What does a Plano roof inspection turn up that you’d miss from the curb?

The Plano homeowners called for an inspection because the home was 11 years old and they were considering listing it in the spring. From the curb the roof looked fine. Two-story brick, dark gray architectural shingles, no obvious problems. The inspection report ran 14 pages. This is what a proper inspection turns up that you simply cannot see from ground level.

What we found on the Plano walkthrough

The roof itself wasn’t catastrophically failing. But it had multiple issues that would matter to a buyer’s inspector and would likely surface during the listing process. The big items:

• Hail bruising on the south-facing slope: A 2024 storm had left granule loss and impact marks across about 40% of the south slope. Not visible from the ground. Easily seen from on the roof.
• Failed pipe boot: The plumbing vent stack flashing had cracked and was actively leaking into the attic. The homeowners hadn’t noticed because the leak ran down framing into the wall cavity, not visible from inside.
• Brittle ridge cap: The ridge shingles were past their flexible life and would start losing tabs in the next hard wind.
• Inadequate attic ventilation: Only one ridge vent for a 2,800 sq ft attic. North Texas best practice requires more intake/exhaust balance.
• Compromised chimney flashing: Original installation, never replaced, mortar joints failing.

What this would cost as repairs vs. wait-and-replace

The repair scope ran approximately $4,800 — pipe boot, ridge cap, chimney flashing, and adding two additional attic ventilation points. The roof’s remaining useful life with proper repairs was 5-8 more years. Without the repairs, 12-18 months before significant problems.

For the homeowners about to list, the repair path was the right call. The repairs would show as ‘recent maintenance’ on the listing and avoid a buyer’s inspection deal-breaker.

What you couldn’t see from the curb

None of the issues we found were visible from the front yard. The hail bruising was on the south slope, hidden behind the roofline. The pipe boot failure was at the rear. The chimney flashing required actually being on the roof. The attic ventilation issue required understanding North Texas best practice, not just looking at the visible vents.

This is why proper roof inspection in McKinney, TX exists. The curb-side visual is the wrong tool for the job.

Where to go from here

For more on roof inspection in McKinney, TX in our service area, the full pillar guide covers the broader category. Full service detail lives on the roof inspection in McKinney, TX service page, and our broader services overview on the roofing services page.