Get Your Roof Diagnosed, Not Sold
A documented inspection that grades seven roof systems on a 0-100 scale, measures and photographs every visible defect, and ends in a written report you keep — even when the honest recommendation is to do nothing.
- A 0-100 Roof Health Score across seven graded systems
- Every visible defect measured in inches and counts, not adjectives
- Three date-stamped photos per defect, each pinned to a slope
- A plain repair-or-replace recommendation — replacement only when the math says so
- A probable-cause tag per finding: storm-created, or wear, age, or install
- Drone imagery of the slopes we can't safely walk
Every roofer in New Jersey offers a free estimate. An estimate is a price for work someone has already decided you need — it exists to sell a job, and the number at the bottom is the point. The Roof Health Assessment is a different document. It is a condition record: seven systems graded, every defect photographed and measured, and a written report that ends in a recommendation — which is sometimes that your roof is fine and you should spend the money elsewhere.
We built it because the trade runs on two dishonest moves. One is the storm-chaser who finds catastrophic damage on a roof with ten good years left. The other is the handyman who tars over a flashing failure on a roof that is quietly rotting from the deck up. Both start with the answer and work backward. An assessment starts with the roof: we measure what is there, write it down in inches and counts instead of adjectives, and let the evidence set the recommendation — including the recommendation to do nothing.
An estimate sells a job. An assessment records a condition.
From the driveway the two look identical — a person climbs your roof, comes down, and talks. The difference is what they were looking for. An estimator is pricing a scope that was chosen before the ladder went up; the faster they reach a number, the sooner they can close. Nothing in a free estimate is built to survive you saying no.
The assessment inverts that. The deliverable is not a price — it is the documented condition of your roof, graded on Zubar's own 0-100 scale with a defined point deduction for each class of defect, so the number comes from a written rubric rather than a salesman's gut. If the report grades your roof Sound and says it needs nothing, that is a successful assessment: you paid nothing and you learned the truth. And because Zubar is a roofing contractor and not a public adjuster, the report never pretends to settle an insurance claim, and getting it never requires signing an Assignment of Benefits.
| A free estimate | A Roof Health Assessment |
|---|---|
| A price for a scope someone already chose for you. | A graded condition record; the scope, if any, follows from what's found. |
| A number produced on the spot to close the sale today. | A score graded off the ladder against a fixed written rubric. |
| Findings described in selling words: 'significant damage.' | Findings measured: a 14-inch crease, 6 backed-out nails. |
| A few phone photos at most, with no location or measurement. | Each defect located to a slope and elevation, with its own photos. |
Six Things That Leave With You
Whether or not you ever hire us.
A Roof Health Score
One 0-100 number backed by seven separately graded systems, from flashing and seals to attic ventilation to age versus observed wear. It is Zubar's own scoring system, not an industry standard: each class of defect carries a defined point deduction, applied against a written rubric off the ladder, so the grade is built to come out the same regardless of which of our inspectors climbs the roof. Because it is anchored to measured wear, you can compare your roof to itself year over year and watch the number hold or slide.
A written, itemized report
Every finding written down with its location on the roof, a measurement, and a probable-cause tag, emailed to you as a file rather than read aloud at the truck and forgotten. It leads with the score and its band so a single urgent problem never gets buried in a good average.
A photo log for every defect
Three date-stamped photos of each defect: a locating shot for context, an overview, and a close-up with the problem in frame. Each one is pinned to a specific slope and elevation so anyone — an adjuster, a home inspector, the next crew — can find it again.
Drone imagery
We fly the slopes that can't be walked safely — steep pitches, brittle slate, three stories over landscaping — and pull that imagery into the report. Nothing gets graded 'probably fine' because a ladder couldn't reach it.
A repair-or-replace recommendation
A plain call tied to the score band: keep up maintenance, repair the specific flagged items, or plan for replacement. When the honest answer is to do nothing yet, the report says exactly that and points to the next re-check date.
