A proper roof inspection in Pittsburgh covers about 20 points: shingle condition, flashing at every chimney and wall, pipe boots, valleys, gutters, drip edge, and the attic side of the deck, all documented with photos and a written report. Paid inspections around here typically cost $150 to $400. Ours are free, with no obligation and no sales pitch, because a free roof inspection is how we earn customers for life in this area, and we’ve been doing it since 1995.
Quick answer: What a roof inspection includes, what one costs in Pittsburgh, and the 20 point checklist behind Bella Construction’s free inspections.
“Free roof inspection” might be the most abused phrase in this business, though. Some outfits treat it as a doorway to a four hour kitchen table presentation. So if you’re searching for a roof inspection near me and trying to sort the real inspectors from the salesmen, here’s exactly what our crews check on every roof, and what your report should include no matter who climbs the ladder.
What does a roof inspection include? The 20 points
1. Shingle condition. Curling, cracking, blistering, and bald spots where granules washed away. Granule loss shows up first in the gutters, and it tells us how much life is left. It’s also the first of the warning signs you need a new roof.
2. Storm damage. Hail bruises and wind creases don’t always leak right away. After the storms that roll through Westmoreland County most summers, we check windward slopes for lifted tabs and broken seal strips, and we know what hail damage on a roof actually looks like versus normal wear.
3. Nail pops and exposed fasteners. A backed out nail lifts the shingle above it and gives water a path. Small fix now, big leak later.
4. Ridge and hip caps. Caps take the worst of the wind. Cracked or missing caps are one of the most common finds on homes ten years and older.
5. Valleys. Valleys carry more water than any other part of the roof, so we check for worn shingles, rusted metal, and debris dams.
6. Chimney flashing. Step flashing and counterflashing fail more often than the roof around them. On the brick foursquares common in Jeannette and Greensburg, the mortar joints holding the counterflashing are frequent culprits.
7. Chimney condition. Spalling brick, cracked crowns, and missing caps, because chimney water often gets blamed on the roof.
8. Pipe boots. The rubber collars around plumbing vents crack in about ten years, faster on southern exposures. This is the single most common leak source we find.
9. Wall and dormer flashing. Anywhere roof meets siding, we confirm flashing is present, layered correctly, and not relying on a bead of caulk from 2009.
10. Skylights. Flashing kits, seals, and glass. Older acrylic bubble skylights from the 1970s and 1980s are usually on borrowed time.
11. Drip edge. Missing drip edge lets water wick into the fascia and deck edge. Plenty of older homes around Route 30 never had it installed.
12. Soffit and fascia. Peeling paint, soft wood, and critter holes. Squirrels find rotten fascia before homeowners do.
13. Gutters and downspouts. Slope, seams, hangers, and where the water actually goes. A roof system ends at the ground, not at the eave.
14. Moss, algae, and staining. Black streaks are cosmetic. Moss holds moisture against shingles and shortens their life on shaded north slopes.
15. Decking from the attic. This is where free inspections earn their keep. From inside the attic we spot water stains, delaminated plywood, and sagging you can’t see from above.
16. Attic ventilation. We measure intake at the soffits and exhaust at the ridge. Poor ventilation cooks shingles in July, builds ice dams in January, and voids some shingle warranties.
17. Insulation depth. Not strictly roofing, but it drives ice damming, so we note it.
18. Bath and kitchen vent terminations. Fans venting into the attic dump a shower’s worth of moisture into your insulation daily. We find this constantly in 1950s ranches.
19. Previous repairs. Tar smears and mismatched patches tell a story. We figure out whether old repairs are holding or hiding.
20. Remaining life. Everything rolls up into a straight answer: how many years this roof realistically has, and whether repair or replacement is the smarter spend. If it’s replacement, our guide to roof replacement cost in Pittsburgh shows you the numbers before anyone quotes you.
Roof inspection cost, and what free should mean
Independent inspectors and home inspection firms around Pittsburgh generally charge $150 to $400 for a roof inspection, more for steep, large, or slate roofs. We do the same inspection at no charge. Free should mean free, full stop. No obligation, no pressure to sign before the truck leaves. We inspect for free because most weeks it earns us a customer for life, even when the verdict is “your roof is fine, call us in five years.” That’s how a referral business works.
What free should not mean is superficial. If the inspector never opens the attic hatch, never photographs anything, and reaches a $30,000 conclusion in fifteen minutes, you got a sales call, not an inspection.
What a proper report includes
When we finish, you get documentation you can actually use: photos of every problem area labeled by location, a written summary of the 20 points with a plain rating for each, and repair options priced separately from replacement so you can see both paths. If there’s storm damage, the photos and notes are formatted the way insurance adjusters need them, because we’ve walked hundreds of homeowners through hail and wind claims. Everything we install afterward, if anything, runs through our full roofing services team, so the person who inspected is accountable to the crew who builds.
Hang onto the report even if you do nothing. A documented history of the roof’s condition is gold when you sell the house, and it’s proof of prior condition if a storm hits next year.
When to schedule one
Once a year is the realistic habit: spring after freeze and thaw season, or fall before snow load. Beyond the calendar, call after any hail event, after wind gusts over about 50 mph, when shingles or granules show up in the yard, when a ceiling stain appears, and before you buy or sell a home. Insurance claims have deadlines too, often one year from the storm date in Pennsylvania policies, so waiting can cost real money.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a roof inspection cost in Pittsburgh?
Paid inspections typically run $150 to $400 depending on roof size and pitch. Bella Construction’s inspections are free, include the attic, and come with a photo report, with no obligation attached.
What does a roof inspection include?
A real one covers the shingles, all flashing, pipe boots, valleys, ridge caps, skylights, drip edge, gutters, soffit and fascia, plus the attic side: decking, ventilation, insulation, and vent terminations. Then it ends with a written verdict on remaining life.
How long does a roof inspection take?
Plan on 45 minutes to an hour for a thorough one, including the attic. Larger homes, steep pitches, and storm documentation take longer. Anyone done in ten minutes wasn’t inspecting.
Do you inspect roofs you didn't install?
All the time. Most of our inspections are on roofs other companies installed, some of them companies that no longer exist. As an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor we can also tell you what your existing warranty may or may not cover.
If your roof hasn’t had a real inspection in a few years, or a storm just rolled through your neighborhood, get eyes on it before small problems grow up. Schedule your free roof inspection at mybellaroof.com or call the office, and we’ll put a trained crew on your roof anywhere from Monroeville to Murrysville to Penn Township, usually within a few days.