Metal roofing
Architectural shingles
Tile roofing
GAF
Owens Corning
Flat & low-slopeFree roof inspection with deck photos before we talk money - GAF and Owens Corning certified installation
GAF Roof Inspection in San Francisco: What to Know First
We provide independent GAF roof inspection across San Francisco, typically completing the walkthrough and written findings within 48 hours of your call. A standard inspection runs $295, and if we find damage we can repair, that inspection fee is credited toward the work. This page is for homeowners with GAF shingles, GAF flat-roof systems, or GAF underlayment who want an honest read on what’s holding up and what isn’t. Call (831) 318-8819 to schedule.
How GAF Products Fail – and How We Fix Them
GAF makes solid roofing materials, but San Francisco’s specific conditions exact a toll. After years of working these roofs, here’s what we see most often:
- Timberline HDZ / Timberline UHDZ granule loss near the ridge. These architectural shingles are San Francisco’s most common GAF product, and the salt-laden fog that rolls through the Sunset and Richmond districts accelerates granule erosion faster than inland heat ever would. You’ll see granules collecting in gutters and a thinning, bald-looking shingle surface near ridge lines. When we catch it early, we can often address the affected slope before the fiberglass mat underneath starts wicking moisture.
- Timberline AS II sealant strip failure on south-facing slopes. GAF’s sealant is good, but the repeated heat-and-cold cycle on south-facing roofs in neighborhoods like Glen Park and Noe Valley can break the bond between shingle courses. The tell is shingles that lift slightly at the corners, especially after a wind event. This is the kind of thing a roofer looking from the ground will miss, and it’s exactly why we walk the entire roof surface, not just the eaves.
- EverGuard TPO and PVC seam separation on flat roofs. Flat roofs in the Mission, Potrero Hill, and SoMa are overwhelmingly single-ply membrane, and GAF’s EverGuard line shows up often. The failure we see is heat-welded seams opening up after years of thermal expansion and contraction, especially where the membrane meets parapet walls or penetrations like plumbing vents. A seam that’s begun to lift is an easy repair now and a tear-out later if ignored. We probe every seam, not just the obvious ones.
- Starter strip and drip edge gaps on older GAF installs. We regularly inspect GAF roofs that were installed years ago, before San Francisco building codes tightened up the requirements for starter shingles and metal drip edge. The symptom is waviness or sagging at the eave line, and the cause is usually a starter course that was skipped or drip edge that was never installed. Water follows that gap and rots the first few inches of decking. Fixing it right means removing the bottom course, correcting the starter and edge metal, and re-laying the shingles.
- Decking rot under GAF shingles in fog-belt microclimates. This isn’t strictly a GAF problem, but it’s the most expensive thing we find during inspections in the Outer Sunset, Outer Richmond, and Twin Peaks. When the fog sits on a roof for hours at a time, the underside of the shingles never fully dries, and the plywood decking beneath pays the price. Our inspection includes sounding every section of decking we can access from the attic or the roof surface, because catching soft wood before it fails saves you from a structural repair that costs four times as much.
Styles & brands we work with






Our GAF Roof Inspection Process
Every GAF inspection follows the same sequence. No shortcuts, no drive-by estimates from the street.
- 1
Call and scheduling. You reach a live person at (831) 318-8819. We set a two-hour arrival window, and the technician shows up in that window, in uniform, with a background check already on file.
- 2
Ground-level review. Before we put a ladder on the house, we walk the perimeter and look at gutter granule buildup, eave lines, and anything visible from below. This tells us where to focus once we’re up top.
- 3
Full roof-surface inspection. We walk every slope that’s safe to walk, and use a ladder and roof brackets for anything too steep. We’re checking shingle condition, sealant strips, flashing at chimneys and skylights, pipe boots, vents, and the condition of GAF ridge cap shingles.
- 4
Attic and decking review. Where accessible, we go into the attic and check the underside of the decking, the ventilation, and any signs of moisture intrusion. This is the step most inspectors skip, and it’s where we find problems early.
- 5
Findings and written price. You get the inspection report in plain language: what needs work now, what can wait, and what’s fine. If repairs are needed, the price goes on paper before anything starts, and that number does not move at the door. The inspection fee is credited toward any repair we do.
