Metal Roof Inspections
Why you're getting the roof inspected changes what the inspector should spend time on and what you should get back on paper.
After a Hurricane or Named Storm
Wind damage on a metal roof starts at the edges. Ridge caps, rake trim, eave trim and hip covers catch the wind first, and one lifted piece lets the next gust get under the panels behind it. After a storm, the inspector checks the trim and closures along every edge, looks for panels that have shifted or unlocked at the seams, and finds screws that have backed out. Flying debris leaves dents and scrapes, and a scratch through the finish on steel is where rust starts.
Take your own photos of the roof and any interior stains before anything is repaired, and keep them with the inspector's report. If you file a claim, the adjuster will compare the two. Loose trim with no leak yet is still worth fixing before the next storm.
Before You Buy a House
A home inspection covers the whole house in a few hours, and the roof gets a share of that time. A separate metal roof inspection answers questions a buyer really needs answered. What system is it, and does the product approval match what's on the roof? When was it permitted? Are the fasteners original, and how are the washers holding up? Has the finish failed anywhere near the coast?
Roof age affects insurance. Under Florida law, an insurer can't refuse to write or renew a homeowner's policy solely because of the age of a roof less than 15 years old. For an older roof, the insurer can't refuse solely on age if an authorized inspector finds at least five years of useful life left. That makes a written inspection on an older metal roof worth having before closing.
Before an Insurance Renewal (Wind Mitigation)
Florida's wind mitigation form, OIR-B1-1802, is a separate inspection: the form's certification limits who can sign it to licensed home inspectors, building code inspectors, general, building or residential contractors, engineers and architects, so a roofing contractor's report doesn't replace it. It has a roof covering question that lists metal as its own type. Each covering is documented with a permit application date, a Florida or Miami-Dade product approval number, or the year it was installed. The best answer requires a product approval that was current when the roof went on, or a roof permit applied for on or after March 1, 2002. Another answer covers HVHZ roofs permitted between September 1, 1994 and March 1, 2002. Without that paperwork, the inspector may have to mark that no information was available.
The same form asks how the roof deck is attached and needs photos for the deck and roof-to-wall questions, so the inspector will want attic access. A completed form stays valid for up to five years if nothing material changes. If you've had a new metal roof put on since your last inspection, a new form gives your insurer the updated information.
Routine Maintenance Visits
Most metal roof maintenance is small work done on schedule. Palm fronds and seed pods pile up in valleys and behind chimneys and hold water against the metal. Gutters clog. On exposed-fastener roofs, washers age in the sun and screws need checking and, eventually, replacing. Sealant at wall flashings and pipe boots dries out and cracks. Finding them on a scheduled visit beats finding them through a ceiling stain.
See metal roof repair.
Why Hollywood homeowners call Hollywood Metal Roofing
- Free written estimate
- Panel, gauge and product approval listed in writing
- City of Hollywood permit and inspections
- One local metal roofing contractor, not a call list
- No charge to homeowners for the referral
What a Metal Roof Inspection Checks
Ask for a report that covers each of these, with a photo wherever there's a problem. A single line saying the roof is "in fair condition" is worth very little.
Fasteners and washers
Backed-out, stripped, rusted or overdriven screws, and washers that are cracked, flattened or missing. Stripped holes usually need a larger replacement screw.Seams and clips
Standing seams that have opened or lifted, clips that have pulled loose, and laps on exposed-fastener panels that have separated.Trim and closures
Ridge, hip, rake and eave trim secured along its full length, and foam closures still in place under the ridge.Penetrations and flashing
Pipe boots, vents, skylights, chimneys, solar mounts and wall flashings, including the sealant.Finish and corrosion
Scratches, chalking, peeling paint, red rust on steel, white corrosion on aluminum, and cut edges that are starting to rust.Mixed metals and runoff
Copper, lead or graphite touching the roof or draining onto it, and air conditioner condensate dripping onto panels. One metal building maintenance manual warns that condensate carries copper that corrodes the roof.Drainage
Clear valleys, gutters and downspouts, and any low spots where water stands.Deck and attic
Stains, soft sheathing or daylight around penetrations, checked from below where there's access.Paperwork
The permit date and product approval number, which you'll want for the wind mitigation form.
Walking a metal roof badly can cause damage of its own. That manual tells people to step on the flat of the panel near a support and never on trim or in gutters. An inspector who stomps across the ribs is creating dents to find next time.
Metal Roof Maintenance in Salt Air
Salt settles on a roof as a film, and rain washes most of it off the open field of the panels. It stays where rain doesn't reach: under overhangs, behind parapets, on the lower edge of the roof and on the underside of trim. That's where corrosion tends to show first on a coastal house, so an inspection near the water should look closely there.
Rinsing helps. MBCI, a metal panel maker, tells owners within about 1,500 feet of salt water to rinse its panels with fresh water a couple of times a year. A garden hose at low pressure does the job; for routine rinsing, a pressure washer can damage the finish and force water past the laps.
Metal shavings left on the roof after any work should be swept off, since they rust and stain the panels around them. Fasteners and trim have to be compatible with the panel, so stainless or aluminum fasteners on an aluminum roof, and any replacement screw should match what the roof's approval calls for.