. Panels, satellite dishes and rooftop HVAC units all pierce the roof. Note who installed them; each mount is a place water can get in.
How to read the roof section of your home inspection report
A general home inspection is a visual check, and the report says so in its limitations. Look for three things:
- How the roof was inspected. “Viewed from the ground” or “from a ladder at the eaves” means nobody walked it. Tile and steep roofs are often not walked, so the underlayment and flashing were not really seen.
- Items marked for a roofer. “Recommend evaluation by a licensed roofing contractor” is the inspector telling you the question is open. Get that evaluation before the rains, not after the first leak.
- Attic notes. Stains on the roof boards, damp insulation or poor ventilation in the attic describe the roof from underneath, and they are often the most honest part of the report.
Our roofing inspection checklist lets you repeat the ground and attic checks yourself.
Warranties, permits and insurance: the papers to keep
Put these in one folder with the deed:
- Warranty papers. A roof may carry a manufacturer’s warranty on the materials and sometimes separate coverage for the installation. Many have rules for transfer to a new owner, sometimes with a deadline, so check the terms soon after closing.
- The reroof permit and its final inspection. Proof the last roof passed a city or county inspection. A future buyer’s inspector will ask for it.
- Photos of the roof now. Pictures of each slope, taken from the ground on a clear day, give you a baseline to compare after storms and support an insurance claim.
- What your insurer knows about the roof. Under California’s Safer from Wildfires program, a Class A fire-rated roof is one of the home-hardening steps that qualify for an insurance discount. Most asphalt shingle, concrete and clay tile and metal roofs qualify; wood shake does not. Tell your insurer what you have.
A roof calendar for your first year
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Early fall, before the rains | Clear gutters, downspouts and valleys; look over the roof from the ground; check the attic with a flashlight; book any repairs the inspector flagged |
| After each big storm | Walk around the house for missing or slipped pieces and debris; look at ceilings near exterior walls and around skylights |
| Spring, after the rains | Look for new stains inside, clear what the winter left in the gutters, trim branches that touch the roof |
| Summer | Check that attic vents are open and not blocked by insulation or stored boxes; a hot, stuffy attic ages the roof from below |
If you would rather hand this to someone, a roof maintenance visit covers the same list from on the roof. For why a yearly look matters, read why annual roof inspections are worth it.
Mistakes new homeowners make with a roof
- Power-washing the roof. High pressure strips the granules that protect asphalt shingles and can force water under laps and tiles.
- Walking on tile. Concrete and clay tiles crack underfoot if stepped on in the wrong place. Leave it to a roofer who knows where to step.
- Letting other trades cut into the roof. Every new vent, solar mount or cable should be flashed, rather than only sealed with caulk. Ask the installer how.
- Treating caulk as a repair. Sealant slows a leak for a season. The fix is the failed piece of flashing or covering underneath.
- Counting on a new layer over the old one. California’s residential code (2025 CRC section R908.4) does not allow a new covering over a roof that is water-soaked or deteriorated, that already has two or more layers, or that is slate, clay or cement tile. When the time comes, expect a tear-off in those cases.
When a new homeowner should call a roofer
- The inspection report says the roof needs a roofer’s evaluation.
- You see a ceiling stain, a drip or damp insulation, even once.
- Pieces are missing, cracked or lifted after wind.
- Nobody can tell you the roof’s age, and it is not obviously new.
- You plan solar, a skylight or an addition that touches the roof.
For what each kind of visit involves, from inspection to full replacement, see the types of roofing services.
Your roofer across five counties
New to the area? NEMA Roofing has five Google-verified locations, in Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Woodland Hills, Tarzana and Downey, and covers Santa Barbara, Ventura County, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties in full. Our roofing contractor services run from a first inspection on a house you just bought to a full replacement. Call 866-631-3366 to have the roof on your new home looked at.
