Roof care
Where to find your roof’s install date: permits, paperwork and attic clues
By Roof InspectorsUpdated 3 min read
The short answer
Your roof’s install date is one of the most useful facts you can know about your home — and one of the most commonly forgotten. Here’s where to find it.
If you just need a quick answer to “how old is my roof?”, our roof age calculator gives an instant estimate. The six sources below get you the actual date.
1. Check your closing documents and home inspection report
If you bought your home, start with the home inspection report. Inspection standards require describing the type of roof covering, and some reports also give an estimated roof age, though the InterNACHI Standards of Practice don’t require inspectors to determine it. Seller disclosures may mention past roof work too.
2. Look up permit records
Ask your city or county building department whether a roofing permit is on file for your address.
Be aware that not every city requires a permit for every residential reroof — see the permit rules on our Olathe and Kansas City, Missouri pages — so a missing permit doesn’t prove the roof is original.
3. Ask the previous owner or the original roofer
A short message to the previous owner, or a call to a roofing company named on old paperwork, can answer the question outright.
4. Ask your neighbors
If neighbors replaced their roofs after the same storm, they may remember when, and yours may have been done around the same time. Treat it as a lead to check, not a record.
Curious what storms were recorded near you?
See how many significant storms are on record near your address, free in about 30 seconds. Add your contact details to see each storm’s date and hail size.
- Doesn’t file an insurance claim
- One local partner, never a pile-on
5. Look for receipts and warranty paperwork
Check your files for roofing invoices, warranty certificates, or manufacturer letters.
Shingle warranties are often registered with the manufacturer: Owens Corning’s warranty system lists registrations by property address, with the contractor’s name and the warranty end date, and Malarkey’s registration form asks for the installation date. If you know the brand, the manufacturer’s warranty department is worth a call.
6. Check the attic
Look for any shingle bundle wrappers or product labels left in the attic. A product name gives a roofer or the manufacturer something to go on when estimating when the roof went on.
If you still don’t know
Look for clues of age from the ground: curled or brittle, cracked shingles, or gutters full of granules. A professional roof inspection can give you an estimate — along with what it sees on the roof.
Why your roof’s age and storm history go together
A storm recorded near your street before your roof was installed doesn’t matter for its condition. That’s why Roof Inspectors lets you personalize your storm report by roof install year, so you can see the significant storms recorded near your home since your current roof went on.
Sources
Sources (6) · InterNACHI, Owens Corning, Malarkey Roofing Products and more
- InterNACHI: Home Inspection Standards of Practice (roof section; age not required)
- Owens Corning: Homeowner view of registered warranties
- Malarkey Roofing Products: Standard shingle and accessory warranty registration
- IKO: Roof inspection checklist (curled or brittle shingles, granules in gutters)
- IBHS: Impact testing of high concentrations of small hail
- NAIC: Post-disaster claims guide (PDF) (actual cash value on roofs)
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Common questions
Can a roofer tell how old my roof is?
Why does my roof’s age matter?
This guide is general information for homeowners, not professional, insurance, or legal advice. How we write and update guides.