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A Written Roof Condition Report Before a House Is Listed in San Jose

A roof walk and attic check that records the covering, flashing, vents and deck for a seller, with the limits of the look stated and the report dated for the sale file.

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  • Santa Clara Valley roofs
  • Storm and leak repairs
  • Roof replacement

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Pre-Listing Report

Pre-Listing Roof Condition Report: what it covers

Quick answer

A pre-listing roof condition report is a written record of a roof's condition, made before a house is put on the market. It covers the covering, the flashing, the vents, the gutters and the deck as far as they can be seen, and it lists the parts that could not be reached. It is not a guarantee and does not replace a buyer's own inspection, but it gives both sides the same facts about the roof on the day it was written.

Pre-Listing Roof Condition Report illustration for San Jose, CA

A roof is one of the few parts of a house a buyer cannot test in one visit. The covering can look sound while the flashing at a chimney has lifted, and the deck can be soft beneath a layer that looks new. A dated report gives the seller a record to show and the buyer a list of what to ask about.

Cupertino is a city west of San Jose with ZIPs 95014 and 95015, and Saratoga is a foothill city south-west of San Jose with ZIPs 95070 and 95071. Houses in both are sold on roofs of several kinds, and the report names the material of each part, not a single score for the roof.

Service area
San Jose & Santa Clara County
Availability
Phones answered 24/7
Warning signs

Signs you need pre-listing roof condition report

The inspection is done from the ground, from a stable ladder and from the attic hatch. A roof that is steep, wet or cracked is not walked, and the report records that the surface was seen from below. Do not walk a roof yourself before a sale.

  • Patched areas with different materials or colors across one slope
  • Stains on an attic board that look older than the current covering
  • Gutters that sag, rust or pull away from the fascia
  • More than one layer of covering showing at an edge
  • Sealant on a chimney or vent flashing that has been smeared over an old joint
  • Granules in the gutters after a windy day
Our process

How our pre-listing roof condition report visit works

  1. Agree what the report covers

    The technician states at the start what will be checked and what will not: the roof from the ground and the ladder, the surface where it is safe to walk, the attic side and the gutters. Anything not seen is listed with the reason.

  2. Walk the roof and read the attic

    The covering, flashing and vents are recorded where they can be reached safely. The attic is searched for staining, moisture, soft decking and blocked vents, and each finding is photographed.

  3. Write the report with its limits

    The report sets out each part with its material, its condition and any work it appears to need. It separates what was seen from what was inferred and gives a plain list of the areas that were out of reach.

What can the report see, and what can it not?

The report sees the covering, the flashing and vents it can reach, and the underside of the deck from the attic. It cannot see inside the walls, beneath a finished ceiling or under a covering laid over a failed deck without an opening.

Most of what a buyer needs is visible: the covering, the flashing and the gutters. The hidden parts are where surprises come from, and a report that states its limits plainly is more useful than one that claims to have seen everything.

The report names the access it had, so a reader knows whether the attic was read fully or only from the hatch, and whether the roof was walked or viewed from the ladder.

Why does the report name the material on each part?

A single score hides the detail that matters. A tile, a shingle and a flat section each fail in their own way, and the report records the condition of each one so the buyer can judge the risk on the part that matters.

Naming the material also shows the buyer what a later repair will involve. A tile slope needs a different crew and tools from a flat membrane, and the owner can plan for it.

Condition is written in plain terms: sound, worn, failing or not seen. Each term has a reason beside it, such as a crack, a blister or a stain, so the buyer can check the observation.

What does the attic show that the roof does not?

The attic shows the underside of the deck, the rafters and the ventilation. It is where a leak patched on the outside still shows as a stain, and where soft boards show that water has reached the structure.

The attic also shows whether the vents work. A blocked intake or a missing ridge vent shortens the covering's life, even when the surface looks sound from below.

A stain that has dried in an older pattern is recorded as older, and the owner is asked whether a repair was made. The answer goes into the report so the buyer does not assume the roof was fine throughout.

