# Roof checklist before winter: what to check and when to call a professional > What to look at from the ground and the loft without climbing onto the roof, how often to do maintenance according to technical sources, the three warning signs and a list to print. - Page: https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/roof-checklist-before-winter - Language: English - Updated: 2026-11-02 ## Summary - Check from the ground, from windows and from the loft. Do not climb onto the roof. - The APICER and CTCV guide recommends a yearly roof inspection and cleaning, and gutter maintenance twice a year. - A deformed roof, plants between the tiles and degraded drainage call for a professional. - On old fibre-cement, do not pressure-wash or brush: it can release asbestos fibres. Most of the damage that shows up with the first winter storm started earlier: a blocked gutter, a ridge with cracked mortar, tiles that were already out of place. This guide says what you can check yourself **without climbing onto the roof**, how often the technical sources recommend maintenance and when to call a professional. At the end there is a list to print. *Updated on 2 November 2026. General information. It does not replace an inspection of your roof by a specialist.* ## The essentials - **Check from the ground, from windows and from the loft.** Do not climb onto the roof. According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, the best way to avoid a fall is not to go up. - **Once a year, inspection and cleaning.** This is what the technical guide of the ceramics industry association (APICER) and the Centro Tecnológico da Cerâmica e do Vidro (CTCV, the ceramics and glass technology centre) recommends for clay tile roofs. - **Gutters and downpipes: twice a year**, according to the same guide. - **Before heavy rain**, Civil Protection asks people to clear rainwater drainage systems and secure loose structures. - **Three signs call for a professional now:** a deformed roof, plants growing between the tiles, and degraded gutters or downpipes. - **The law requires upkeep:** buildings must have maintenance works at least once in every eight years (article 89 of the RJUE, the urban development and building regime). ## Why it is worth doing now The APICER and CTCV guide (2nd edition, 2018) says that roof defects **mainly come from a total lack of regular maintenance** and that it is essential to set up a **yearly routine of inspection and cleaning**. There is also a money reason. According to the law firm CMS, prior deterioration is among the typical grounds for refusing a claim, and water damage cover usually excludes **old damp or lack of maintenance**. A tile that was already loose and that the wind took may lead to an argument with the insurer. See the guide on [home insurance and the roof after a storm](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/home-insurance-storm-roof). ## How often | Source | What it says | |---|---| | APICER and CTCV, clay roof tile guide (2018) | **Yearly** routine of roof inspection and cleaning | | APICER and CTCV, same guide | Drainage system: regular maintenance **twice a year** | | RJUE, article 89 | Maintenance works **at least once in every eight years**, and whenever safety or health require it | | ANEPC, warning of 28 October 2025 | Before rain and wind: **clear** rainwater drainage and **secure** loose structures | | ACT, fibre-cement leaflet | Fibre-cement with asbestos: **monitor** its condition, no fixed frequency | The sources do not say which months. As general guidance, late autumn, after the leaves have fallen, and spring are the sensible times for the gutters. ## Checking without climbing The APICER guide expects the outside inspection to be done **from an adjoining building, a raised spot or with a drone**. For a homeowner, that means: from the ground with binoculars, from a higher window, from a neighbour's terrace. If you use a ladder to look into a low gutter, the ACT (labour inspectorate) leaflet on roof repairs gives these rules: a ladder in good condition, **well supported and secured**, at an angle of about **75 degrees** and reaching **90 cm** above the access level. Do not use the top rungs as a platform, do not move it while you are on it, and **do not work alone**. The ACT also points out that conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, and some medicines, increase the risk. ## From the ground: what to look for - **Broken, displaced or missing tiles.** A row out of line is a sign of tiles slipping. - **A sagging roof plane.** A "belly" you can see from outside may come from the battens or the structure. The APICER guide says it needs an inspection from inside. - **Ridges and hips.** Mortar cracked or falling off. The guide explains that mortar and tile expand differently and that, when the joint has degraded and lets water through, the work should be immediate. - **Moss, weeds and small shrubs** between the tiles, along the eaves and in the gutters. - **Flashings** around the chimney, skylights and walls that meet the roof: sheets lifted, loose or rusty. - **Aerials, panels and other equipment** fixed to the roof. The ANEPC asks for loose structures to be properly secured before strong wind. - **Trees.** Branches over the roof fall in the wind and fill the gutters with leaves. ## In the loft: what to look for Take a torch and go in daylight. - **Damp stains** on the timber, the lining or the insulation. Compare with last year if you have photos. - **Light coming through** between the tiles, on roofs with no lining. - **Dark, soft or crumbling timber**, especially at the supports next to the walls. - **Drops on the underside of the tiles** on cold days. The APICER guide explains that this is often **condensation**, not a faulty tile, and that it is mainly solved with ventilation under the tiles. - **Insulation** that is wet, squashed or missing. If there is none, see the guide on [roof insulation aid](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/roof-insulation-aid). ## Gutters and downpipes The APICER guide has a case on **poor maintenance of drainage systems**: when water does not drain well, there are leaks and the materials degrade. It recommends checking that no downpipe is emptying water **straight onto the tiles**, that the gutters have enough brackets and that their fixing **withstands the wind**. From the ground, look for: - water spilling over the front of the gutter when it rains; - gutters bent, with sections fallen down or dripping at the joints; - downpipes coming away from the wall or emptying next to the