I was performing a quality of workmanship inspection today on a newly constructed home.  The builder would not allow me to access the roof without a harness system for safety, which prevented my access to inspect the roofing system.  Currently I do not carry a harness of this type and had to inspect from the ground in this case.

Looking at the roof system of the home next door made this worrisome.  Notice the 2x4 planks nailed to the surface of the roof?  The nails used to secure these in place leave holes in the roof that most roofers and builders do not repair.  You will most likely find these near siding or on very steep pitches of roofing.  I could not check the roof for such nail holes, but when I can I frequently find them.  These nail holes often do not leak immediately.  They most often leak within 6 to 8 years after installation of the roof if they do not leak immediately.  Repair should be performed by replacing the shingles where the damage exists.  These planks should never be used, but they are cheaper and easier than proper jacks or metal strapping systems for cleats.