How do the disclosure and the report fit together?

A report is a fact sheet for the sale. It does not replace the seller's disclosure duties or the buyer's right to inspect, and it should be read alongside both.

A seller who shares the report with the disclosure gives the buyer one consistent picture of the roof. A buyer with the report can ask better questions of the seller and of their own inspector.

This page does not state a legal duty or a contract term. Those belong to the parties and their advisers.

Why is the date on the report important?

A roof can change in a single season, so a report is a record of the roof on the day it was written. A report that is shared months later should say so, and a buyer should ask for a fresh look if the house has been through a storm since.

The date sits at the head of the report and on each photograph. A reader can see at once how old the observations are and whether a storm, such as the wet season of 2023, has passed since they were made.

A seller who updates the roof after the report should keep the scope and the photographs of the work, so the report and the repair can be read together.

What happens if the seller repairs the roof before the sale?

A repair made before the sale is recorded with its date and its scope, and the report is then updated or re-issued. A buyer should see both the earlier condition and the repair, so neither is hidden.

The seller keeps the scope, the photographs of the work and the final notes of the repair. The updated report states the change and refers to the earlier one, so the buyer can see the history rather than a single snapshot.

A repair that is made only to pass the look of the roof is recognisable in the attic. The report notes what the attic shows beneath the repair, since a fresh covering over a stained deck will still show its history.

How long should a report be kept in the sale file?

A report is kept with the sale file for as long as the owner keeps the property papers. The date on it tells a later reader how old the observations are, and a new check is worth making after any major storm.

A report written in a dry autumn may not describe the roof after a long wet winter. A buyer who finds an old report should ask for a fresh look if the house has been through a storm since its date.

The owner keeps a copy with the photographs and the scope of any repair, so the file holds the report and its updates together.

Options

Types and options for pre-listing roof condition report

Seller's pre-listing report

Requested by an owner who wants the condition on record before the house goes to market. It can be shown to any buyer and kept with the sale documents.

Buyer's roof check

Requested during a sale to look more closely at the roof than the general home inspection does, scoped to the buyer's questions.

Santa Clara County

Why pre-listing roof condition report is different in Santa Clara Valley

Cupertino is a city west of San Jose in ZIPs 95014 and 95015, and its houses are sold on roofs of several materials, so the report names each.

Saratoga is a foothill city south-west of San Jose in ZIPs 95070 and 95071, and its roofs are read for the trees and the shade on the lot.

The report for a house in San Jose's central ZIPs follows the same layout, so a buyer comparing two houses reads the same headings.

One call and it gets handled.

Tell us when you need someone and we book the earliest visit a pre-listing roof condition report technician has, and you approve the price before any work starts.

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Where we work

Pre-Listing Roof Condition Report across Santa Clara County

Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.

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A line-by-line scope for any roof job in San Jose, with the C-39 licence and the workers' compensation certificate checked before the first nail is driven.

Shingle Recover and Deck Check

A shingle recover over a single sound layer, or a full re-roof where the layers or the deck say so, with the deck and the ventilation checked before the new covering is fixed.

Attic Condensation and Venting

Finding and correcting the moisture and heat in an attic, from blocked intake and missing exhaust to vapour from the house below, with readings kept before and after.

Tree Canopy Roof Repair

Repairing a roof that branches, falling leaves and standing debris have damaged, with the canopy cut back safely and the gutters and valleys cleared and tested.

Guides

Read before you book

FAQ

Pre-Listing Roof Condition Report FAQs

Is the report a guarantee of the roof?

No. It records what was seen on the day and lists what was not. It is an honest snapshot, not a promise about future performance.

Can the seller share the report with buyers?

Yes, and that is one of its main uses. It is written so it can be shared and attached to the sale documents.

What if the report finds a problem?

The report sets out the problem, its likely cause and the repair it appears to need. The seller and buyer decide what to do, and a repair scope can be written separately.

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