Free Roof Inspections — Professional Roof Inspection Services Across Central Alabama
Yes, our roof inspections are free, and there is no obligation attached. Prime Roofing & Restoration provides professional roof inspection services for residential and commercial properties across the Birmingham metro and Central Alabama. You get photographs of what we found, a written assessment, and a straight answer — including “your roof is fine” when that is the answer.
We use drone survey and infrared imaging alongside a physical inspection, which finds two things a visual check misses: damage on slopes nobody can safely walk, and moisture trapped under the surface that has not yet reached a ceiling.
When to Get a Roof Inspection
- After any significant storm. Hail and wind damage is frequently invisible from the ground, and insurance policies have filing deadlines that close sooner than most homeowners expect.
- Before buying or selling a house. A roof is often the largest single item in a home inspection, and a documented roof condition changes negotiations.
- Annually, once the roof passes about 10 years. The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends inspection twice a year and after major storms as best practice.
- When something has changed. A new stain, a higher energy bill, granules in the gutters, shingles in the yard.
Why It Matters in Central Alabama
Central Alabama sits in Dixie Alley, one of the most active severe weather corridors in the country. Spring hail and straight-line wind do damage here that would be unusual elsewhere, and most of it does not announce itself. You can check whether a storm actually passed over your address using National Weather Service Birmingham storm reports.
Alabama heat and humidity do the slower damage — accelerating granule loss, especially on south and west-facing slopes with poor attic ventilation. That is the kind of deterioration an annual inspection catches while it is still cheap to address.
What We Check
On the Roof
- Shingles. Curling, cracking, granule loss, missing or displaced pieces, and the dark bruising that indicates hail impact.
- Flashing. Chimneys, skylights, vents, valleys and wall junctions. This is where most leaks actually begin, well before the shingles fail.
- Pipe boots. The rubber collars around plumbing vents crack in Alabama sun, typically between 10 and 15 years.
- Fasteners. Nail pops and corroded fasteners, each one a small breach in the weather seal.
- Roof line. Sagging or dipping, which points to decking or framing rather than a surface problem.
- Drainage. Gutters, downspouts and valleys, and whether water is actually leaving the roof.
In the Attic
Half of what an inspection finds is visible only from underneath. We check for stains and active moisture, daylight through the decking, mold, insulation condition, and ventilation — because poor attic ventilation is one of the most common reasons an Alabama roof fails early.
Drone and Infrared Survey
Drone imaging covers steep and high slopes that cannot be walked safely, which matters on the terrain around Shades Mountain and the Oak Mountain ridges. Infrared finds trapped moisture by temperature difference, often weeks before it shows up on a ceiling.
Types of Inspection We Do
Storm and Hail Damage Inspection
Documented for an insurance claim: photographs, measurements and a written scope in the format adjusters expect. If there is not enough damage to justify filing, we will tell you that too. See storm damage repair and insurance claims assistance.
Pre-Purchase and Pre-Sale Inspection
Buying a house, the roof is often the largest unknown. Selling one, a documented roof condition removes a negotiating lever from the buyer. We give you remaining service life and what it would take to address anything found.
Annual Maintenance Inspection
The routine check that catches small problems while they are still small. Pairs with our roof maintenance program, and applies to residential and commercial properties alike.
Signs You Need an Inspection Now
- Ceiling stains or bubbling paint
- Granules collecting in gutters or at downspout outlets
- Shingles in the yard after a storm
- A sagging line anywhere on the roof
- Daylight visible through the attic roof boards
- Energy bills climbing without an obvious cause
- Moss or dark algae streaks
If the inspection turns up something that needs fixing, that is roof repair. If water is coming in right now, go to emergency roofing.
Where We Inspect
Birmingham metro — Birmingham, Hoover, Alabaster, Pelham and Helena, from our Alabaster office. Drone survey matters here — a lot of homes on Shades Mountain and the Oak Mountain ridges sit on slopes that cannot be walked safely.
