Roof Inspection Checklist for Calgary Homeowners

A good homeowner roof check in Calgary takes under an hour and never requires climbing onto the roof: scan every slope from the yard with binoculars, look inside the attic with a flashlight, then walk the rooms under the roof looking for stains. Do it twice a year and after storms, take dated photos each time, and you will catch most problems while they are still small.

Print this checklist and carry it around the house. When you want a professional opinion on what you found, our page on roof inspection in Calgary explains the next step.

Before you start: safety and tools

The safest roof check is done entirely from the ground and from inside the house. You do not need a ladder against the roof edge, and you should not use one.

• Binoculars or a phone with good zoom to see shingle edges and flashing from across the yard.
• A bright flashlight or headlamp for the attic, where stains are easy to miss.
• Your phone for the photo log described below.
• A printed copy of the summary table at the end of this article.
• A dust mask and gloves for insulation fibres and exposed nail tips.

Pick a clear, dry day with good light. Light falling across the roof makes lifted shingles and dents easier to spot.

Checklist 1: From the ground

Most visible roof problems can be seen from your yard or the sidewalk. Walk the full perimeter and check each slope separately, because south and west faces usually age faster from sun and wind.

1. Shingle condition by slope. Look for curled corners, cupped edges, cracks and missing tabs. One worn slope while the others look fine can point to sun exposure or a ventilation issue.
2. Ridge caps. The capping along the peak takes the most wind. Cracked or lifted caps let water in at the highest point.
3. Roof vents and plumbing stacks. Box vents should be intact and undented. Rubber collars around plumbing pipes should not be split, a common source of small leaks.
4. Chimney and wall flashing. Metal where the roof meets a chimney or wall should sit tight. Rust, gaps or missing sealant are worth noting.
5. Skylight surrounds. Check the flashing and shingles around each skylight for lifting or dark staining.
6. Valleys. Where two slopes meet, water runs heavily. Watch for worn shingles, exposed metal or packed debris.
7. The roof edge and drip edge. The metal strip along the lower edge should be straight and secure. Bent sections, or shingles drooping over the overhang, can let water behind them.
8. Moss or debris build-up. Debris holds moisture against shingles. Moss is less common in Calgary’s dry climate but shows up on shaded north slopes.
9. Sagging lines. Sight along the ridge and across each slope. A dip or wave can mean trouble with the decking or framing.
10. Satellite dish or solar mounts. Brackets are fastened through the roof. Look for tilted mounts or staining around the base.

Also check the ground below the roof edge. Drifts of dark granules or pieces of shingle after a storm are worth photographing.

Checklist 2: In the attic

The attic shows the underside of the roof deck, where leaks often appear long before they reach a ceiling. Only do this section if you can get up safely.

• Daylight through the roof boards. Switch off your flashlight briefly. Pinpoints of light, other than at vents, mean gaps water can also use.
• Water stains. Dark rings or blackened wood on the sheathing mark past or current leaks. Note what sits above them, such as a chimney, pipe or valley.
• Damp or compressed insulation. Matted or flattened patches have usually been wet.
• Frost marks in winter. White frost on nail tips means warm, moist house air is reaching the attic. Rusty nail tips in summer are the leftover sign.
• A musty or mouldy smell. It suggests trapped moisture even without visible stains.
• Exhaust fans terminating properly. Bathroom and kitchen fan ducts should connect to a vent going outside, not end loose in the insulation.
• Intake paths at the eaves not blocked. Cool air should flow in from the intake vents at the eaves and up under the deck. Insulation packed against the roof boards there blocks it.

Checklist 3: Inside the house

The rooms directly under the roof often give the first visible sign of trouble. Walk the top floor, including closets and any bonus room over the garage.

• Ceiling and wall stains. Yellow or brown rings, bubbling drywall or drips. Trace the edge of a stain in light pencil so you can tell if it grows.
• Peeling paint near exterior walls. Blistering along the top of an outside wall can mean water is getting in near the roof edge.
• Trouble around chimneys and skylights. Staining on the drywall around a chimney chase or skylight well often traces back to flashing.
• Musty rooms under the roof. A room that smells damp when the rest of the house does not deserves a look above it.

When to run the checklist in Calgary

The best times to run this checklist are tied to what Calgary weather has just done to your roof. Use these triggers rather than fixed dates:

• Spring, once the snow has melted. Freeze-thaw cycles and ice at the roof edge do their damage out of sight all winter.
• After any summer hailstorm. Hail season runs mostly June to August. Check within a few days, before you clean up the yard.
• Early fall, before the snow. Snow can arrive as early as the third week of September, so book any work your check turns up by mid-September.
• After major chinook wind events. Strong winds can lift shingles and ridge caps, and the warm spells melt snow that refreezes at the roof edge.
• Whenever something changes. A new stain or a shingle in the yard is reason enough.

Keep a roof photo log

A roof photo log is a set of dated pictures taken from the same spots every time you run the checklist.

• Use the same angles. Pick four to six fixed spots around the house and two or three in the attic.
• Date everything. A folder named by season and year makes photos easy to find.
• Add close-ups of vents, flashing, valleys and any spot you are watching.
• Include the inside. Photograph ceiling stains with the pencil line visible.

The payoff comes after hail. Photos of your roof in good condition before a storm make new damage easier to recognize and discuss with your insurer. Policies vary, so check what yours covers. If a storm has you wondering about damage, our roof inspection in Calgary page explains why a roofer’s opinion is worth getting before a claim.

What your findings mean

Not every finding is an emergency, but some should not wait. Use this table to sort what you found.

When to stop and call a roofer

Stop the checklist and call a roofer when a finding is active, structural or impossible to confirm from the ground:

• Active leaks of any size.
• Sagging in a ridge, slope or ceiling.
• Missing sections of shingles, ridge caps or flashing.
• Widespread granule loss, where a slope looks patchy or bald.
• Anything that needs roof access to see or fix.

You do not need to diagnose the cause yourself. Keep your photos and notes handy, then book a free inspection or reach us through our contact page.

Printable roof checklist

Print this table and tick each box as you go.