Two very different roof visits get called an inspection, and they are not priced the same. A sales estimate is free, and it tells you what work would cost. A written roof report is a paid service that documents the condition of the roof.
You usually need one or the other, not both. This page covers what each one gives you, and what a roof report cannot promise. Call (424) 532-7527 if you would rather talk it through.
Free estimate or paid roof report: which one you need
If you want to know what a repair or a new roof would cost, ask for an estimate. Sales estimates are free, and they are meant to price work. For a replacement, we can often measure the roof from satellite images instead of climbing it first.
A written roof report answers a different question. Someone else, usually a buyer's side or an insurer, wants the roof condition on paper. That is a paid service, and the fee is not fixed.
Neither one replaces the other: an estimate never functions as a report, and a report never prices the work. Once we know who is requesting the document, we can point you to the right service.
We inspect single homes, multi-unit buildings and commercial property in Beverly Hills. The same split applies to all of them: a free estimate, or a paid report.
What the paid roof report gives you
The report is a written record of the roof condition we observed. You get it in writing, so you can hand it to whoever asked for it. It is not a certificate, and it is not a promise about how long the roof will last.
A report describes the roof on the day we looked at it. Weather, age and later work can change that picture. Ask the party requesting it how recent they need it to be.
What sets the fee
The fee changes from roof to roof. Size drives it, and so does the number of stories. Both change how long the visit takes and how we reach the roof.
We price each report once we know the size and the height of the building. Call (424) 532-7527 and ask what yours would cost.
Roof reports for escrow and insurer requests
Two situations bring most of these requests to us. A buyer in escrow typically needs written documentation of roof condition before closing. Or an insurer wants a look at the roof before it renews or writes a policy.
Buyers in escrow
Escrow runs on a deadline, so timing often matters as much as the finding. Mention the scheduled closing date during your initial conversation with us. A buyer in this spot wants documented condition, not a sales estimate.
Insurer-required inspections
Insurers ask for roof inspections more often in the fire-exposed parts of the Los Angeles area. The request usually arrives before a renewal, or before a new policy is written. That inspection is roofing work, and we do it.
Coverage decisions belong entirely to your insurance carrier, never to us. Our responsibility remains the roof's physical condition.
We cannot guarantee that a third party will accept a report. Ask the insurer or the agent what they need in writing. Then tell us before we come out.
What we can see from a roof inspection
Most of a roof visit is looking, carefully and in the right places. We walk the roof where that is safe, and check the surface, ridges and edges. We also look hard at the details that leak first.
Loose or slipped tiles, missing shingle pieces and open ridges show up from the surface. Those are the findings that become a repair list. We note where they are and what sits near them.
Flashing and other leak points
Metal flashing waterproofs the junctions where a roof meets a wall, a chimney or a valley. Those transitions are where many roof leaks start, so we examine them particularly carefully. CertainTeed's guide to rain-ready roofs covers how drainage and flashing shed water.
Turning findings into work
A report is only useful if it leads somewhere. If the findings are local and the rest of the roof is sound, the answer is usually roof repair.
If the underlayment or the decking is near the end of its life, we talk about roof replacement instead. Pricing that work is a separate step, and the estimate for it is free.
You are never obliged to use us for the repairs we describe. If writing is easier than calling, send the details through our contact page.
A private roof report is not a city inspection
The report we write is a private service. You hire us, and we deliver the findings to you. It does not stand in for any inspection a building department carries out on permitted work.
If the work goes ahead and needs a permit, we help property owners pull it. The permit comes from the authority with jurisdiction, and its own process applies on site.
Arranging a roof report in Beverly Hills
When you call, tell us the property type, the roof material, and who asked for the report. That is usually enough for us to price it and plan a visit. If a deadline is driving it, say so early.
We work under CSLB #1112525, and we inspect homes and commercial buildings. Beverly Hills Roofing Contractors is a division of Home Vision Remodel. Call (424) 532-7527 to arrange a paid report or a free estimate.
Questions we hear about roof inspections
Is the roof inspection free?
A sales estimate is free, and it prices the work you are considering. The detailed written report is a paid service, and the fee depends on the roof. Contact us for the fee that applies to your particular building.
What does the written report tell me?
It records what we observed on your roof, in writing, on the day of the visit. It is meant for the buyer, agent or insurer who asked for it. It is not a quote and not a certificate.
Will my insurer accept the report?
That decision belongs to your insurer, and we cannot promise acceptance on their behalf. Confirm their written requirements before we visit, because we can only document existing conditions.
Beverly Hills CA
(424) 532-7527