Roof inspection (Katy, Howe: real estate, 2013, insurance)

[Billu77]

We live in Katy and our house is 9 years old. We have never had a roof inspection. What is the average age of the roof for a house built in 2013? We have had some hail incidence over the years. How should i get a honest roof inspection? I know the roofers will try to claim new roof from the insurance even if not needed. I want to get a reliable and honest roof inspection on my roof. Do you have any recommendations for a honest roof inspector?

[kreeyax]

Nine years is unlikely you need a new roof unless you had a major hail storm. However all your vent pipe boots are probably past due to be resealed if you haven't done so already. Those seals will crack over time. I had water dripping down all of my vent pipes in the attic when my roof was roughly the same age as yours. I also had water dripping on my hot water heaters because the roof seals around the water heater exhaust had deteriorated. I called a local roofing fix company who came out and resealed all my vent boots for around $800 if I remember right. They said my roof was in good shape and probably had another 5-7 years left.

So maybe approach it by calling a company and telling them you want all your vent boots resealed (assuming you have never done it), then when they come to do the job get their opinion on what shape your roof is in. I used Shingle Hut in Cypress, for what it's worth.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by Billu77

We live in Katy and our house is 9 years old. We have never had a roof inspection. What is the average age of the roof for a house built in 2013? We have had some hail incidence over the years. How should i get a honest roof inspection? I know the roofers will try to claim new roof from the insurance even if not needed. I want to get a reliable and honest roof inspection on my roof. Do you have any recommendations for a honest roof inspector?

The average age of a roof covering, barring weather or other sudden damage as well as shingle defects, will depend on the shingle type/quality itself and the quality of installation. Unfortunately as you know hail can damage a roof.


You are rightly concerned about obtaining a reliable an honest inspection for the reasons you give. However you do have an advantage in Katy. Katy requires that roof replacements be permitted and you can see this here https://www.cityofkaty.com/governmen...rmits-building . Katy also requires any contractor that performs work in their jurisdiction to register with the City as seen here https://www.cityofkaty.com/governmen...r-registration . So I would recommend you contact the City of Katy and ask them for a list of Roofing contractors and others that are registered with the City. Also as important is to ask if they have a list of these people who have been refused or removed from City registration roles. Obviously these will be the ones you want to stay away from.



Once you receive the contractor list you can start calling them or reviewing their WEB site to see if they offer a free or low cost roof inspection. The advantage you have with using a roofing contractor is they can not only inspect but also provide estimates for repairs or replacements. Also since they have registered with the City they can open any required permits directly with the City and you would not have to.


Another route you can take is to contact a licensed Professional Inspector licensed by The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) who should also be trained in roofing and inspections of roofing. Obviously this will be a fee based inspection. There are two associations here in Texas. The International Association of Home Inspectors is an international association (the largest) and has a search function on their WEB site at www.nachi.org at the bottom of the page. It will allow you to enter your Zip code and work outward with the largest list of Inspectors you will find here in Texas. The Texas Professional Real Estate Inspectors Association is essentially a branch of INACHI and will point you to the INACHI search function. Unless these Inspectors also own a roofing company then I would not rely on any estimates provided and hence the advantage of the professional roofing company.



Obviously neither of these options guarantees a reliable or honest inspection since nothing really does. However if you are not treated properly both have avenues of complaints that can cause problems for the problem contractor/Inspector. However they are in my opinion the best options to try first.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by kreeyax

Nine years is unlikely you need a new roof unless you had a major hail storm. However all your vent pipe boots are probably past due to be resealed if you haven't done so already. Those seals will crack over time. I had water dripping down all of my vent pipes in the attic when my roof was roughly the same age as yours.



Unfortunately in our Texas sun none of the typical plastic/rubber flashing boots for plumbing vents last for long. In the future I would recommend using LEAD ROOF BOOTS (click the link) similar to these for your plumbing vents. When properly installed these typically last well longer than the shingles themselves! When compared to the total cost of the roof they are a very minor cost increase. Some do not like the looks of them but they can be painted to match the roof and again when properly done the paint can last a long time.



I also had water dripping on my hot water heaters because the roof seals around the water heater exhaust had deteriorated.



It would be interesting to see a picture before and after of this. Water heater flues, even high efficiency water heater flues, have way more durable flashing components than the cheap plastic/rubber used on plumbing vents.



I called a local roofing fix company who came out and resealed all my vent boots for around $800 if I remember right. They said my roof was in good shape and probably had another 5-7 years left.


That seems quite high for a typical roof arrangement! How many boots did they "reseal"? Did they replace the boots? What did they replace them with?


So maybe approach it by calling a company and telling them you want all your vent boots resealed (assuming you have never done it), then when they come to do the job get their opinion on what shape your roof is in. I used Shingle Hut in Cypress, for what it's worth.

Comments/questions in blue above.

[kreeyax]

Originally Posted by escanlan

It would be interesting to see a picture before and after of this. Water heater flues, even high efficiency water heater flues, have way more durable flashing components than the cheap plastic/rubber used on plumbing vents.

The flashing for the water heater flues had raised up a bit creating a gap. You could see light coming in from the lowest part inside the attic. Both of them were leaking, so I think they may have fastened them down and caulked around them.

Originally Posted by escanlan

That seems quite high for a typical roof arrangement! How many boots did they "reseal"? Did they replace the boots? What did they replace them with?

It might have been closer to $700, I don't remember exactly. I believe they replaced all of the rubber collars around the pipe boots (similar to the video below). Every one on the roof, maybe 10 of them. I agree it was a bit pricey, but I have a two story house with a steep pitch roof so it's something I'm not comfortable tackling myself. It's not worth a broken neck!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNM-JUC7ZEA

[Billu77]

Originally Posted by kreeyax

Nine years is unlikely you need a new roof unless you had a major hail storm. However all your vent pipe boots are probably past due to be resealed if you haven't done so already. Those seals will crack over time. I had water dripping down all of my vent pipes in the attic when my roof was roughly the same age as yours. I also had water dripping on my hot water heaters because the roof seals around the water heater exhaust had deteriorated. I called a local roofing fix company who came out and resealed all my vent boots for around $800 if I remember right. They said my roof was in good shape and probably had another 5-7 years left.

So maybe approach it by calling a company and telling them you want all your vent boots resealed (assuming you have never done it), then when they come to do the job get their opinion on what shape your roof is in. I used Shingle Hut in Cypress, for what it's worth.

Thanks. That makes sense. How long ago did u get them done? Do you recommend any company in Katy?

[kreeyax]

Originally Posted by Billu77

Thanks. That makes sense. How long ago did u get them done? Do you recommend any company in Katy?

It was a couple of years ago, so my roof was about 11 years old at the time. I don't have any recommendations for a company in Katy but if your neighborhood has a Facebook page you might search it for recommendations.