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A Written Roof Check Before the Wet Season in San Jose

A roof walk and attic check made before the rain, listing each fault a long storm would test and the repair it needs, with a record kept for the season.

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

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Storm Season Check

Storm Season Roof Inspection: what it covers

Quick answer

A storm season roof inspection is a written check made before the wet months, listing the faults that a long storm is likely to test: the valleys, the vent flashings, the gutter run and the attic beneath. It is most useful when made in the autumn, so repairs can be planned in the dry weeks rather than in the middle of a storm.

Storm Season Roof Inspection illustration for San Jose, CA

The wet season in the Santa Clara Valley is the time when a roof's faults show themselves. A check made in the autumn finds them while the weather still allows a proper repair, and it gives the owner a list of what to watch once the storms begin.

The inspection is written. It names each part of the roof, its condition and the repair it appears to need, and it separates what was seen from what could not be reached. The written list is the document an owner keeps and compares from one season to the next.

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

Signs you need storm season roof inspection

Do not walk a wet or steep roof for the inspection. The check is made from the ground, from a stable ladder at the eave and from the attic hatch. A fall from a roof in the wet season is a serious risk, and the crew carries fall protection for any work on the slope.

  • A valley with debris, leaves or granules holding water along its length
  • A vent flashing with a bead of sealant that has pulled away from the metal
  • A gutter that sags or holds a pool at one bracket
  • A stain on the attic side of the sheathing from a previous season
  • Shingles or tiles that look loose at the edge of the roof
  • Insulation pushed against the soffit, blocking the air at the eave
Our process

How our storm season roof inspection visit works

  1. Agree what the check covers

    The technician states at the start which parts will be checked: the covering from the ground and the ladder, the valleys and vents, the gutters, and the attic. Anything not reached 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 and blocked vents, and each finding is photographed from the same spot as the last check.

  3. Write the list before the rain

    The report sets out each part of the roof with its material, its condition and the repair it needs. The faults a long storm would test are listed first, so the owner knows which to deal with before the rain arrives.

Why is autumn the time to look at a roof?

Autumn gives time to plan and book a repair while the weather is still dry. A fault found in the first heavy storm is harder to repair and more likely to cause damage inside.

The wet season in the valley can start with a long soaking storm, and a fault that was small in the autumn can become a leak in the first hours of it. A check in the dry weeks gives the owner the chance to act before that happens.

The check also gives a baseline. The photographs and the list from one autumn can be compared with the next, so change is seen rather than remembered.

What is listed first in a storm season report?

The report lists first the faults that water can reach quickly: valleys with debris, vent flashings that have lost their sealant, gutter runs that hold water and the attic marks that show a route already in use.

A valley is first on the list because it carries the most water in a storm. A vent flashing is next because it is the most common single point of entry on a pitched roof. The gutter run follows, since an overflow puts water onto the fascia and into the soil beside the wall.

The attic marks come last in the list but are checked first on the roof. They show whether water has already found a route, and that route is the one to watch during the season.

How are faults ranked so the owner knows what to do first?

Faults are ranked by how quickly they could let water into the building and by how hard they would be to repair after a storm. A fault that could leak in the next storm and is easy to fix now is ranked first.

The report marks each fault with a rough order: act now, plan before the rain, or watch. An act-now item is one that water could reach in the next storm. A plan item can wait for a dry week. A watch item is recorded so its change is seen.

The owner decides the order, and the technician explains the reason for each mark. The reasons are written beside the list so they can be read later.

What happens to the report after the check?

The report is kept with the file, and the repairs agreed are written into a scope. The next season's check compares the new findings with the old ones, so the change over the years is visible.

A signed copy of the report, the photographs and the list of repairs go into the file. The owner can show the file to a buyer, to an insurer or to the next technician, and each can see the state of the roof at each check.

No warranty or guarantee of the roof's future condition is stated. The report records what was seen on the day, and the owner should keep it as a dated record.

What does a check of the attic add before the rain?

The attic check is the part of the inspection most often skipped, and it is the part that shows whether water has already found a route. Dark sheathing, rust on nails and a stain on a rafter are the signs that a fault is already in use.

The check is made from the access hatch on a dry day, with a torch, and nothing is moved until it has been read. Each mark is photographed from the same spot and listed by its position above the room below, so the owner can see the risk to each ceiling.

An attic that has been insulated over its vents may hold heat and moisture that a dry day does not show. The technician checks the intake and the exhaust in the same visit, so the attic is read as a system rather than as a pile of boards.

How are repairs scheduled around the rain?

Repairs are scheduled in the dry weeks of the autumn, starting with the faults the list marks as act-now. A repair booked for a dry day can be finished before a storm; a repair left until the first heavy rain is often done in a tarp and a hurry.

The owner is given a rough order from the list, and the crew is booked against it. A week of dry weather is the best window for a flashing or a valley repair, since the sealant and the metal set properly before the rain arrives.

Where a repair cannot be done before the storm, the act-now items are covered. A cover is fitted to the structure and the permanent work is booked for the next dry spell, and the owner keeps the record.

Why do the report's photographs matter across seasons?

Photographs taken from the same spots each autumn show change that a written note can miss. A valley that has begun to fill with grit, or a flashing that has lifted by a few millimetres, is easy to see side by side and hard to see from memory.

The technician takes the same set of views each season: the valleys, the vent flashings, the gutter at its lowest point and the attic above each marked fault. The set is labelled with the date and the room or slope.

A buyer, an insurer or a later technician can read the set in a few minutes and see where the roof has changed. That is the most useful part of the file once the roof has been through several seasons.

Options

Types and options for storm season roof inspection

Pre-season check for a single house

The usual form, made once in the autumn, covering the roof, the gutters and the attic in one visit.

Multi-unit building check

A check for a building with several roofs or a large flat section, planned by area with the access agreed beforehand.

Santa Clara County

Why storm season roof inspection is different in Santa Clara Valley

San Jose's central ZIPs run from 95110 to 95128, and the same wet-season storms reach all of them, so the storm season check follows one list across the city.

The creeks that Valley Water tracked in January 2023 are a reason to check the gutter outlets and the low corners of the lot before the rain begins.

Foothill towns such as Los Gatos and Saratoga carry more debris from trees onto their roofs, so the valleys there are cleared first in the list.

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Where we work

Storm Season Roof Inspection across Santa Clara County

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Related

Winter Storm Leak Tracing

Following a ceiling stain from a storm back up the framing to the valley, vent or flashing where the water came in, with moisture readings and photographs kept for the repair.

Creekside Gutter and Drainage Repair

Repairing gutters, outlets and the drainage at the foot of the wall on properties near the creeks, with the discharge placed clear of the foundation and the soil checked after a flood.

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.

Pre-Listing Roof Condition Report

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.

Guides

Read before you book

FAQ

Storm Season Roof Inspection FAQs

How long before the rain should the check be made?

Early autumn gives the most time to book repairs. A check made just before the first storm is still worth doing, though it leaves less room to plan.

Is a storm check a guarantee that the roof will not leak?

No. It records what was seen on the day, and it lists what was not reached. It reduces the chance of a surprise but does not promise one.

Can I do the check myself?

A ground check and an attic look from the hatch are useful. The roof itself is for a technician, and the list is best made by someone who can reach every part safely.

What if the check finds a fault that cannot be fixed before the rain?

A temporary cover is fitted to the structure and the owner is told what the cover does and does not do. The permanent repair follows once the weather allows, and the record notes the interim measure.

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