A roof inspection serves specific and important purposes. A building inspection, however, serves broader (but still important) purposes.
In a roof inspection, the specific aims focus on the roof. These aims include:
1) to determine the integrity of the roof,
2) to make note of any damages that need to be repaired,
3) to estimate how long the roof could last, and
4) to estimate when the roof should be replaced
Although a roof inspection focuses on the roof, an inspection of this aspect of the building can provide some evidence as to the condition of other areas of the building, such as the building’s envelope.
Building inspections on the other hand serve a more general purpose to determine the overall condition of the building. In addition, building inspections also include many specialized types of inspections, each of which serve a specific purpose.
A roof inspection is one specific type of building inspection. Other specific building inspections include pest, electrical, HVAC, and water system inspections.