Free roof inspection with deck photos before we talk money - GAF and Owens Corning certified installation
Fast, Reliable Roof Inspection Across San Francisco
A roof inspection in San Francisco typically costs $220 – $450 for a standard flat or low-slope roof on a Victorian, Edwardian, or mid-century home, with more complex rooftop-deck and light-well assemblies running $500 – $800. Most inspections are completed in one to two hours, and the report we hand you is written in plain English with photos, measurements, and a line-by-line scope of anything that needs attention. Call (361) 320-9467 to schedule yours.
We know San Francisco roofs the way only a local crew can. The fog, the wet winters, the parapet walls that hide problems until the first big storm, the rows of flat tar-and-gravel roofs behind ornate street-facing facades. Our Roof Inspection team works in the Sunset, the Richmond, the Mission, Noe Valley, Bernal Heights, and every neighborhood in between. When you call, a live person answers, and we show up inside the window we give you.
Why Brennan Roofing Is San Francisco’s Preferred Roof Inspection Company
Brennan Roofing operates under The Garrison Standard, a written set of rules that covers how we price, how we dispatch, and how we leave your property. The price goes on paper before any work starts, and that number does not move at the door. Every technician who steps onto your roof is background-checked and arrives in uniform, so you know exactly who is up there.
San Francisco homeowners call us because inspections here are not routine walk-arounds. A pre-1950 wood-frame row house with a flat roof, a party wall, and a light well is a different animal than a suburban gable roof. We know where these roofs fail, what the city’s building code will require once we open things up, and how to document everything so you are never guessing. Travis Oakley leads our crews, and he holds every inspection to the same standard whether it is a 900-square-foot bungalow in the Outer Sunset or a five-story Edwardian near Dolores Park.
Every inspection we perform is backed in writing for one full year under our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If we miss something that fails within that year, we come back and make it right at no charge.
Hail Damage Roof in San Francisco
Hail Damage Roof in San Francisco is less common than in the Central Valley or the Sierra foothills, but it does happen during the rare cold-core spring storms that sweep across the Bay, and it rarely looks like you would expect. On a flat tar-and-gravel roof, hail damage usually shows up as bruising in the membrane under the gravel, cracked flashing at parapet intersections, or punctures around skylights and rooftop deck penetrations. A surface-only look misses most of it. Our inspection lifts the suspicious areas, probes the decking underneath, and gives you a written hail-damage scope with photos, measurements, and a repair price. In San Francisco, a minor hail repair typically runs $350 – $900, while hail damage that has compromised the underlayment or decking can push into the $1,500 – $4,000 range depending on how many layers we are dealing with.
What Our Hail Inspections Actually Check
We probe the membrane for soft spots and bruising, pull back gravel at impact points, and check every parapet flashing seam for the hairline cracks hail opens up. We also photograph the exposed areas before and after so you can file an insurance claim with documentation that stands up.
When a Hail Claim Becomes a Roof Replacement
If hail has fractured the modified-bitumen surface and water has been getting under it for months, the decking is often too far gone to patch. That is when we walk you through a full replacement scope, priced in writing, with the decking allowance broken out as a separate line item so there are no surprises later.
Roof Estimate in San Francisco
A Roof Estimate in San Francisco is the written number you get before any work starts, and on older San Francisco homes, that number has to account for what we cannot see until the roof is opened. We give you a detailed line-item estimate that separates the known scope from the conditional scope: the membrane, flashing, and drain work we can see and price today, plus a written allowance for the rot, undersized framing, and missing underlayment that pre-1950 roofs routinely hide. A visual estimate for a standard flat-roof repair in San Francisco runs $200 – $400 as a standalone service, but that fee is waived when you hire us for the repair. Full replacement estimates on a typical 1,200 to 1,800 square foot Sunset or Richmond flat roof generally land between $14,000 and $28,000 depending on decking condition, parapet scope, and how many old layers need to come off.
The Written Price, Before Work Starts
We do not open a roof, discover rot, and then come back with a bigger number. The Garrison Standard means your estimate includes the conditional line items from the start. You see the worst-case number before we touch anything, and you approve changes in writing before we proceed.
Why Decking Allowances Matter on Pre-1950 Roofs
The original 1×6 or 2×6 decking on a Victorian or Edwardian row house is often structurally undersized by modern code and rotted under the membrane. A responsible roof estimate in San Francisco includes a per-sheet or per-foot decking allowance so the final price is already understood, not discovered.