Every photo, yours to keep
You walk away with the full file — score, report, and every photo — even if you never call us again. There is no deposit and nothing held against future work. If you file an insurance claim, the documentation is built to hand to your adjuster; if you sell the house, it is built to hand to a buyer's inspector.
The Roof Health Score
Seven systems, 100 points. We publish the whole rubric so you can check our work.
The Zubar Roof Health Score is a single 0-100 number backed by seven graded areas and a written report. It is our own scoring system. No board certifies it, no manufacturer publishes it, and it is not an industry standard. It exists for two reasons: so that any two Zubar inspectors grade the same roof the same way, and so you can compare your roof to itself year over year and watch whether it is holding or sliding.
What the score means
- 85-100
- Sound
- The roof is doing its job with no active defects and normal wear for its age. Keep up routine maintenance and re-assess once a year to hold the score where it is.
- 70-84
- Minor Wear
- A few targeted issues are showing, but the roof has years of service left in it. Handle the specific repairs the report flags and stay on an annual inspection; replacement is not on the table.
- 50-69
- Active Defects
- There are real problems letting water in now or about to, though most are still repairable. Repair the flagged defects promptly before interior damage follows, and re-score after the work.
- 30-49
- Failing
- Defects are spread across multiple areas and repairs stop paying for themselves. Plan for replacement as the more economical path, and get a free written itemized estimate to compare it against continued patching.
- 0-29
- End of Life
- The roof is at or past the end of its usable service life across most areas. Replace it, with temporary measures such as a battened tarp only to hold things until the new roof goes on.
The seven systems, and what each is worth
Flashing & seals at walls, chimneys, and valleys
The metal that bridges the roof to everything it runs into — walls, chimneys, valleys, and the roof edges — which is where most roofs actually leak first.
- Step flashing woven into each course at every roof-to-wall junction, not surface-mount caulk
- Counterflashing seated in a cut mortar reglet at chimneys, not tar smeared over the brick
- Kickout flashing present at the bottom of every roof-wall intersection
- Headwall and sidewall flashing continuity above dormers and additions
- Valley construction type (open-metal, woven, or closed-cut), centerline wear, and trapped debris
- Aluminum drip edge at both eaves and rakes
- Cracked or lifting mastic at any flashing detail
A low score here means: The most common leak path on the roof is already open, and water is getting in at a joint rather than through the shingle field.
Pipe boots, vents, and skylights
Everything that punches up through the roof deck and has to be sealed around — plumbing vents, exhaust hoods, skylights, and the chimney crown.
- Rubber pipe-boot collars for UV cracking, splitting, and pull-away at the base
- Plumbing vent and exhaust hood collars for seating and corrosion
- Chimney crown for cracking, spalling, and open joints at the flue
- Skylight curbs, head aprons, and side flashing
- Solar, antenna, and satellite mounts for unsealed or oversized fastener holes
- Silicone or mastic 'repairs' hiding a failed component underneath
A low score here means: Small parts that wear out first are past their service life, and each one is a direct, hidden path for water into the ceiling below it.
Shingles & roof surface
The covering you see from the street, plus any low-slope membrane on a porch or addition roof, judged for wear and weatherproofing.
- Granule loss and bald spots exposing the asphalt mat
- Curling, cupping, and clawing across each slope, worst on south and west exposures
- Blistering, cracking, and thermal splitting
- Missing, wind-lifted, or creased tabs and ridge-cap condition
- Exposed or backed-out field fasteners and their corrosion
- Low-slope membrane seams, blisters, and EPDM shrinkage at terminations where present
A low score here means: The surface is losing the granule and mat layer that makes it waterproof, so the field is wearing out even where nothing has leaked yet.
Attic ventilation & moisture
Whether the attic breathes — balanced intake and exhaust — and what the underside of the roof shows about trapped moisture.
- Ridge or other exhaust vent type and whether it is actually open
- Soffit intake vent count and whether insulation or paint has blocked it
- Baffles keeping the intake path clear at the eaves
- Attic staining, frost, or condensation on the sheathing underside
- Rusted nail tips protruding through the deck (a moisture tell)
- Mold growth and damp or matted insulation
A low score here means: Trapped heat and damp are cooking the shingles from below and feeding mold, which shortens the life of every layer above the attic.
