Is a free roof inspection really free?

What the company is getting

A free inspection is marketing. The roofer spends an hour on your roof because some proportion of those hours turn into work. There is nothing wrong with that, and it is the reason you are not charged.

The risk it creates is worth naming plainly: the person telling you whether you need a new roof is the person who would sell you one. That is why we removed commission from the business. Nobody at Bravo is paid more for a bigger job, so nobody has a reason to find one.

What you should get for nothing

Someone on the roof rather than in the driveway. Photographs of what is actually there, including the parts that are fine. A walk-through of those photographs before any number comes up. And a written, itemized quote if work is genuinely needed — one that does not expire.

You should also be able to get a straight “your roof is fine”. That happens regularly and it is not a wasted visit.

The signs it was a sales call

A price arrives before any photographs. The inspection takes ten minutes and never leaves the ladder. The quote is only valid until the end of the week. You are told the roof is dangerous but not shown why. Or the visit was prompted by a knock on the door after a storm rather than by you calling.

Any one of those is a reason to get a second opinion before signing. That second opinion should also be free.