Baldwin County and the Gulf Coast — Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Foley, from our Orange Beach office at 25299 Canal Rd. On the coast the most valuable inspection is the one before hurricane season, because it finds the corroded fasteners and lifted flashing that turn a survivable storm into a claim.
To check whether a storm actually tracked over your address, use National Weather Service Birmingham inland or National Weather Service Mobile for Baldwin County.
Roof Types and Materials
Why Our Inspections Are Worth Booking
- Free, with photographs and a written assessment. Not a sales visit with a clipboard. You get what we saw and what it means.
- Drone and infrared, not just a ladder. Steep slopes get surveyed properly, and trapped moisture gets found before it reaches a ceiling.
- We will tell you the roof is fine. If there is no damage worth claiming or fixing, that is the report you get. A roofer who finds a problem every single time is not inspecting.
- Insurance documentation done properly. Photographs and scope in the format adjusters expect, through our claims support team.
- 5-year workmanship warranty on replacements, and 300+ five-star reviews with an A+ BBB rating. Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board #30275.
Is Your Roof Due for Replacement?
Four questions, about thirty seconds. Built for Alabama roofs.
How old is your roof?
If you are not sure, the year you bought the house is usually a reasonable guess.
What is the roof made of?
Most Alabama homes have asphalt shingles. Three-tab shingles look flat and uniform; architectural shingles look thicker and layered.
What are you seeing?
Select everything that applies. If none apply, continue without selecting.
Has a storm come through recently?
Hail and straight-line wind are the most common causes of Alabama roof claims, and damage is often invisible from the ground.
Areas We Serve in Alabama
Frequently Asked Questions
Most reputable roofing companies do offer free inspections, including ours. Before you agree to one, confirm three things: that there is genuinely no charge and no obligation, that you will receive photographs and a written assessment rather than a verbal opinion, and that the company holds a state license you can look up. Ours is Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board #30275. Be cautious with anyone who knocks on your door unsolicited after a storm or pressures you to sign during the visit.
Yes, including the photographs and the written assessment. There is no charge and no obligation whether we find damage or not. If the roof is in good shape, that is what the report says.
That is exactly what an inspection is for. Repair usually makes sense when damage is localized to one slope, the roof is under about 15 years old, and the decking is dry. Replacement makes more sense when damage spans multiple slopes, the roof is at the end of its rated life, or shingles cannot be matched. We show you the photographs and explain which situation you are in, rather than asking you to take our word for it.
Yes, and you should. Hail and wind damage is frequently invisible from the ground, and most insurance policies have a filing deadline that closes sooner than homeowners expect. We document the damage in the format adjusters expect, and if there is not enough to justify a claim we will tell you that too.
Most single-family homes take 45 minutes to an hour, covering the roof, the attic and the drainage. Larger or steeper roofs, or ones needing a drone survey, can run longer. You get the findings the same day.
A drone photographs slopes that cannot be walked safely — steep pitches, high roofs, and anything structurally questionable. It matters on the terrain around Shades Mountain and the Oak Mountain ridges, where many homes have roofs that are genuinely unsafe to walk. It also produces images you can keep for an insurance claim.
The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends twice a year, in spring and fall, plus after any major storm. In practice, an annual inspection once the roof passes about 10 years, plus one after any significant hail or wind event, catches nearly everything while it is still inexpensive to address.
It is worth it. A general home inspector will look at the roof, but usually from the ground or briefly from a ladder rather than assessing remaining service life. On a house where the roof is 15 years old, the difference between five years left and one year left is a five-figure negotiating point.
Ours cost nothing. Paid roof inspections in Alabama typically run $150 to $400 depending on the size and complexity of the roof, and some homeowners pay for one specifically to get a neutral third-party opinion. If that is what you want, it is a legitimate choice — but you do not need to pay us to look at your roof.
Yes. Low-slope commercial roofs get the same treatment with more attention to seams, penetrations and ponding water, which are the three things that fail first on a flat roof.
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