Roofing in Rhode Island is wind off the bay and salt in the fasteners. Shingles lift on exposed streets in Newport, Westerly, and the Warwick neck as readily as they wear out from age. Ice then forms in the gutters of houses that just took a soaking rain. Mill buildings in Pawtucket and Woonsocket add flat roofs and parapets that pond. Name the shape and how close the water is.
Chimney flashing, pipe boots, and the first courses above a warm eave are the usual paths inside. A low porch roof tied into the main house opens at that seam when wind pushes rain uphill. Valleys hold oak leaves and then ice. If the attic is visible, say whether the sheathing is wet after a storm or the ceiling only stains in the thaw. That split decides repair versus a tired field.
Metal and nails live harder here than they do a state inland. Rusted flashing and lifted tabs are ordinary, not a surprise. A second layer of asphalt hides a soft deck until someone walks it. Underlayment and a fastened edge matter more on an exposed lot than on a sheltered village street. Skylights and old antenna holes are extra doors for a sideways rain. Mention them.
Slate and older wood shingles still sit on houses that face the bay, and they fail at the fasteners and the ridges before the field looks gone. Moss on a north slope is damp, not decoration. Note any mounts already through the roof. Salt air will open a tired boot faster than a dry inland week. Say if the ridge line sags or if only one slope takes the weather.
Give the town, the material, and whether water came in during the last blow. A lifted edge after wind is a different call from a pond on a flat mill roof. Mention ice in the same gutter every winter if that is the pattern. Stay off a wet or mossy slope. Call the number on this page.