What should I check on my roof before the first snow?

From the ground, look for missing or lifted shingles, clogged or sagging gutters, downspouts that do not drain away from the house, and gaps or loose metal around the chimney, vents and siding seams. Take photos of anything that looks off. Do not climb onto the roof.

How do clogged gutters cause ice dams?

When gutters are full of leaves, melting snow cannot drain. It refreezes at the roof edge, and the ice can back water up under the shingles. Clear gutters do not prevent every ice dam, but they remove one of the most common causes.

Why get storm damage documented before winter?

Damage is much easier to photograph before snow covers the roof, and many insurance policies have time limits for reporting damage. The inspection documents the damage. Your insurance company decides what your policy covers.

Winter prep · Northwest Pennsylvania

Before the First Snow: A Ground Level Checklist for Your Roof and Gutters.

Winter in NW PA is hard on a house. Snow sits for weeks, melts in the afternoon and refreezes at night. If this fall left a weak spot, winter is when it turns into a leak. Here are four things you can check in five minutes without ever leaving the ground.

Published October 20, 2026 by Bret Ruth, TableTurn Digital. This guide is general information. It does not diagnose a specific home or determine insurance coverage.

Before the first snow. A ground level roof and exterior checklist. Partnered directly with The Exterior Company (TEC).

A few weeks ago I wrote about why storm damage should get checked before winter. This one is the practical follow up: a weekend walk around you can do yourself, with a focus on the spots where winter does the most damage.

1. Missing or lifted shingles

Walk all four sides of the house. Look for shingles that are missing, curled, or sitting at a different angle than the ones around them. Use your phone's zoom instead of a ladder, and take a photo of anything that looks off. Wind can unseal shingles without tearing them off, so a slightly raised edge is worth a picture.

2. Gutters, downspouts and ice dams

This is the big one for our winters. When gutters are packed with leaves, melting snow has nowhere to go. It refreezes at the roof edge, and that ridge of ice can push water back up under the shingles. That is an ice dam.

Look for sagging sections or gutters pulling away from the fascia.
Look for overflow stains on the siding under the gutters.
Check the downspouts drain away from the foundation, not right next to it.
Look for dents from this year's hail. Dented gutters are worth documenting.

Clear gutters won't prevent every ice dam, since attic heat and insulation play a part too, but they remove one of the most common causes.

3. Flashing and siding

Look where the roof meets something else: the chimney, plumbing vents, skylights and walls. That metal flashing is what keeps water out of the seams. Bent, lifted or rusted flashing, or siding panels that have shifted or cracked, are small openings winter will find.

4. Timing

If a storm damaged your home this year, it is much easier to document now than after it is under a foot of snow. Many insurance policies also have time limits for reporting damage, so check yours. We document the damage. Your insurance company decides what your policy covers.

What not to do

Please don't climb onto the roof, especially once the temperature drops. Wet leaves and frost make it dangerous, and walking on damaged shingles can make the damage worse. Checking the roof up close is our job, and it's free.

Want a second set of eyes before the snow?

I've partnered directly with The Exterior Company (TEC), which handles roofing, siding and gutters under one roof. A free exterior inspection gives you photos of everything we find and a plain explanation. Or call (814) 209-8304.

Book a free exterior inspection

Free to homeowners. No obligation. Not an insurance company or public adjuster.

Roofus is a fictional AI character created by TableTurn Digital for general homeowner education.

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