Written Reports · Photos · Free Estimates
Roof Inspections & Certifications in Philadelphia
Sometimes you need more than a roofer’s word that the roof is fine. You need it on paper — a written report a buyer, a lender, or an insurance company will actually accept. Garrison provides free roof inspections with a documented report, photos, and a roof certification for a sale or refinance, across Philadelphia and the surrounding areas.
The inspection is free and there’s no obligation. What you walk away with is real documentation of your roof’s condition, done by a GAF-certified roofer who’ll tell you straight what shape it’s in.
20+ Years
Thermal-Drone Candidacy Scan
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Find out if your roof is a candidate for an inspection — no obligation.
Free, no-obligation, itemized. We’ll tell you straight what it needs.
Documented, Not Verbal
What You Get: A Written Report, Not a Verbal “Looks Fine”
Plenty of contractors will climb up, glance around, and tell you it’s okay. That’s not documentation, and it won’t hold up when a title company or lender asks for proof. Our inspection gives you something you can hand over:
- A written report with photos of the actual conditions on your roof
- An assessment of the roof’s remaining useful life — how many years you can reasonably expect
- Findings from a thermal-drone moisture scan, so problems hiding under the surface show up, not just what’s visible from a ladder
- A roof certification letter documenting the roof’s condition for a sale or refinance
- For pre-purchase inspections: a certified warranty guarantee on the roof, issued with the report
Know Which One You Need
Roof Inspection vs. Roof Certification — What’s the Difference?
They’re related but not the same, and people mix them up constantly.
A roof inspection is the assessment: we get on the roof, evaluate its condition, scan for moisture, and document what we find. Every certification starts with one.
A roof certification is the document that comes out of it — a letter stating the roof’s condition and estimated remaining life, usually because a third party (a buyer, a lender, an insurer) is requiring it before a deal can close. In Pennsylvania, the seller is typically the one who supplies it.
If you just want to know where your roof stands, that’s an inspection. If a transaction is forcing the question, you likely need the certification.
When You Need a Roof Certification
- Selling a home — buyers and their real estate agents and title companies often want the roof certified before closing
- Refinancing — mortgage lenders frequently require proof the roof has life left before approving the loan
- Buying a home — a pre-purchase roof inspection tells you what you’re actually buying, before it’s your problem. Smart due diligence alongside your home inspector, who usually can’t get on the roof the way a roofer can. And when the inspection is for a purchase, you get a certified warranty guarantee along with the report — real assurance that the roof over your new home is sound
- Insurance — insurance carriers may ask for documentation of the roof’s condition to write or keep a policy
Whatever’s driving it, we give you the paperwork in a form the other party will accept.
Thermal-Drone moisture Scan
We Prove It First
We Inspect With Drones, Not Just a Ladder
Here’s where most inspections fall short: they’re a visual once-over. A roof can look fine from the surface and be soaking wet underneath. We run a thermal-drone moisture scan that reads temperature differences across the roof and reveals moisture trapped below — the stuff you can’t see and a ladder-and-eyeballs inspection misses entirely.
That matters for a certification, because it means our assessment is backed by actual evidence, not just a visual guess. Of the roofers documenting inspections in this market, almost none tie the finding to diagnostic proof. We do.
For Property Managers
Managing Multiple Properties?
If you need recurring inspections across a portfolio of buildings, that’s a program, not a one-off. See our property management roofing service for documented, portfolio-wide inspection reporting.
Free Estimate
No Cost, No Pressure
Free, No-Obligation — Every Time
The inspection costs you nothing, and you’re never obligated to book work off the back of it. If the roof is in good shape, we’ll tell you and document it. If it needs attention, we’ll show you the photos and the scan and let you decide. That’s the whole Garrison approach: a straight answer you can trust, whether or not it leads to a job for us.
Straight Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a roof certification, and how is it different from a roof inspection?
An inspection is the assessment of your roof’s condition. A certification is the document that comes out of it — a letter stating the roof’s condition and estimated remaining life, usually required by a buyer, lender, or insurer before a deal closes. Every certification begins with an inspection.
How long is a roof certification valid?
Roof certifications are typically issued for a set window, after which the roof may need to be re-checked, since conditions change over time.
Do I need a roof certification to sell or refinance a home in Philadelphia?
Often, yes. Buyers, title companies, and mortgage lenders frequently require one before closing, and in Pennsylvania the seller usually supplies it. Even when it isn’t strictly required, a clean certification removes a common last-minute obstacle to a deal.
Will an insurance company or lender accept a roofer’s inspection report?
A written report with photos from a GAF-certified contractor is exactly the kind of documentation lenders and insurers look for. Requirements vary by company, so if yours has a specific format, tell us and we’ll make sure the report covers what they need.
Free & No-Obligation
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Roof Coating Estimate
Worn roof, or just want an honest read on whether a coating instead of a replacement makes sense? Get a free inspection from a roofer who proves it before we sell it.