Should You Get on Your Roof?
Falls from roofs and ladders are among the leading causes of serious home injuries and deaths. Many happen during short, "quick" jobs: cleaning gutters, checking a leak, hanging lights or fixing an antenna. Before you climb, ask whether you really need to, and whether a safer way exists.
- Homeowners
- Renters
- DIYers
- Older Adults
First, do you need to go up?
- Inspect from the ground with binoculars, a zoom camera, a drone or from a window or upper floor. Look for missing shingles, flashing, sagging and moss.
- Check from the attic for leaks, daylight and stains instead of climbing outside. See Attics & Crawl Spaces.
- Clean gutters from a stable ladder with stand-off stabilizers, or use a gutter tool with a pole, instead of walking the roof. See Home Ladder Safety.
- Hire a licensed, insured roofer for steep, high, wet or damaged roofs, for any repair beyond a minor fix, and for solar, chimney or skylight work. See Hiring Contractors.
Don't climb when
- The roof is wet, icy, frosty, mossy or covered with leaves or snow.
- It is windy, stormy or near dark, or very hot (shingles soften and surfaces burn).
- The slope is steep (above about 6:1 rise to run, and many roofs are 8:12 or more) or the roof is high (two stories or more).
- The roof surface is old, damaged, soft or spongy, or made of slate, tile, metal or wood shakes that crack or slip.
- There are power lines near the roof or the ladder location. Stay at least 10 feet from lines. See Overhead Power Lines.
- You are alone, tired, dizzy, taking medication or afraid of heights.
If you must go up
- Use a sturdy extension ladder set at a 4-to-1 angle on firm, level ground, tied off at the top, extending 3 feet above the roof edge. Keep three points of contact. See Extension Ladders.
- Wear rubber-soled shoes with good grip, clothing that doesn't snag, and a hat and sunscreen.
- Use a fall protection harness, rope and roof anchor secured to a structural member, and roof brackets or ladders on steeper slopes. A rope tied to a chimney or vent isn't safe. See Fall Protection Basics and Residential Fall Protection.
- Have someone with you who can hold the ladder and call 911, and tell others where you are.
- Stay away from edges, skylights and holes; skylights can break under weight. See Fragile Surfaces & Skylights.
- Carry tools in a bag or hoist them, not in your hands. Keep your weight low and move slowly.
- Come down at the first sign of wind, rain, tiredness or dizziness.
Roof checklist
- I tried to inspect from the ground, a window or the attic first
- The roof is dry, not too steep and the weather is calm
- No power lines are near the roof or ladder
- I have a secured ladder, harness and anchor, and a helper
- I'll hire a pro if the job is steep, high or beyond a simple fix
Standards & references
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