Roof inspections that tell you the truth, with photos
Half the value of a roof inspection in Mobile is finding the split boot before it ruins a ceiling. The other half is hearing "it's fine, call us in five years" from someone who isn't trying to sell you a roof that day.
A roof inspection with us is a roof-and-attic inspection, because the attic is where a Mobile roof tells on itself: daylight at a nail hole, a dark ring on the decking under a pipe, rusted nail tips from condensation in an under-vented attic, mold on the north side of the rafters. On the roof we check every slope, the sealant strip on the windward courses, the ridge caps, the drip edge and starter, every pipe boot and flashing, the valleys, the vents, the chimney crown, and the gutters. Everything gets photographed, you get the photos the same day with a written summary, and the summary says one of three things: it's fine, it needs these specific repairs, or it's at the end of its life and here is what replacement, FORTIFIED and the grant would cost.
When people call for inspections in Mobile: after a hurricane or a squall line (free, and within weeks of the storm so the damage is on record for a claim); before hurricane season, usually April or May, to catch the lifted courses and tired boots before June 1; when buying or selling a house, where the roof is the single most expensive thing a general home inspector glances at from the ground, and where a 15-year-old shingle roof is becoming a condition of insurance on this coast; when an insurer asks for a roof condition report or a FORTIFIED verification; and when a roof simply hits 15 years old in this climate. The pre-purchase report in particular saves people money: it puts a number on the roof's remaining life and the cost of what's wrong, which is leverage at the closing table.
Two things we do that others sometimes don't. We walk the roof when it's safe to walk, instead of inspecting from a drone or the driveway; a drone can't lift a shingle to see whether the seal has let go. And we don't sell during the inspection. If you need a roof, the numbers come in writing afterward and are good for 30 days. If you don't, we say so and we see you in a few years.
What's included
Roof and attic, both
Every slope walked when safe, every penetration checked, the attic inspected for daylight, stains, mold and condensation.
Photos the same day
A written summary with the photos, so you have a record for your files, your buyer or your insurer.
Storm inspections, free
Within weeks of the storm, documented for a claim. See hurricane damage.
Pre-season checks
April and May: sealant strips, ridge caps, boots, flashing and vents checked before June 1.
Real estate reports
Pre-listing and pre-purchase reports with remaining life and repair costs, for the closing table.
Insurance and FORTIFIED verification
Roof condition reports for carriers; FORTIFIED evaluator coordination for the designation.
Roof inspection cost in Mobile, AL
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Storm or hurricane inspection with photos | Free | Documented for your claim |
| Pre-season hurricane check | Free | With a written repair list if needed |
| Pre-purchase or pre-listing roof report | $150 – $250 | Written report with remaining life and costs |
| Insurance roof condition report | $150 – $250 | On the carrier's form where required |
| Leak diagnosis (attic and roof) | $150 – $250 | Credited toward the repair |
| FORTIFIED evaluator coordination | Included with a FORTIFIED roof | See FORTIFIED |
These are 2026 Mobile-area ranges so you can budget. Your written price is itemized (tear-off, decking, underlayment, sealed deck, flashing, vents, disposal, permit) and good for 30 days.
Recent work
Questions we get about roof inspection
Is the inspection really free?
Storm and pre-season inspections, yes. Written reports for a real estate transaction or an insurer, and leak diagnoses, carry a fee, and the diagnosis fee is credited if we do the repair.
Do you use a drone?
For steep or unsafe roofs, as a supplement. A drone can't lift a shingle to check the seal or feel a soft spot in the deck, so we walk the roof whenever it's safe to.
How often should a Mobile roof be inspected?
After every hurricane or damaging storm, before each season once the roof is past 10 years, and at least every other year after 15. This climate ages roofs faster than the wrapper says.
My insurer wants a roof inspection before renewing. Can you do that?
Yes. Carriers on the coast increasingly want a condition report on roofs past 15 years. We provide the photos and the report on their form, and if the roof needs replacing, the FORTIFIED route usually solves the insurance problem.
Will you tell me if my roof is fine?
Yes, and we do, often. A good roof with a split boot is a $200 repair, not a replacement, and we'd rather be the company you call in five years.
I'm buying a house in Mobile. Is a general home inspection enough for the roof?
Usually not. Most home inspectors look from the ground or a ladder and note "appears serviceable." A roofer's report gives you remaining life, specific defects and real costs you can negotiate with.