Buying a home in Murrayville, NC: roof questions to ask before you close

We do roof inspections with photos and notes across Brunswick and New Hanover counties. Call (910) 228-8034 or request an inspection.

Short answer: before you buy a home in Murrayville, find out what year the roof covering was installed, whether it has leaked, who did the work, whether a manufacturer warranty can transfer to you, and what permits are on file. Then make sure the roof gets a close look during due diligence, while you can still ask for repairs or walk away.

Start with the seller's disclosure

North Carolina law (G.S. 47E) requires most home sellers to give buyers the Residential Property and Owners' Association Disclosure Statement before an offer. If the seller doesn't, you may be able to cancel the contract. Two questions on the current form are about the roof:

• In what year was the dwelling's roof covering installed?
• Is there a leakage or other problem with the dwelling's roof or related existing damage?

Sellers can answer Yes, No, No Representation or Not Applicable. The NC Real Estate Commission says a "No Representation" answer can mean the owner knows about an issue and chose not to say, or simply doesn't know. The Commission also says the disclosure isn't a warranty and is no substitute for a thorough home inspection. So if you see "NR" next to the roof questions, ask more.

What a home inspection covers on the roof

Under North Carolina's home inspector standards, the inspector has to inspect the roof covering, drainage, flashing, skylights, chimneys and roof penetrations, and look for signs of leaks. They describe the type of roof covering and report how they inspected it.

Two limits are good to know. NC home inspectors aren't required to walk on the roof. And they aren't required to report how long any part of the house will last. If the report says the roof was viewed from the ground or with binoculars, or it doesn't say how many years the shingles have left, that's normal. It's also the gap a roofer can fill.

If you want to see what we check, here's what our roof inspection covers, and this guide walks through a roof inspection in Myrtle Grove, another New Hanover County community.

Use your due diligence period

On the standard NC Offer to Purchase and Contract (Form 2-T), the due diligence period is your window to inspect the house and look into the availability and cost of insurance. The NC Real Estate Commission says the length of that period is negotiable, and you can ask the seller to make repairs, though the seller doesn't have to agree.

Timing matters. Under Form 2-T, if you decide not to buy, you should end the contract before the due diligence period runs out, or you may lose your earnest money. The seller doesn't have to extend it. Get the roof looked at early so you have time to act on what you learn.

Questions to ask about the roof

1. What year was the roof covering installed? It's on the disclosure form. Ask for an invoice or contract if the seller has one.
2. Has it leaked, and what was repaired? Ask for paperwork on past repairs and who did them.
3. Is there a manufacturer warranty, and can it transfer? Rules differ by brand. GAF says a new owner has to notify GAF of the transfer within the time set in the warranty and show proof of ownership. CertainTeed says its shingle warranty can be transferred once, from the original owner to the next owner.
4. Is there a workmanship warranty from the installer? That's separate from the manufacturer's warranty. Ask the company in writing whether it transfers to a new owner.
5. What permits are on file? Murrayville isn't an incorporated town, so it's governed by New Hanover County. Permits issued for an address can be looked up in the county's COAST system without logging in. A missing permit doesn't always mean a problem: under state law, many jobs costing $40,000 or less on a single-family home don't need a building permit, unless they involve load-bearing structure or another listed exception.
6. What will insurance cost with this roof? Ask your insurance agent early. The NC Department of Insurance says FORTIFIED mitigation credits may be available on qualifying policies in the state's beach and coastal territories, so ask whether the house has a FORTIFIED designation.

A little about Murrayville

Murrayville is a census-designated place in New Hanover County, not a town with its own government. It had 16,582 people at the 2020 Census, and about 77% of households there own their home, according to Census Bureau estimates for 2020-2024. Whichever house you're looking at, the due diligence clock works the same way.

If the roof needs work

If the inspection turns up problems, our guide to roof repair vs. replacement on the coast can help you think it through. If you're weighing a new roof, see what to compare in a replacement estimate. For more on the area, see our New Hanover County roofing page.

About Vera's Roofing

• Family-owned and insured. We're a family-owned roofer serving Brunswick and New Hanover counties, and we carry workers' comp and general liability insurance.
• Warranty. We offer a one-year labor-and-materials warranty on installs plus manufacturer warranties.
• Permits. We handle permits when they're required.
• Shingles and metal. We install CertainTeed and GAF 30-year shingles. For metal, we offer 5-V, Multi-Rib and standing seam, painted, 26-gauge minimum.
• FORTIFIED Roofer. We're a FORTIFIED Roofer, provider ID R012048.