This photo is an interior ceiling area right below a flat roof. When I say a flat roof, I really mean low-sloped. Even a flat roof should be designed to have some drainage. The flat roof, from above, did not look too bad. But, from below, there was this stain and another one nearby too. This kind of visual evidence puts an inspector in a bit of a dilemma. The question is: Does the roof presently have a leak, or has the roof been repaired since this occurred and nobody did anything to hide the inside damage? If it has been raining, the inspector can get a clue by feeling or reading moisture levels at the ceiling but, if not, then it is all just a big guess. Especially, if there is ceiling damage like this, about the only thing to do to cover one's bases is to call for further evaluation by a qualified roofing contractor familiar with flat roofs. An inspector who ignores this kind of staining, not knowing but hoping the roof problems above have been resolved, is treading on thin ice.
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