A real roof inspection in Bloomington should take about an hour, cost nothing, and end with a written report and dated photos in your inbox.
If your inspector is in and out in 15 minutes telling you “you definitely need a new roof,” walk away. If they refuse to put findings in writing, walk away.
Here’s what we actually do on a Sundown Exteriors inspection.
Ready to skip the read and just book one? Call us at (309) 275-6801 or schedule a free inspection online. We come out within 48 hours, climb up, check the attic, and send you a written report.
The Outside
We start with binoculars from the ground to get the overall lay of the roof, then climb up and walk every accessible slope. What we’re looking for:
- Granule loss. Granules in your gutters tell us how far along the shingles are. Significant loss on a 12-year-old roof is a red flag.
- Curling, cupping, or blistering. Different aging patterns, all pointing the same direction.
- Hail damage. Round impact marks where granules are knocked off. How to spot hail damage goes deeper.
- Wind damage. Lifted, creased, or missing shingles. The creased ones are sneaky, they look fine from the ground but they’re stress-fractured and will fail.
- Algae streaking, nail pops, or anything else that doesn’t belong.
The Flashing
If we had to bet on where your next leak will come from, it’s the flashing. Chimneys, valleys, skylights, vent boots, where the roof butts up against a wall. After years of inspecting Bloomington-Normal roofs, we’d estimate 60% of mystery leaks start at a flashing failure. Our flashing deep-dive covers the why. What we check: chimney step flashing for lift or corrosion (see chimney leak fixes), valley flashing for damage or buildup, skylight perimeters, vent boot rubber collars (a top mystery-leak source), and drip edge along the eaves.
The Gutters
Clogged or pitched-wrong gutters are how Illinois winters get an ice dam started. We check attachment, slope, clearance, and the downspout discharge path. And we look at how many granules have washed into the gutters, that tells us how much wear the shingles have already taken.
The Attic (Most Inspectors Skip This)
This is the step that separates a real inspection from a quick look.
We climb into the attic with a flashlight and check:
- The underside of the deck for water stains, rot, or daylight visible through nail holes
- Insulation condition (compressed, displaced, or visibly wet)
- Ventilation balance, counting and measuring the actual intake and exhaust vents (see how attic insulation affects roof lifespan)
- Rafter and truss condition for cracks, sag, or signs of active leaks
- Bath fan and dryer vents to confirm they exhaust outside, not into the attic (this is a surprisingly common installation mistake)
- Frost or condensation evidence in winter, points straight at a ventilation problem
If a contractor skips the attic, you’re getting half an inspection.
Deck Condition and Storm Damage
While we’re walking the roof, we feel for soft spots, that’s deck damage you can’t see from the outside. Full extent only shows when the shingles come off, but soft spots, sagging between rafters, or bouncing underfoot are all signs that decking damage is already there.
If a recent storm hit, we document everything for insurance: dated photos of hail dimples on metal vents and gutters, bruised shingles, granule displacement, wind-lift patterns. The photos matter a lot when the adjuster shows up. See our storm inspection and insurance guide for how this works.
What You Get After
You get a written report with dated photos of every issue we found, a summary of overall roof condition, a prioritized repair list (immediate / soon / eventual), a replacement recommendation if it’s warranted, and itemized cost estimates for whatever we’re recommending. Whether you use us for the work is up to you. No pressure, no follow-up sales call. We’d rather you sit on the report for a week and decide than feel rushed.
Red Flags to Watch For
If you’re shopping for an inspection, walk away if you see:
- The contractor refuses to put findings in writing
- Inspection takes under 20 minutes
- No attic check
- Pressure to sign a contract on the spot or “today only” pricing
- Damage claims you can’t see in the photos
- Out-of-state license plates and no local office
The last one matters after Illinois storms.
Storm chasers follow hail events, and most of the bad patterns above trace back to crews that won’t be around when you need warranty work. See why local matters.
Quick Answers
Are inspections actually free? Ours are.
Some contractors charge $200 to $500 for forensic-level reports tied to insurance disputes or real estate transactions, but for routine maintenance and storm assessment, free is the standard.
How often? Every 2 to 3 years for a typical Bloomington home. Annually after any major hail or wind event. Annually for roofs over 15 years old. Before listing a home for sale.
Will they walk on my roof? Usually yes. If the pitch is too steep or the roof is too damaged to walk safely, we use a ladder, binoculars, or sometimes a drone. The goal is documentation, not heroics.
Does an inspection raise my insurance? No.
Some insurers actually offer discounts for documented inspections, especially when paired with Class 4 impact-resistant shingles.
Why Bloomington Homeowners Call Us
Sundown Exteriors is locally owned. We’ve been inspecting roofs in Bloomington-Normal for years. GAF and Owens Corning trained, BBB accredited, fully licensed and insured. Every inspection includes photos and a written report. No high-pressure sales, no fabricated damage, no storm-chasing crews.
Book a Free Inspection
If your roof is due for a check, or you’ve had a recent storm and want to know if there’s hidden damage, the cheapest path forward is a free inspection. We come out, climb up, check the attic, write you a real report.
Two easy ways to get started:
We service Bloomington, Normal, Peoria, and the surrounding Central Illinois metro.