If you’re buying a home in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the roof is one of the most important things to get right. Up here, roofs take a beating — heavy snow loads, freeze-thaw cycles, and ice dams put every weak point to the test, season after season.
One of the most common weak points we find? Flashing. Specifically, flashing that’s missing, inadequate, or replaced with sealant and a prayer.
In March 2026, Rich and I inspected a home in a nice Gwinn neighborhood in Marquette County. It was a week of significant thaw — temperatures had climbed into the 40s and 50s after what has been the snowiest winter in recent memory. The snow had piled so high in the yard that I could easily inspect much of the roof from the ground, which gave us a good vantage point on several issues.
What we found was a textbook example of why a thorough roof flashing inspection matters when you’re buying a home. This one roof had five separate flashing deficiencies — all common, all correctable, and all worth knowing about before you close.
What Is Roof Flashing, and Why Does It Matter?
Flashing is sheet metal or other water-resistant material installed at the vulnerable spots on a roof — places where two surfaces meet, where a wall intersects the roofline, or where water is especially likely to collect and find its way in. Think of it as the roof’s waterproofing system at all the joints and transitions.
When flashing is done right, water sheds off the roof and away from the structure the way it’s supposed to. When it’s wrong — or missing — water finds a way in. It may not show up right away. In fact, on this home, we found only one small ceiling stain despite multiple flashing deficiencies. But over time, poor flashing almost always leads to moisture intrusion, wood rot, and potential mold growth. It’s a slow drip that turns into a big repair bill.
That’s exactly why a home inspection is a snapshot in time. On the day we inspected this house, the damage was minimal. Three or six months from now, with more freeze-thaw cycles and rain, the picture could look very different.
For a deeper dive into flashing types and installation standards, InterNACHI’s Mastering Roof Inspections series is an excellent resource.
Five Flashing Deficiencies Found on One Roof
Here’s what our roof flashing inspection called out, and what each one means for a potential buyer.
1. Chimney Flashing: Sealant Only, No Real Flashing
This may be the most concerning roof flashing inspection finding on this roof. At the chimney-to-roof junction, no proper metal flashing had been installed. Instead, the junction relied entirely on sealant.
We see this a lot in the U.P. Sealant is easy. Flashing takes more skill and time. But sealant dries, shrinks, and cracks — especially with the temperature swings we get up here. Once it fails, there’s nothing between the chimney and the roof structure to stop water from getting in. The correct fix is proper flashing and counter-flashing installed by a qualified roofing contractor. Sealant can be used to supplement flashing at certain points, but it should not replace it. Not if you want your roof to last.
2. Missing Sidewall Flashing
Where a sloped roof meets a vertical wall, step flashing should be installed — short, overlapping pieces of metal that work with each course of shingles to direct water away from the wall. On this home, sidewall flashing was absent in several locations.
Without it, water runs directly into the wall-roof junction. We often see this result in staining, rot, or moisture damage to the wall framing behind the siding — damage that’s invisible from the outside until it becomes a major structural issue. This is one of the most common flashing deficiencies we call out across Marquette County. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most commonly patched with sealant rather than properly corrected.
3. Missing Kickout Flashing
Kickout flashing is a small but critically important piece. It goes at the bottom of a sidewall condition — where the step flashing ends at the eave. Its job is to redirect water away from the wall and into the gutter or onto the ground below. Without it, water runs straight behind the siding at the lowest point of the wall, which is exactly where you don’t want moisture to collect.
On this home, kickout flashing was missing at one or more locations. The fix is straightforward and inexpensive. Ignoring it is not.
4. Missing Drip Edge
Along several sections of the shingle roof, no drip edge had been installed. Drip edge is a strip of metal flashing that runs along the roof’s edges — at the eaves and rakes — and directs water away from the fascia board and into the gutters.
A note worth making here: drip edge is not required by the International Residential Code, so its absence is not technically a code defect. But it is a best practice, and its absence on an older roof in the U.P. is worth noting. Over time, without drip edge, water can work its way under the shingles at the edge and begin to rot the fascia and roof deck. On this home, we documented the missing drip edge and recommended that the buyer be aware of it as a future maintenance item.
