The crew just packed up, the dumpster is rolling away, and your new roof looks great from the driveway. But how do you actually know the job was done right? Most homeowners have never been on a roof, let alone inspected one. That's fine — you don't need to be a roofer to catch the most common installation mistakes.
This checklist covers what to look for after a roof replacement in Charlotte, step by step, from the curb to the attic. Spend 30 to 45 minutes going through it before you hand over that final payment.
Start From the Street
Walk across the street and look at your entire roof. You're checking for the big-picture stuff first.
Shingle Lines Should Be Straight
The horizontal rows of shingles should run perfectly straight from one side of the roof to the other. If they waver or dip, the installer didn't use chalk lines — which means they were rushing or careless. Crooked shingle lines aren't just ugly. Misalignment creates gaps between shingles where water can work its way underneath during Charlotte's summer downpours.
The Roof Surface Should Look Flat
No bumps, no waves, no areas that look like they're bubbling up. If you see unevenness, the underlayment may have been wrinkled during installation, or the crew shingled over damaged decking without replacing it. Either way, it's a problem that'll get worse over time.
Ridge Cap Should Be Uniform
Look at the peak of your roof. The ridge cap shingles should form a clean, straight line with even spacing. A sloppy ridge cap is one of the first places water gets in during a storm. If it looks crooked or you can see gaps between pieces, the crew didn't take their time on the finish work.
Walk the Perimeter of the House
Now get closer. Walk around your entire house looking up at the roof edge, the gutters, and the siding.
Check the Drip Edge
There should be a metal strip running along the bottom edge of the roof (the eaves) and up the angled edges (the rakes). This is called drip edge, and North Carolina building code requires it on new roof installations. Drip edge channels water into the gutters and stops it from wicking back under the shingles. If it's missing, that's a code violation. Some contractors skip it to save $200 to $400 in material — don't let them.
Inspect the Gutters
Your gutters were probably detached and rehung during the replacement. Make sure they're securely attached, sloped correctly toward the downspouts, and free of new dents or damage. A crew that drops tools into gutters or bends hangers during reinstallation is a crew that cuts corners elsewhere too.
Look for Exposed Nails
Grab binoculars if you have them and look along the lower shingle courses. In a proper installation, every nail is hidden by the shingle above it. If you can see nail heads, they'll rust and create leak points. This is one of the most common shortcuts bad roofers take — overdriving nails or placing them too high on the shingle so the next course doesn't cover them.
Flashing Is Where the Real Problems Hide
Flashing — the metal pieces at every transition point on your roof — is responsible for more leak calls than anything else. Check every spot where the roof meets a wall, chimney, pipe, or valley.
Chimney and Wall Flashing
If your home has a chimney, look at where it meets the roof on all four sides. You should see step flashing (L-shaped metal pieces woven into the shingles) along the sides, and counter flashing tucked into the mortar joints. If the contractor just smeared a bead of roof cement along the base, that's a hack job. Cement dries out, cracks, and leaks — usually within two to three years in Charlotte's heat.
Pipe Boots
Every plumbing vent pipe on your roof should have a rubber boot around it that sits flat against the surrounding shingles. If the boot is crooked, cut too large, or sealed with caulk instead of properly integrated into the shingle courses, it will leak. Pipe boot failures are one of the top repair calls Charlotte roofing companies handle in the first two years after a replacement.
Valley Work
Roof valleys — where two sloped sections meet — handle the heaviest water flow on your entire roof. The shingles in the valley should be trimmed cleanly along a straight line. If they're ragged or the metal underneath is showing where it shouldn't, the crew rushed through one of the most critical parts of the job.
Go Into the Attic
This takes five minutes and can save you thousands. Grab a flashlight and get into your attic space.
Look for Daylight
Turn off the flashlight and let your eyes adjust. Small pinpoints of light coming through the roof deck mean there are holes — usually from misplaced nails or gaps in the decking. A couple of stray nail holes aren't an emergency, but they're entry points for water during heavy rain.
Check the Ridge Vent
If your new roof includes a ridge vent (it should — Charlotte's heat and humidity make proper ventilation critical), verify that the crew actually cut a slot in the decking along the ridge. Some roofers install the ridge vent cap on the outside but never cut through the plywood underneath, turning the vent into nothing more than a decorative cap. You should see a strip of daylight along the ridge from inside the attic.