Wood decking & structure (provisional)
The plywood or plank under the shingles and the framing holding it up, graded only from what the attic and roof surface reveal — the full picture appears when the covering comes off.
- Attic-visible sheathing rot, delamination, and soft spots
- Ridge-line deflection and sag between rafters
- Daylight visible through the deck at the field or eaves
- Water staining and prior sheathing patches on rafters and decking
- Undersized or stapled original decking where visible
- Gross structural movement at ridges, hips, and valleys
A low score here means: The wood that holds fasteners and carries load is compromised, and this number can drop once the roof is stripped, because rot under an intact covering does not show until tear-off.
Gutters & drainage
Where the water goes once it leaves the roof — gutters, downspouts, valleys, and any spot where water sits instead of running off.
- Gutter slope and pitch toward the downspouts
- Gutter and fascia attachment, sag, and separation
- Overflow staining behind the fascia and on the siding
- Downspout discharge carried away from the foundation
- Valley flow and debris damming
- Ponding on low-slope sections that never fully drains
- Ice-dam history and staining at the eaves
A low score here means: Water is backing up, overflowing behind the fascia, or pooling, which puts the roof edges, the fascia, and the foundation at risk.
Age vs. observed remaining life
How far into its rated lifespan the roof is, anchored to the wear we can measure rather than an install date we are often only told.
- Observed wear stage measured against the shingle line's rated lifespan
- Remaining granule reserve across the field
- Mat flexibility versus brittleness at the tab edges
- Documented install date or permit record where one exists
- Prior repair history and how many separate spots have been patched
- Whether a matching shingle is still stocked for future repairs
A low score here means: The roof is near or past the years its shingles were built for, so failures will start clustering and accelerating from here.
The critical-finding override: water enters at the worst point, not the average one
A roof is only as dry as its worst detail. A missing chimney counterflashing lets water in tomorrow whether the rest of the roof scores a 95 or a 55, so averaging the seven areas into one number can hide the exact thing that is flooding your attic. That is why a single defect can override the math. When any one area scores under two-fifths of its own possible points, or when we document a named active water-entry defect — an open or missing counterflashing, no kickout at a walled junction that is already staining, active deck rot, a failed valley, or a split low-slope seam — the finding caps the whole-roof score at the top of the repairable band, a 69, and never lower.
We cap at 69 on purpose. A roof that is otherwise excellent but has one dead counterflashing is a one-repair roof, not a failing roof, and pushing it into 'Failing' would manufacture a replacement case that isn't there. We never show the capped number by itself. The report puts the seven sub-scores right next to it — for example, a roof held at 68 with flashing at 6 out of 22 and every other area in the 90s — so you can see it reads 'fine except this one urgent thing,' fix that thing, and watch the score climb back into the 90s. Every critical finding also generates its own photo set and, where it applies, an interior corroboration reading such as an attic stain, daylight, or a moisture-meter number.
What we record so the report holds up
A score is only as good as the photo log under it. Every finding in the report is documented so that an adjuster, a home inspector, or the next Zubar crew can stand where our inspector stood and check the same thing. We record measurements, not adjectives — a crease is 14 inches, not 'significant.' Drone imagery covers the slopes we cannot safely walk, and each defect is located to a specific slope and elevation.
Some things cannot be seen without taking the roof apart, and we never grade them as if we measured them. Underlayment type, ice-barrier coverage at the eaves, and the concealed nailing pattern are recorded as inferred from the home's code era and the wear we can see, not scored. We also tag the probable cause of each finding — storm-created versus wear, age, or installation — because that distinction is the homeowner's and the carrier's to weigh, and blending the two into one number would misrepresent both.
