Marking roof defects

When walking the roof, do any of you mark the defects (hailstone damage, loose or missing shingles, etc…) with chalk so the seller and buyer can easily find the problem? I never have.I always believed in leaving things like a found ‘em. But I’m thinking it might not be a bad idea.

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No and I don’t think you should. Let the roofer you recommended do that.

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Seems like a good idea, and also a trail of liability if any marking is inaccurate…

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Yep, a roofer will mark a grid and mark hail hits, your marks might screw that up!

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I feel that by marking them, you’ve implied that you found all of them, or at least intended to. I’d rather say I found some, and that a professional should be called in.

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I only highlight them in the picture to show the client what I’m referring to. Why would you put markings on someone else’s roof? this is only done when there is an insurance claim or some such. If a seller hires you and requests you to mark them for a roofer to fix, that’s a different story.

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Good advice guys. Think I’ll stick to plan A.

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Only time I have is when a HOA hired me to inspect the roofs in their complex after a hailstorm.

Side note: A lot of residents were caught off guard when they found out that its their insurance that pays for hail and wind repairs.

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I leave markings to the insurance adjuster.

As a former insurance adjuster who has inspected a ton of hail damaged roofs…I always hated if an inspector or contractor had marked the hail damage, prior to my inspection. First, it made it difficult for me to verify a drawn square and also, made additional work for me, verifying their marks while also finding my own damage.

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What if it was marked by a public adjuster?

Welcome to our forum, Lloyd!…Enjoy participating. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Hello Scott -
I know you’ve been doing this inspection stuff for years, so this response if for those newer HIs - just getting started. It may save someone from future troubles. And this may be only my opinion, as different folks do different things, but…
Take it from my experience. Never physically mark or identify anything on a home or building, WITHOUT EXPLICIT WRITTEN PERMISSION by the property owner (Typically you would want such permission when inspecting EIFS/Stucco, or when performing NRS type inspections). As in, do not mark anything with pen, pencil, sharpie, chalk, tape, etc. AND do not leave gouge damage, or probing marks on wood components (as one might do to accentuate the presence of wood-rot). When you depart from your inspection, the property should look exactly the same as when you arrived.

Just sayin.

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I agree with you :100:%. Was just curious if anyone was doing it.

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