Every Puget Sound winter, the pattern repeats: the first big atmospheric river arrives, and every weakness that summer concealed announces itself at once. The roofers' phones light up, schedules fill, and homeowners wait with buckets. The alternative is an hour of attention in the fall.
The pre-season checklist
1. Clear gutters and downspouts
The single highest-value task. Clogged gutters force water back under the roof edge — one of the most common causes of fascia rot and interior damage in our area. Do it after the leaves are mostly down, and check that downspouts actually discharge away from the foundation.
2. Get moss treated before the wet season feeds it
Moss does most of its growing through our mild, wet winters. Treatment in fall kills it before the growth season instead of after. Remember: gentle methods only — pressure washing destroys shingles.
3. Clear roof debris from valleys
Needles and leaves in valleys act like dams, holding moisture against shingles and redirecting water sideways under the roof edge.
4. Scan the roof and flashing from the ground
Binoculars are enough: look for lifted or missing shingles, flashing that's separated at chimneys and skylights, and anything that changed since spring.
5. Check the attic
Musty smells, damp insulation, or staining on the deck's underside are your earliest leak warnings — far earlier than any ceiling stain.
6. Trim back overhanging branches
Less overhang means less needle load, more drying sunlight, and fewer storm-dropped limbs on the roof.
The professional option
An annual fall inspection catches what ground-level scanning can't: fastener backout, sealant failures, early flashing separation, and the small stuff that becomes February's emergency. First Choice Roof Service inspects free, documents everything with photos, and handles small repairs on the spot when possible — call (425) 270-1525 before the schedule fills with emergencies.