foundations; - dark stains on the façade below the gutter. ## Fibre-cement, metal sheet and sandwich panels According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, fibre-cement, fibreglass and plastic **tend to become more fragile over time** and steel roofs can rust. A fragile roof cannot take a person's weight. On an old fibre-cement roof, **do not pressure-wash or brush off the moss**. The ACT says that any handling can release asbestos fibres. From the ground, look for broken sheets, holes or crumbling. The next steps are in the guide on [asbestos in the roof](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/asbestos-roof-law-removal). ## Checklist to print | Item | Where to look | Warning sign | Done | |---|---|---|---| | Tiles | From the ground, a window | Broken, displaced, rows out of line | ☐ | | Roof plane | From the ground, side view | Sagging or wavy | ☐ | | Ridges and hips | From the ground, binoculars | Mortar cracked or fallen | ☐ | | Flashings | Chimney, skylights, walls | Sheet lifted, loose, rusty | ☐ | | Plants | Roof, eaves, gutters | Thick moss, weeds, shrubs | ☐ | | Gutters | From the ground, in the rain | Overflowing, fallen sections, dripping joints | ☐ | | Downpipes | Façade | Loose, blocked, emptying at the foundations | ☐ | | Equipment | Aerials, panels | Loose or bent brackets | ☐ | | Trees | Garden, street | Branches over the roof | ☐ | | Loft: damp | Timber, lining, insulation | New or larger stains | ☐ | | Loft: structure | Beams and supports | Dark, soft, warped timber | ☐ | | Loft: condensation | Underside of the tiles | Drops on cold days | ☐ | | Fibre-cement | From the ground | Broken sheets, holes, crumbling | ☐ | | Photos | Whole roof | Take and keep with the date | ☐ | The photos let you compare from one year to the next and, if there is a claim, show the insurer the state of the roof before the storm. ## What a professional checks According to the APICER and CTCV guide, a technical inspection has three stages: **pre-inspection** (history of the building and earlier works), **inspection from outside** (covering, flashings, deformation, joints and drainage) and **inspection from inside** (structure, linings, inner finishes). It uses simple tools such as a blade, a hammer, a **moisture meter** and a camera and, if needed, equipment to measure the condition of the timber. Ask at the end for a short report with photos, what was found and what is proposed, separating what is urgent from what can wait. ## When to call a professional now The APICER guide names **three warning signs** that call for closer analysis and, possibly, urgent work: 1. **marked deformation of the roof**; 2. **parasitic plants** growing; 3. **degradation of the drainage system**. Add to these, as general guidance: new stains on the ceiling after rain, missing tiles, loose flashings and any broken fibre-cement sheet. ## What matters for the works - **Permit:** cleaning and repairing the roof as it is counts as maintenance works, exempt. See the guide on [roof works permits](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/roof-works-permit-2026). - **VAT:** roof cleaning pays 23%. Repair of a dwelling may pay 6% on labour. See the guide on [VAT on roof works](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/roof-works-vat). - **If winter gets there first**, see the guide [damaged roof: what to do in the first 48 hours](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/damaged-roof-first-48-hours). ## What we could not confirm - **The maintenance frequency for sandwich panels and metal sheet.** We did not read a dated data sheet from a Portuguese manufacturer. - **The frequency for fibre-cement.** The ACT talks about monitoring, with no deadline. - **The best months.** The sources give the frequency, not the calendar. - **Prices for inspection and cleaning.** We do not publish figures without an official source. - **The rules for using drones** in inspections. We did not read them. If the professional uses a drone, ask whether it meets the rules in force. ## Sources (read on 2 November 2026) - APICER and CTCV, [Guia para Projeto e Aplicação de Telhas Cerâmicas](https://www.apicer.pt/apicer/media/5c06bd0e8d436.pdf) (guide to the design and laying of clay roof tiles), 2nd edition, 2018, chapter 7 (roof maintenance and rehabilitation: yearly routine, drainage twice a year, warning signs, condensation, ridges). - ANEPC, [Aviso à população n.º 19/DCS/2025, precipitação e vento, medidas preventivas](https://prociv.gov.pt/media/yzgbuvxh/aviso-%C3%A0-popula%C3%A7%C3%A3o-_-precipita%C3%A7%C3%A3o_e_vento_-medidas-preventivas_28out.pdf) (public warning on rain and wind, preventive measures), 28 October 2025. - ACT, [Reparação de telhados após intempéries](https://portal.act.gov.pt/AnexosPDF/Dossiers%20tem%C3%A1ticos/Intemperies/Flyer_REPARA%C3%87%C3%83O%20DE%20TELHADOS.pdf) (roof repairs after storms), leaflet, undated (ladder rules, physical condition). - ACT, [Fibrocimento](https://portal.act.gov.pt/AnexosPDF/Dossiers%20tem%C3%A1ticos/Amianto/Publica%C3%A7%C3%B5es/Folheto_fibrocimento_web.pdf) (fibre-cement), leaflet, 2015. - European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, [FACTS 49, Safe work on roofs](https://osha.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2021-10/Factsheet_49_-_Trabalhar_com_seguranca_em_telhados.pdf) (Portuguese edition). - Decreto-Lei n.º 555/99 (RJUE), article 89, [PGDL consolidated version](https://www.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?nid=625&tabela=leis), with changes up to Decreto-Lei n.º 108/2026, of 29 May. - CMS Portugal, [Orientações práticas para o acionamento de seguros após a tempestade Kristin](https://cms.law/pt/prt/news-information/orientacoes-praticas-para-o-acionamento-de-seguros-apos-a-tempestade-kristin) (practical guidance on insurance claims after storm Kristin), 9 February 2026 (exclusions for lack of maintenance). ## FAQ ### How often should I clean the gutters? The APICER and CTCV technical guide recommends regular maintenance of the drainage system twice a year. ### Do I need to climb onto the roof to inspect it? No. From the ground, a high window and the loft you can see most problems. A close inspection is work for a professional with protective equipment. ### Does the law require roof maintenance? Article 89 of the RJUE requires maintenance works on buildings at least once in every eight years, and whenever safety or health require it. --- Source: https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/roof-checklist-before-winter. Independent information, not legal or tax advice.