Roof problems in the Umpqua Valley almost never announce themselves. A cracked pipe boot leaks a teaspoon per storm into a wall cavity. Moss lifts one shingle edge a season. A gutter pulls a quarter-inch away from soft fascia each winter. By the time any of it is visible from the living room, the cheap fix has become an expensive one.
The antidote is boring and effective: a methodical look, once a year, at the same list of things. Below is the checklist we work through on Douglas County roofs — printed here in full, because an informed homeowner is our favorite kind of customer.
Zone 1: From the ground (DIY-safe)
Grab binoculars and walk the full perimeter of the house. You're looking for:
- Roofline sag. Sight down the ridge and eaves — they should be straight. A dip or wave suggests deck or structural trouble underneath.
- Shingle damage you can see. Missing, cracked, curled, or lifted shingles; tabs flapped up by wind; anything shiny (exposed nail heads or bare asphalt where granules are gone).
- Granules in the gutters and at downspout outlets. A little is normal; piles that look like coffee grounds mean the shingles are shedding their armor fast.
- Moss. Any green fuzz, especially on north-facing slopes and along shaded eaves. In this climate it only goes one direction — see our moss guide for what to do about it.
- Gutters and fascia. Gutters pulling away from the house, standing water, rust streaks, peeling paint or dark staining on fascia boards — all signs the water-handling chain is breaking down.
- Flashing from below. Bent or lifted metal at chimneys, walls, and valleys; tar smears where flashing should be; staining on siding below a roof-to-wall joint (a missing kick-out flashing signature).
Zone 2: In the attic (DIY-safe, with care)
A flashlight in the attic finds leaks months before the ceiling does. On a rainy day if possible:
- Water stains on the underside of the deck — dark trails, rings, or fresh wet spots, especially around chimneys, vents, and valleys.
- Daylight where there shouldn't be any. Lights off: pinpoints of light through the deck are holes. (Light at ridge and soffit vents is normal and good.)
- Condensation signs: frosty or shiny nail tips in winter, mold-darkened sheathing, a musty smell. That's a ventilation problem, not a leak — our attic ventilation guide covers it in depth.
- Insulation condition: matted, damp, or channeled insulation marks water paths; insulation stuffed against the eaves blocks intake vents.
- Bath fan ducts: confirm every fan duct runs fully outside, not into the attic.
Step only on framing members, never between them, and skip this zone entirely if the access or footing feels sketchy.
Zone 3: On the roof (this is the pro portion)
Up top is where the inspection earns its keep — and where we'd rather you didn't follow along in person. Wet or mossy shingles are slick as ice most of the year here, and walking a roof also takes technique: bad footwork damages shingles even when nobody falls. Here's what we check:
- Shingle condition, plane by plane: curling, cupping, cracking, blistering, sealed-tab bond strength, and granule coverage. South-facing slopes age fastest from sun; north slopes grow the moss.
- Every flashing detail: chimney step and counter-flashing, sidewall runs and kick-outs, valley metal, skylight perimeters, drip edge. This is where most leaks start — our flashing guide tours each one.
- Pipe boots: the rubber gasket on every plumbing vent, checked by hand. These crack around year 10–15 and are the single most common repair we make.
- Sealant and fasteners: exposed nail heads, dried-out sealant at terminations, rusted fasteners on vents and flashings.
- Moss and debris load: valleys and eaves especially — needle mats hold water against shingles all winter.
- Deck softness underfoot. A spongy spot under a boot means rot below, even when the shingles above look fine. You can't check this from a ladder or a drone; it's felt, not seen.
- Gutters up close: slope, hanger attachment, seam condition, and what the granule accumulation says about the shingles.
How often, and when
- Annually, late summer to early fall. The roof is dry, moss is at its weakest, and anything found can be fixed before the rains return in October.
- After any major windstorm: a ground-level walkaround for missing shingles and displaced flashing. If a storm did real damage, photograph everything before repairs — our insurance claims guide explains why documentation order matters.
- Mid-winter: a quick look from the ground for moss bloom and overflowing gutters.
- Extra attention for roofs over 15 years old, roofs under heavy fir or oak canopy, and any roof with a leak history.
Photograph everything
An inspection without photos is a rumor. Dated photos, repeated yearly from the same angles, turn "I think the moss is worse" into a documented trend line. They also matter when money is on the table: insurance claims after storms, warranty questions with shingle manufacturers, and honest before/after proof from any contractor who works on your roof. If a roofer inspects your roof and can't show you pictures of what they found, ask why.
This checklist is literally our membership
Everything on this page — all three zones, on a schedule, with a photo report after every visit — is what our Home Care Membership does. From $49/month: annual roof and gutter inspection, seasonal debris checks after storms, priority scheduling, 10% off repairs, and emergency tarping up to 100 sq ft of storm damage included per incident. No long-term contracts. If you'd rather own the checklist than the ladder, that's the product.
If the inspection finds something
Most findings are small: a boot, a lifted shingle, a sealant touch-up — quick roof repair work, dramatically cheaper than the damage they prevent. Moss gets treated, not blasted (our moss removal service explains the safe method). Chronically clogged gutters get a proper cleaning and maybe a slope fix. And when a roof is genuinely at the end of its life, an honest inspection says so with photos — so a replacement decision is made on evidence, not a salesman's weather report.
Quick answers
How often should a roof be inspected here?
Once a year minimum, ideally late summer or early fall so fixes land before the October rains — plus a ground check after big windstorms and a mid-winter glance for moss.
Can I inspect my own roof?
The ground and attic zones, yes — binoculars and a flashlight are safe and useful. Walking the roof itself is pro territory: wet Oregon shingles are dangerously slick and bad footwork damages roofing.
What does a pro inspection include?
All three zones — exterior from the ground, the attic, and the roof surface with every flashing detail, boot, and soft spot checked — ending in dated photos and a written summary.
What does it cost?
We look at roofs free with any estimate request. For ongoing coverage, the Home Care Membership from $49/month includes the full annual inspection with photo reports, storm checks, and 10% off repairs.