- 6
Repair and guarantee. If you approve the work, we use OEM GAF materials wherever warranty compliance matters, and quality aftermarket parts where they’re genuinely equivalent. Every job carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing: if it isn’t right, we come back and make it right at no charge.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterWhat GAF Roof Inspection Costs in San Francisco
Our standard GAF roof inspection is $295 for a single-family home. Here’s what typical repair scenarios look like once we’re on the roof:
- $350 – $750: Re-sealing lifted shingle tabs, replacing a handful of damaged GAF shingles, or re-flashing a pipe boot. The most common scope we write.
- $750 – $1,800: Flashing repair or replacement at a chimney, skylight, or wall intersection, including new GAF shingles cut back in around the repair. The price depends on how many linear feet of flashing and how much shingle removal is involved.
- $1,800 – $4,500: Partial decking replacement plus new underlayment and shingles on a single slope. This is what happens when a leak has been slow and steady for a while. We replace the rotted wood, not just the shingles on top of it.
- $12,000 – $28,000: Full GAF roof replacement on a typical San Francisco single-family home, including tear-off, decking repairs as needed, GAF underlayment, new GAF shingles, and all flashing. The range reflects roof size, pitch, and accessibility.
Every price is written down before any work starts. You’ll know the number before you decide, and a live person will explain it if you have questions. Call (831) 318-8819 for an exact quote on your GAF roof. Estimates are free.
Why San Francisco Homeowners Call Brennan Roofing Co San Francisco for GAF Work
We’re not the only roofing company in San Francisco, and we don’t pretend to be. But the way we work is different in ways that matter when you own a GAF roof. Every job starts with a written price before any tool comes off the truck. Every technician is background-checked, uniformed, and answers to the Garrison Standard, a defined process that doesn’t change based on which crew shows up. We carry GAF materials as a primary line, backed by Owens Corning and CertainTeed when a job calls for something different, so parts decisions are made on the roof in front of you, not dictated by whatever’s in the warehouse. If something we repair fails within a year, we come back under the 365-Day Done Right Promise and fix it at no charge. That’s the whole point of the guarantee: it’s in writing, and it has teeth.
Travis Oakley has been reading roofs honestly for years here in San Francisco. He’ll tell you what needs replacing now, what can wait two seasons, and what a pushier salesman might try to oversell you on. A good roof shouldn’t need to be talked about, it should just hold.
FAQs
No. Having an independent roofing company inspect your GAF roof does not void your warranty. GAF’s warranty covers manufacturing defects in the materials, not the workmanship of installation or repairs. We are an independent GAF service provider, not affiliated with or authorized by GAF, and nothing in our inspection or repair work changes your standing with the manufacturer. If we find what looks like a manufacturing defect, we’ll document it in the report so you can pursue a warranty claim with GAF directly.
Most inspections are scheduled within three to five business days, and we’re often able to get to roof leaks faster when we know water is actively entering the home. If you have a leak that’s getting worse, call (831) 318-8819 and tell us. We’ll fit you in as fast as the schedule allows, not because it’s an emergency fee situation, but because a leaking roof doesn’t wait.
We use genuine GAF materials where warranty compliance and product compatibility call for it: shingles, ridge cap, starter strips, and GAF underlayment. For components like pipe boots, sealants, or drip edge, we use proven alternatives when they perform as well or better. The decision is made on the roof, it’s explained to you in plain language, and it’s reflected in the written price before any work starts.
If the GAF shingles are less than 10 to 12 years old and the damage is localized, repair usually makes sense. If the roof is past 15 years, granules are washing into the gutters, and decking is soft in multiple places, replacement is the honest call. We won’t sell you a new roof if a patch will hold for years, and we won’t keep patching a roof that’s done. The inspection report says which side of that line you’re on.
It covers every repair and installation we perform, in writing, for one full year from the date the work is completed. If anything we touched fails within that year, we come back and make it right at no charge. No pro-rated labor, no re-quoting, no argument. The guarantee is written on every bid, and you keep a copy. Call (831) 318-8819 for an exact quote on your GAF roof. Estimates are free.
Written by Travis Oakley, Owner, Brennan Roofing Co at Brennan Roofing Co San Francisco, serving San Francisco and nearby areas.