- Three date-stamped photos per defect: a locating shot for context, an overview, and a close-up with the defect in frame
- The specific slope and elevation of each finding (front or rear, compass face, or a numbered slope diagram)
- A measurement recorded in inches, counts, or square feet rather than a descriptive word
- Hit or damage counts inside a marked and photographed test square where impact damage is in play
- Collateral evidence on soft metals — gutter aprons, vent caps, downspouts — that corroborates directional wind or impact patterns
- A probable-cause tag on each finding: storm-created, or wear, age, or installation
- A note on which concealed items are inferred rather than scored, so nothing reads as measured that wasn't
What actually gets inspected
Seven systems, graded on the ground, on the roof, in the attic, and from the air. The Roof Health Score weights them by how often each is the reason a roof leaks — flashing carries the most, 22 of 100 points, because that is where water finds a joint before it finds a hole. Here is what the inspector is physically checking.
On the roof
- Step flashing at every wall junction — woven into the courses, not surface caulk
- Chimney counterflashing seated in a cut mortar reglet, not tar smeared over brick
- Kickout flashing at the bottom of each roof-to-wall intersection
- Valley construction type, centerline wear, and trapped debris
- Rubber pipe-boot collars for UV cracking, splitting, and pull-away at the base
- Granule loss, bald spots, curling, cupping, and clawing by slope
- Missing, wind-lifted, or creased tabs and ridge-cap condition
- Exposed or backed-out field fasteners and their corrosion
- Skylight curbs, head aprons, and side flashing
In the attic
- Sheathing underside for staining, frost, and condensation
- Rusted nail tips protruding through the deck — a moisture tell
- Ridge-line deflection and sag between rafters
- Daylight visible through the deck at the field or eaves
- Ridge and soffit vents for whether they are actually open
- Baffles keeping the eave intake path clear of insulation
- Mold growth and damp or matted insulation
- Prior sheathing patches and water staining on the rafters
At the perimeter
- Gutter slope and pitch toward the downspouts
- Gutter and fascia attachment, sag, and separation
- Overflow staining behind the fascia and on the siding
- Downspout discharge carried away from the foundation
- Aluminum drip edge at both eaves and rakes
- Ice-dam history and staining at the eaves
- Soft-metal collateral — gutter aprons, vent caps, downspouts — for wind or impact patterns
From the air
- Drone imagery of pitches too steep or brittle to walk
- Full-slope overviews on three-story elevations over landscaping
- Ridge-cap and hip runs photographed end to end
- Low-slope and porch membrane seams, blisters, and ponding
- A marked test square, with hit counts, where impact damage is in play
- Each defect located to a compass face or a numbered slope
- Chimney crown cracking, spalling, and open flue joints from above
The report, and how to read it
The report comes to you as a file. It leads with the Roof Health Score and its band, then lays the seven sub-scores right next to it so a single urgent problem never hides inside a good average. A roof held at 68 by one dead counterflashing, with every other system in the 90s, reads exactly as what it is: fine except for one thing you should fix now.
Two things are deliberately kept separate from the score. Each finding carries a probable-cause tag — storm-created, or wear, age, or installation — because that distinction is yours and your carrier's to weigh, and blending it into one number would misrepresent both. And any concealed item we couldn't see — underlayment, ice-barrier coverage at the eaves, the nailing pattern — is marked as inferred from the home's code era and visible wear, never graded as if we measured it.
- The Roof Health Score, its band, and all seven sub-scores side by side
- Every finding located to a slope and elevation
- A measurement per finding — inches, counts, or square feet, not adjectives
- Three date-stamped photos of each defect
- Drone imagery of the slopes we couldn't safely walk
- A probable-cause tag per finding: storm-created, or wear, age, or installation
- A note on which concealed items were inferred rather than scored
- The repair-or-replace recommendation tied to the score band
How the score turns into a repair-or-replace call
The bands do most of the work. Sound and Minor Wear — 70 and up — mean the roof has years left and the report just flags specific items to handle; replacement is not on the table. Active Defects, the 50-to-69 band, means water is getting in now or about to, but most of it is still repairable, so the move is to fix the flagged items and re-score. Failing and End of Life, anything under 50, mean defects are spread across enough systems that repairs stop paying for themselves, and the honest math points to replacement.