5. Missing Transition Flashing
This home had a garage addition with its own metal roof section that met the main metal roof of the house. Where two roof sections join, flashing is needed to bridge the transition and prevent water from getting in at the seam. On this home, that transition flashing was absent.
Transitions between adjoining roof sections are easy to overlook if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Water, however, never misses them.
What Should a Buyer Do With This Information?
First, don’t panic. Finding flashing deficiencies on a home inspection report doesn’t mean the roof is failing or the house is a money pit. It means you now have information — and information is power.
Here’s how to think about it:
Get a roofing contractor involved. Ask for a written estimate on correcting the deficiencies before you close. This gives you a realistic sense of the cost and gives you something concrete to bring to negotiations.
Understand the timeline. Some of these issues may be higher-priority than others, depending on the specific conditions of your home’s roof. A good inspector will help you triage what needs immediate attention versus what’s a near-term maintenance item.
Don’t accept a sealant patch as a repair. We’ve seen plenty of homes where a seller has “fixed” flashing issues by slathering on more tar. That’s not a repair. Make sure any corrections involve proper flashing installation by a qualified roofer.
Remember that a home inspection is a snapshot. On the day we inspected this home, the interior damage was limited to one small ceiling stain. But the conditions that cause water damage were present in multiple locations. Addressing flashing deficiencies now is far less expensive than dealing with water-damaged framing, rotted fascia, or mold remediation down the road.
Why Flashing Is Easy to Miss — and Why Your Inspector Matters
Flashing deficiencies aren’t always obvious. Some are hidden behind siding. Some are buried under snow in the winter. Some look fine from the curb but tell a different story up close.
On this Gwinn inspection, the heavy snow actually helped — it gave me elevated vantage points to see areas of the roof we might otherwise have had to access by ladder. But it also could have concealed issues. That’s why we document what we can see and note the limitations of what we can’t.
To our knowledge, our lead inspector Rich Beasley is the U.P.’s only Certified Master Inspector® (CMI®) — the highest professional designation in the home inspection industry. With over 1,500 inspections completed across Marquette, Alger, Delta, Schoolcraft, Dickinson, and Menominee counties, he’s seen just about every roof condition the Upper Peninsula has to offer. When Rich and I inspect a roof together, you’re getting two sets of trained eyes and over a decade of local experience.
Common Questions About Roof Flashing Inspections
What are the most common signs of failing roof flashing? The most visible signs include water stains on ceilings or walls near chimneys or exterior walls, peeling paint on soffits or fascia, and visible gaps or sealant buildup where walls meet the roof. Many flashing failures show no interior symptoms at first, which is why a professional roof flashing inspection is the only reliable way to catch them early.
When is it necessary to replace flashing versus just repair it? Sealant alone is never a permanent repair. If flashing is corroded, improperly installed, or missing entirely, replacement is the right call. Minor sealant touch-ups can extend the life of properly installed flashing, but they can’t substitute for metal that isn’t there.
How often should roof flashing be inspected? For U.P. homes, we recommend having your roof — including all flashing — evaluated any time you’re buying or selling, after any major weather event, and as part of a general home maintenance check every few years.
Does missing flashing always mean active water damage? Not necessarily — as we saw on this Gwinn home. But missing or inadequate flashing means the conditions for water damage are present. It’s only a matter of time and weather.
Buying a home in Gwinn, Negaunee, Escanaba, Munising, or anywhere else in the U.P.? Don’t skip the roof flashing inspection. It’s one of the most telling parts of a thorough home inspection — and one of the easiest things to overlook without trained eyes.
Ready to schedule? Book your inspection at uphomeinspection.com/schedule or call us at (906) 360-3879. We serve Marquette, Alger, Delta, Schoolcraft, Dickinson, and Menominee counties, and we’re ready to go to work for you.