An inspection is the cheapest point in any roofing project to learn something. Before a single shingle comes off, we look at the roof as a system: the field shingles, the valleys and ridges, every penetration, the flashing where the roof meets walls and chimneys, the gutters, and what the attic is telling us about ventilation and moisture. The result is a recommendation you can act on, written down.
What we look at
- Shingle condition: granule loss, curling, cracking, creases from wind, and missing tabs.
- Flashing at chimneys, walls, dormers, skylights and valleys.
- Pipe boots and vents, which are frequent leak sources.
- Low-slope sections over porches, bay windows or additions.
- Gutters and drip edge, including whether water is reaching the gutters at all.
- Attic signs, where accessible: stains on decking, damp insulation, frost or condensation marks, and blocked soffit vents.
- Items on the roof that affect a future project, such as solar panels, satellite mounts or skylights.
Skylights and chimneys, like these on a project in McLean, are where most of the detail work on a roof happens and where an inspection spends a lot of its time. They're flashed rather than shingled, and that flashing has to work with the new roof.
Roof inspection versus a home inspection report
If you're buying or selling in Chantilly, the home inspector's report may already mention the roof. Those reports are broad by design and often recommend 'evaluation by a licensed roofing contractor.' A roofing inspection is that evaluation: narrower, focused on the roof system, and aimed at a decision about repair or replacement, with the scope in writing if work is needed.
When a Chantilly homeowner should schedule one
- After a storm that left shingles in the yard or a new ceiling stain.
- Before listing a house for sale, or after a home inspector flags the roof.
- When the roof is approaching the 20-30 years asphalt shingles commonly last.
- Before installing solar panels, so the roof under them has life left.
- When an HOA notice calls out roof appearance.
What you get back
A straight answer: leave it, repair it, or plan a replacement. If it's a repair, we'll describe what and where. If it's a replacement, the inspection becomes the basis for a written scope that spells out tear-off, decking assumptions, underlayment, flashing, ventilation and cleanup. Photos from the inspection should be tied to the roof areas they show, so you can see what we saw.
If you'd like a sense of scale first, the free roof-size tool on the Roofing Roughnecks site uses satellite and elevation data to estimate your roof's area and pitch. It's a planning number, not a quote; an inspection confirms the real one.
Do you need to go in my attic?▸
It helps when there's safe access. Stains, damp insulation and ventilation clues in the attic often explain what's happening on the roof.
Will you get on a steep roof?▸
We assess the roof in whatever way is safe for that roof and weather. Some areas are best seen from a ladder or from above with photos.
Is an inspection the same as an estimate?▸
The inspection is how the estimate gets built. If work is recommended, you receive a written scope so you know what's included before anything starts.
Do you serve all of Chantilly?▸
Yes. Chantilly is part of the Roofing Roughnecks Northern Virginia service area, including homes with a Chantilly address on the Loudoun County side.