The score also carries a deliberate override, because a roof is only as dry as its worst detail. One missing chimney counterflashing lets water in tomorrow whether the rest of the roof grades a 95 or a 55. So when a single system fails badly, or we document a named active water-entry defect, the finding caps the whole-roof score at 69 — the top of the repairable band — and no lower, because an otherwise-excellent roof with one dead flashing is a one-repair job, not a replacement case we are willing to manufacture.
None of this decides itself in a vacuum. The recommendation weighs age, repair history, and how many separate spots have already been patched. Three repairs at different spots in eighteen months on a twenty-year roof is the roof telling you it is done; one flashing failure on a ten-year roof is a Tuesday. When repair is the right answer we say so, and when a roof replacement is the smarter money we put that in writing too, with a free itemized estimate to weigh against continued patching.
When an assessment is the right call
- You have a stain on a ceiling and no idea where the water is entering
- Your roof is past 15 and you want to know how much life is actually left
- A storm came through and you need the damage documented before you file
- A door-knocker told you that you need a new roof and you want a second read
- You're buying a house and the inspector's 'roof near end of life' note was vague
- You're selling and want a documented condition record to hand a buyer
- You've paid for three repairs in two years and want to know if you're patching a corpse
- Nothing is visibly wrong and you want a yearly baseline to watch the roof hold
From Phone Call to Written Report
Five steps. No sales appointment disguised as an inspection.
- 1
Book it
Call or text (973) 337-9001, or use the contact form. Non-emergency assessments book roughly 3-5 business days out. An active leak in a storm gets routed for a same-day tarp first in most of our service area, and the assessment follows once the water is stopped.
- 2
The on-site inspection
An inspector works the roof, the attic, and the perimeter, then flies the slopes that can't be walked. Plan on a couple of hours on site, depending on the size and complexity of the roof. You don't need to be home, though attic access helps a great deal.
- 3
Documentation
Every finding gets its photos, its measurement, its location, and a probable-cause tag on the spot. Concealed items — underlayment, ice-barrier coverage at the eaves, the hidden nailing pattern — are recorded as inferred from the home's code era and visible wear, never graded as if we measured them.
- 4
Scoring and the written report
Back at the office the seven systems are graded against the rubric, the override rules are applied, and the report is assembled with the score, the sub-scores, the photos, and the recommendation. Scoring happens off the ladder on purpose, so it is deliberate rather than rushed. The report goes to your inbox once that grading is done — we don't put a stopwatch on it.
- 5
Your decision, on your timeline
You read the report and decide. If it grades Sound, you're done. If it flags repairs, you can hire us, hire anyone, or sit on it and re-check next year — nothing about the assessment obligates you to a repair.
A condition record, not a coverage decision
The Roof Health Score documents the condition of your roof. It does not decide what your insurance company owes you. Those are two different jobs done by two different parties: a contractor documents condition, and only your carrier's adjuster determines coverage. You cannot hand an adjuster our 0-100 number and expect it to settle a claim — they run their own inspection against your policy, and they should. What we hand you is the evidence underneath the number, which is the part that actually survives scrutiny.
Zubar is a roofing contractor, not a public adjuster and not an attorney. In New Jersey, negotiating or adjusting a claim on a homeowner's behalf for a fee requires a public adjuster license, which we do not hold and do not pretend to. Our role is to inspect, photograph and measure the damage, write a scope of the repair, and meet your adjuster on the roof to walk the damage and answer technical questions. We do not 'handle your claim,' file it for you, or fight your insurer. We never take an Assignment of Benefits, and we never waive or absorb your deductible — doing so is insurance fraud in New Jersey. You keep every photo we take, whether or not you hire us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whatever the Roof Actually Needs
The report points at one of these. Often it points at none of them.
Book the Assessment. Keep the Report.
Free, on-site, across Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Hudson, Morris counties. If your roof is sound, we'll tell you that and leave.