Published 2026-09-14 · Last reviewed 2026-09-14 · Virginia Roofing Services editorial team
Start in the attic, not on the roof
The attic tells you more than the shingles do, and you can check it safely. Go up on a bright day with the lights off and look for daylight through the decking, dark staining on the underside of the sheathing, damp insulation, or a musty smell that never clears.
Staining that runs down a rafter points to a flashing or penetration leak, which is usually repairable. Widespread staining across several bays points to a failing roof surface.
What to look for from the ground
You do not need to climb. Walk the property with binoculars or your phone camera zoomed in, and check each roof plane and every edge.
- Shingles that are curling, cupping or lifting at the corners
- Bald patches where the granule surface has worn off
- Granules collecting in gutters and at downspout outlets
- A roof line that dips or waves, which suggests decking damage
- Rusted or lifting flashing at chimneys, walls and valleys
- Moss or heavy algae streaking on north-facing slopes
Age is the tiebreaker
If the roof is well inside its expected service life and the problem is local, repair. If it is near the end of that life and you are repairing the same roof repeatedly, replacement usually costs less over the next decade than a series of patches.
Keep the paperwork. A dated inspection report with photographs is what supports both a warranty claim and an insurance claim later.
When a repair is the right call
A single lifted flashing, a failed pipe boot, a few shingles taken off by wind, or a localised valley problem on an otherwise sound roof are all repair work. Get the repair documented with before and after photographs.
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