Check for Debris
Your attic shouldn't be full of old shingle scraps, nails, or broken plywood after a replacement. If it is, the tear-off crew wasn't careful, and those loose nails can puncture insulation, damage ductwork, or end up in someone's foot.
The Cleanup Test
A good roofing crew leaves your property cleaner than they found it. Here's what to check:
- Nail sweep: A responsible crew runs a magnetic roller over the lawn, driveway, walkways, and flower beds at least twice. Roofing nails in car tires run $30 to $50 per tire to patch. Find a dozen of them and you've got a real bill on your hands.
- Debris removal: All shingle wrappers, packaging, tar paper scraps, and old materials should be gone. The dumpster should be hauled away.
- Property damage: Walk around and check for dented siding, scratched paint, crushed landscaping, or cracked window screens. Roofing is rough work, and even careful crews sometimes cause minor damage. The difference between a good contractor and a bad one is whether they tell you about it.
Paperwork and Permits
Before you sign off on the final payment, make sure you have the following in hand:
- Building permit and inspection. Mecklenburg County requires a permit for roof replacements. Your contractor should provide the permit number and confirm that a final inspection has been scheduled. If they pulled the permit, the county inspector will verify the work meets code. If they didn't pull a permit at all, you've got a bigger problem.
- Installation photos. Most reputable roofers take photos during the installation — particularly of the underlayment, ice and water shield, decking repairs, and flashing work. These photos are your proof that the hidden layers were done correctly.
- Manufacturer warranty registration. Your shingle manufacturer's warranty needs to be registered. Ask for confirmation that this has been done. Without registration, you may not be covered if the shingles fail.
- Workmanship warranty. This is separate from the manufacturer warranty. It covers the contractor's labor. Get it in writing with clear terms — how long it lasts, what it covers, and how to file a claim. Read our roof warranty coverage guide for details on what each warranty actually protects.
Do a Formal Walkthrough
Ask the project manager or foreman to walk the property with you before you authorize the final payment. Any reputable roofing company that does inspections in Charlotte will be familiar with this process — it's standard in the industry. Point out anything that concerns you and ask them to explain it. If they resist the walkthrough or pressure you to pay before you've had a chance to look things over, that's a red flag.
What If Something Doesn't Look Right?
Don't panic, but don't ignore it either. Here's the play:
- Document it. Photos and video with timestamps. Cover every angle.
- Send it in writing. Email the contractor a list of issues. Don't rely on phone calls or texts that can be disputed later.
- Hold the final payment. If you followed a standard deposit-on-signing and balance-on-completion structure, you still have bargaining power. Use it.
- Get an independent inspection. A third-party roof inspection costs $200 to $400 and gives you documentation that carries weight if things escalate.
- Call the building department. If the work doesn't meet code, the building inspector will flag it and the contractor will be required to fix it before the permit closes out.
Charlotte-Specific Items to Watch
A few things matter more in the Charlotte metro area than in other parts of the country:
- HOA shingle approval: If you live in Ballantyne, Piper Glen, Providence Plantation, or any of the dozens of HOA-governed communities in Charlotte, make sure the shingle color and style match what your Architectural Review Committee approved. A roofer who installs the wrong color won't be the one paying for the do-over.
- Ice and water shield in valleys: North Carolina code and most shingle manufacturers require ice and water shield — a rubberized waterproof membrane — in roof valleys and along the eaves. Charlotte doesn't get ice dams like the northeast, but wind-driven rain during summer storms hits valleys hard. Verify it was installed by checking from the attic.
- Ventilation balance: Charlotte's summers push attic temperatures past 140 degrees. Your new roof should have balanced intake ventilation (at the soffits) and exhaust ventilation (at the ridge). If the crew installed a ridge vent but blocked the soffit vents, or vice versa, the system won't work.
A new roof is one of the biggest checks you'll write as a homeowner. Take the time to verify the work before that check clears. Most Charlotte roofers do solid work, but thirty minutes of your time with this checklist can catch the problems that turn into warranty fights and leak repairs down the road.