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Spring in Utah arrives with a mix of promise and cleanup. The snowpack recedes, temperatures climb, and your home’s exterior bears full evidence of another winter. For homeowners across West Jordan, South Jordan, Herriman, Riverton, Draper, Lehi, Saratoga Springs, American Fork, Sandy, and Salt Lake City, spring is the ideal window for roof and gutter inspection — before hail season begins and before summer heat locks in any unaddressed damage.

This checklist walks through every critical inspection point: roof, gutters, soffit and fascia, and attic. Work through it methodically and you’ll enter hail season with a clear picture of your home’s condition.

One safety note before starting: any time you consider getting on the roof, weigh the pitch, your comfort level, and whether you have proper fall protection. Many of the most important inspection points can be made from the ground with binoculars or from a ladder at the eave line — not from walking the roof surface. The National Roofing Contractors Association spring maintenance recommendations suggest professional inspection at least every two years in high-UV, high-hail climates like Utah’s.

Why Spring Is the Critical Window in Utah

Utah winters stress every exterior component simultaneously.

Ice dam formation. When attic heat melts roof snowpack, meltwater runs down the deck and refreezes at the cold eave overhang. The resulting ice dam forces water back under shingles and into the deck. By spring, that water has often penetrated framing and insulation — and the damage only becomes visible after the ice melts.

Freeze-thaw shingle cracking. Utah experiences dozens of freeze-thaw cycles each winter. Water infiltrates micro-cracks in aging shingles, expands during freeze, and enlarges the crack on thaw. Cumulative over a season, this accelerates shingle failure — particularly on north-facing planes that hold moisture the longest.

Wind event shingle loss. The Wasatch Front produces sustained wind events throughout fall and winter. Borderline shingles are prime candidates for loss or partial detachment after the season ends.

Gutter loading and attachment failure. Gutters loaded with ice and frozen debris are under significant structural stress. Gutter hangers work loose under that load. Gutters that pulled away from the fascia over winter will fail to direct water away from your foundation during spring rain and snowmelt.

Spring inspection catches all of this before hail season, which for most of Salt Lake County and Utah County, runs May through August.

Roof Ground-Level Inspection

Walk the perimeter of your home with binoculars and look for the following:

Shingle condition:

• Missing shingles — dark gaps in the shingle field, especially along ridges and hips
• Curling or cupping — shingles whose edges are lifting or whose centers are raised
• Visible cracking — particularly on south- and west-facing planes where UV accumulation is highest
• Discoloration or dark patches — may indicate moisture damage, granule loss, or biological growth
• Granule accumulation near downspout discharge areas after the first rain event of the season

Flashing:

• Check visible flashing at the chimney base — look for gaps between flashing and masonry, lifted sections, or visible separation
• Check visible valley flashing — should lie flat with no visible gaps or lifted edges along the entire valley run

Ridge and hip:

• Ridge cap shingles are among the first to suffer wind damage — check for missing, cracked, or displaced caps along the full ridge line

Attic Inspection

Bring a flashlight. Do this on a clear day with the attic light off.

Daylight check. Look for any pinpoints of daylight through the deck or around penetrations. Any daylight is a breach that needs immediate professional attention.

Moisture staining. Look along the underside of roof deck sheathing for dark staining, soft spots, or evidence of past moisture intrusion. Pay particular attention to areas around chimneys, vents, skylights, and valleys.

Insulation condition. Check that insulation is evenly distributed and hasn’t been displaced or compressed by moisture. Wet or compressed insulation has lost its R-value and may harbor mold growth.

Ventilation. Check that soffit vents are unobstructed from inside the attic and that ridge or gable vents are intact. Blocked ventilation is the primary driver of ice dam formation and attic heat buildup.

Rafters and blocking. Run your hand along rafter surfaces feeling for soft spots. Soft spots indicate moisture-compromised wood that needs further investigation.

Gutters — Full System Inspection

Gutters take more abuse over a Utah winter than almost any other exterior component. Work through this systematically.

Step 1: Clear all debris. Remove leaves, pine needles, and shingle granules. Gutters cannot drain properly — or be properly inspected — until they’re completely clear.

Step 2: Check pitch. Gutters should slope toward downspouts at approximately 1/4 inch per 10 feet. Standing water after cleaning indicates insufficient pitch or a low-point sag that will create ice loading problems next winter.

Step 3: Inspect for cracks and joint separation. Run a garden hose through the system and watch for leaks at all joints and corners. Aluminum gutters can crack at corners through freeze-thaw cycling. Vinyl gutters frequently separate at joints after ice loading.

Step 4: Check gutter attachment. Look for gutters that have pulled away from the fascia board. Even slight separation at corners indicates the hanger has worked loose. Pulled-away gutters direct water behind the fascia, causing fascia rot — one of the most common damage sequences we see across Lehi, American Fork, and Saratoga Springs.

Step 5: Inspect downspouts. Flush each downspout from the top with a garden hose under pressure. Blockages are typically at the first elbow below the gutter. Per Utah Division of Water Quality on residential stormwater management, roof runoff should discharge at least 4–6 feet away from your foundation. Utah’s clay-heavy soils do not absorb surface water quickly, making foundation drainage a genuine concern.

Step 6: Check downspout attachment. Loose downspout straps rattle in wind and eventually pull free entirely, leaving the downspout unsupported and prone to disconnection.

Soffit and Fascia Inspection

Fascia boards. Look for paint peeling or bubbling — specifically at the top edge where the gutter bracket contacts the board. Soft spots when pressed indicate moisture intrusion. Soft fascia typically means the gutter has been overflowing onto it for multiple seasons.

Soffit panels. Press gently along the entire eave line. Any soft or crumbling material indicates moisture damage behind the panel. Check that soffit vent screens are intact — damaged screens allow birds and wasps to nest inside the soffit cavity, which can block ventilation and cause significant secondary damage.

Drip stains below the eave line on siding. These typically indicate either gutter overflow or flashing failure at the roofline. For soffit and fascia services, Blackridge handles both repair and replacement across our service area.

What to Do With What You Find

Nothing visible, attic is dry. Your home came through winter in good shape. Schedule a professional inspection if it’s been 2+ years since your last one. Monitor gutters through spring rain events.

Minor isolated issues (1–3 missing shingles, localized granule loss, minor gutter pull-away). Schedule a repair assessment soon. Don’t ignore minor issues — they compound quickly in Utah’s climate.

Multiple warning signs, interior staining, visible deck damage. Call for a professional inspection immediately. Multiple concurrent issues typically indicate systemic failure that has been developing for some time. Catch it before hail season makes it worse.

Active leak. This is a same-day call. Blackridge handles emergency assessments across all service areas including Salt Lake City, Sandy, Draper, and Herriman.

When to Call a Professional

Call a professional roofer when:

• You find evidence of ice dam damage in the attic — staining, soft deck, compressed insulation
• You observe any daylight through the attic deck
• You have multiple missing shingles or widespread granule loss
• You see any sagging in the roof deck visible from inside or outside
• Your gut tells you something is wrong and you’re not sure what

Blackridge provides free spring inspections with a written report for homeowners across West Jordan, South Jordan, Herriman, Riverton, Draper, Lehi, Saratoga Springs, American Fork, Sandy, and Salt Lake City. Call (801) 901-3708 or request a free estimate online.

Frequently Asked Questions