Are Victoria home inspectors flagging moss and roof age?

The write-ups cluster where the trees are. Broadmead's retained Garry oak and Douglas fir, the older streets of Saanich toward Prospect Lake, and the forest lots of the Highlands and Metchosin produce the reports where moss is the first roof item, often with a photo of a green north slope and a recommendation to clean and re-inspect. In the sunny, windy Sidney townsite and along the exposed Colwood waterfront the same inspector is more likely to note lifted tabs and granule loss than moss.

Age notes follow the housing eras. Gordon Head and Royal Oak ranchers on a second or third roof draw a 'nearing end of service life' comment when the shingles are past 20; Oak Bay and Uplands cedar draws it earlier because inspectors apply the shorter local cedar figure. Langford, Westhills and Royal Bay roofs under 15 years old rarely get either note, which is one reason buyers there rarely ask this question.

Inspectors here look from ladders, from the attic and often with a drone; they do not usually walk steep or wet roofs. The roof section typically records the material and estimated age, visible condition (moss, granule loss, curling, lifted tabs), flashings and penetrations, gutters and downspouts, and anything seen from the attic side such as staining or daylight. Moss gets its own line because it is so common here, and because it hides the condition of the shingles beneath it.

The tone is standardised: 'recommend cleaning and further evaluation by a qualified roofer' is the usual wording, which is a prompt for a roofer's inspection rather than a verdict.

Most roof notes can be pre-empted for less than the price reduction they trigger.

• Clean and treat the roof a few weeks before listing ($400–$1,200 in our model; $300–$600 per a realtor guide), and keep the receipt
• Find the last re-roof invoice and any warranty; a documented 12-year-old roof reads better than an 'estimated 15–20 years'
• Clear gutters and valleys; needle-filled gutters lead inspectors to look harder
• Fix the small items (pipe boots, sealant, a rusted vent cap) so the list is short
• Consider a roofer's inspection report ($150–$400) if the roof is older; it answers the question before it is asked
• Disclose known leaks and repairs; BC practice expects it

A moss note by itself is a maintenance item: budget an annual or biennial cleaning and possibly zinc strips, and ask for the roof to be cleaned before completion if it is heavy. An age note is a budget item: run the calculator for the house and negotiate on the replacement range. A note combining heavy moss, curling and staining in the attic is a prompt for a roofer's inspection during the subject period, because those together may indicate damage under the moss that a home inspector cannot see from the ladder.

None of these should end a purchase on their own; all of them should be priced.