What should a free roof repair estimate include?
Short answer. A real free roof repair estimate includes someone getting on the roof, or documenting it with a drone where walking is unsafe, checking the attic under the problem, photographing the failure, and handing you a written scope and price for the specific repair. A free estimate given from the driveway, or one that only says you need a new roof without photos, is not worth much.
Why roofers inspect for free
For most residential roofers, the free inspection is how they earn the job, and there is no catch as long as the estimate is honest. The cost to you shows up only when an estimate is vague, inflated or used to pressure you.
What a good free estimate covers
- An on-roof inspection: walking the roof where it is safe, with photos of each slope, and drone shots of areas too steep or high to walk.
- The attic: stains, wet decking, daylight around penetrations, and ventilation.
- The cause, not just the symptom: which boot, flashing joint or shingle failed, and why.
- A written scope: exactly what will be replaced, with what materials, and how hidden rot will be priced.
- An honest repair or replace opinion: including how close a shingle match will be and how many good years the roof has left.
- A storm check: whether hail or wind damage is present that could make it an insurance question.
Red flags
- A price before anyone has been on the roof.
- Close-up damage photos with no wide shot showing they came from your house.
- Pressure to sign that day, or to sign paperwork before the insurance adjuster has seen the roof.
- An offer to cover your deductible, which is illegal in Georgia.
Getting more than one
For a small repair, one trusted estimate is often enough. For larger work, compare two or three written scopes line by line rather than the totals. Robust Roofing describes what its free inspection includes on its roof inspection page, and you can read what to expect from a roof inspection before anyone climbs up.