Rafter tail damage, leaking roof on REO

[Mike Nelson]

Has any of the rehabbers here dealt with rafter water damage? Looking at a foreclosed house that has a leaking roof and has been that way for about 2 years, the rafter tails in a few of the leaking spots look rotted, not terribly, but a good portion of the ends have that black rotting from water damage. I would plan on replacing the sheathing thats rotted my self, but can you get away with a text book fix on the rafter ends, or is the roof inspector going to bust my chops?

[Michael Woodward]

Mike, I want to second what Brandon and David said. The rafter tails don't carry much load and serve mainly to support the soffits, facia, and gutters so you should be able to get away with just nailing new 2x4's alongside the existing trusses and rebuilding the affected area.

If you're in an area with high snow or wind-load requirements in your building code however, you might have to find out if there are specific rules for repairing them. If there ARE specific requirements for repairing them, a good contractor or architect can tell you what you need to do. City/county inspectors are usually willing to tell you what needs to be done but I wouldn't get them involved unless your project requires permitting. Sometimes those guys are looking for things to do and will load you up with all kinds of other things to repair/update that are not legally required.

My experience with them is mixed. Some were very friendly and helpful but some tried to over-step their "police" power with unjustified repair requests. One in particular tried to use pure intimidation on me but I stood my ground because I knew what he was asking for was not required. It can turn into a messy political situation so I would not get them involved unless it's already in permitting.