Trusted Brands We Service in San Francisco
We install and service roofing systems from GAF, CertainTeed, and Owens Corning, and we keep common flashing, membrane, and underlayment stock on our trucks so San Francisco customers are not waiting on a parts order from the East Bay when a leak is active. Whether your home has a modified-bitumen roof from the 1980s, a more recent GAF TPO system, or a CertainTeed shingle roof on a steep-pitched Marina or Pac Heights home, our inspectors know the material history of this city’s roofs and how to match repairs so they blend and perform. You get real options explained plainly, with the trade-offs in cost and lifespan, not a sales pitch for whatever is in the warehouse.
Common Roof Inspection Problems We See in San Francisco Homes
- Parapet flashing failure. On pre-1950 Victorians and Edwardians, the ornate street-facing parapet is the most common leak source in San Francisco. Thermal movement and constant fog moisture crack the flashing, and water gets behind it for years before anyone spots interior stains. Inspections that only look at the field membrane miss this entirely.
- Rotted or undersized wood decking. The original 1×6 and 2×6 decking under flat roofs was never built to today’s span tables, and decades of trapped moisture have often reduced it to sponge. You cannot see this from the surface. It only shows up when we open the roof or probe from below.
- Clogged roof drains and scuppers. Debris from street trees, pine needles, and fog-fed mildew blocks drains across the Sunset, Richmond, and Glen Park. Ponding water sits for weeks, works through the underlayment, and finds light-well seams and party-wall intersections. We snake drains and test flow during every inspection.
- Missing secondary waterproofing on party walls. Narrow-lot row houses share walls with no modern flashing detail at the termination. Pre-1950 construction usually has no ice-and-water shield under the parapet cap, which means the first big storm of the year finds every weak seam at once.
Pricing for Roof Inspection in San Francisco, CA
A visual roof inspection in San Francisco runs $220 – $450 for most flat and low-slope residential roofs. When the roof has a rooftop deck, multiple skylights, or interior light wells that require access from below, the inspection runs $500 – $800 because of the additional probing, photos, and time involved. If the inspection leads to a repair or replacement, we credit the inspection fee toward the work. Every inspection includes a written report with photos, a scope breakdown, and a line-item price for anything we recommend. Call (361) 320-9467 to schedule a free estimate, and we will give you the exact inspection price for your roof before we show up.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Francisco
Brennan Roofing serves the entire Bay Area from our San Francisco Bay Area office. Beyond San Francisco, our crews regularly inspect and repair roofs in Daly City, Brisbane, Sausalito, and South San Francisco. The same Garrison Standard applies on every job: written price before work starts, background-checked uniformed technicians, and a full-year written guarantee.
Serving San Francisco, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Francisco area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Roof Inspection in San Francisco
We charge $220 – $450 for a full visual inspection on a Victorian or Edwardian flat roof, and that fee is credited toward any repair or replacement you hire us to perform. The inspection includes photos, a written report, and a line-item scope so you never pay for a number without knowing exactly what it covers. Call (361) 320-9467 for an exact quote on your roof.
We look for water staining at the parapet-to-field transition, probe the membrane seams at the base of the parapet wall, and check the condition of the cap flashing and counterflashing connections. On pre-1950 San Francisco roofs, the parapet flashing fails before the field membrane in most cases, so we start there and work down. Call (361) 320-9467 and we will pinpoint the source before recommending any repair.
Opening a roof can reveal conditions that trigger code-required upgrades, like missing ice-and-water shield at eaves or undersized decking that no longer meets span requirements. We document what we find, price the upgrade separately in writing, and get your approval before any additional work proceeds. You are never forced into a scope you did not see on paper first. Call (361) 320-9467 to talk through what a code-triggered upgrade would mean for your specific roof.
The best months are April through October, before the rainy season hits and when dry conditions let us probe, lift, and fully assess the roof. But if you have an active leak in November or December, do not wait for spring. We inspect year-round and document failing areas so you can make a repair decision now, not after more water damage. Call (361) 320-9467 to schedule an inspection, whatever the month.
Yes. We can inspect around rooftop decks, skylights, and light wells without removing them, though we may need to lift deck boards or access the light-well chase from inside to check the flashing details. These assemblies add time to the inspection, which is why those roofs fall into the $500 – $800 range. Call (361) 320-9467 for a specific price on your roof’s configuration.
Ready to know exactly what is happening on your roof? Call Brennan Roofing at (361) 320-9467 to schedule your roof inspection in San Francisco, CA. You will get a written price before any work starts, a clear report after we finish, and a full-year guarantee on everything we find and fix.
Written by Travis Oakley, Owner at Brennan Roofing, serving San Francisco and the Bay Area with the Garrison Standard.






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