Know what your slate roof needs before anyone sells you a new one.

Is this a home inspection? No. This is a roof-only condition assessment. We look at the roof covering, flashing, chimneys (where they meet the roof), gutters and drainage, and attic underside where included. We don’t evaluate the rest of the house. If you’re buying a home, you may still want a licensed home inspector for everything else. You’re a roofing company. Won’t you just tell me to buy a roof? That’s a fair question. The report is yours, and you can take it to any contractor for bids. Every finding is backed by a photo, and we tell you when something can wait. We disclose in every report that we’re affiliated with Forest Roofing. Every dollar you spend on your inspection and report is credited toward any repair or replacement you contract with us, but there’s no obligation. How is this different from a free estimate? A free estimate is a price for a job the contractor wants to sell. An assessment is a documented look at the whole roof: what’s sound, what’s failing, what to do first, and roughly what it will cost over the next five years. You get it in writing, with photos, whether or not any work follows. Can my slate roof be repaired, or does it need replacing? It depends on the slate, the fasteners, the flashing and the underlying deck. Many slate roofs can be kept in service for a long time with targeted repairs. Others have reached the end of their life. The assessment is how you find out which one you have. Do you need to get on the roof? No. We inspect with a drone and from the ground, so no one walks your roof. The drone captures every slope, flashing, gutter and chimney, and we check the attic or underside where accessible. The report will say what we could and couldn’t see. Can I use the report for a historic district or review board? The Historic & Grant-Ready Report documents original materials and matching considerations, formatted to support the owner’s application to a review board or commission. Your local commission makes its own decisions, and we can’t guarantee an outcome. Can our church use this for budgeting or grant applications? Yes. That’s what the Historic & Grant-Ready Report is built for: detailed documentation of roof materials, condition and history, with priorities and budget ranges, formatted to support your application. You or your grant writer submit the application; we don’t write or prepare grant applications. Check each grant program’s requirements for what they need from a contractor or professional. How soon do I get the report, and what about winter? Reports are delivered within 3 business days of the visit. We assess year-round, but ice, snow, rain and high wind can make drone flights unsafe or limit what we can see. In those cases we reschedule, or rely more on attic and ground observation and note that in the report.