It depends. A roof really only requires an inspection during an FHA loan if the appraiser or underwriter calls for an inspection. This goes for both flat and pitch roofs. Let’s read a bit more below.

Straight from HUD on whether an appraiser will automatically require a roof inspection on a flat roof (Mortgagee Letter 05-48):
FHA no longer mandates automatic inspections for flat or unobservable roofs. In the appraisal report the appraiser will note any evidence of deterioration of roofing materials (missing tiles, shingles, flashing). Deteriorated roofing materials include those that are worn, cupped, or curled. If the roof is not observable, the appraiser will look for and include in the appraisal report any telltale signs of roof problems on the interior, such as damage or water stains to the ceiling area of a room or closet. The appraiser must note in the appraisal report that he/she could not adequately observe the entire roof area (state which area(s) were unobservable). Based on the information reported by the appraiser, the lender’s underwriter will determine whether or not a roofing inspection is required.
Summary & Attics: All things considered, a flat roof on any portion of a house won’t necessarily trigger a roof inspection, but an inspection may be required if there are signs on the interior or exterior that point toward roof failure. Remember, a roof has to have at least two years of remaining economic life for an FHA loan. On a related note, the appraiser is required to do a “head and shoulders” inspection of the attic, but when the roof is flat and there is no attic, this requirement obviously doesn’t apply.
I hope this was helpful to answer some of your questions. You can check out other FHA appraisal articles I’ve written, and definitely comment below if you’d like.
Anything you’d like to add or ask?
If you have any questions or Sacramento home appraisal or property tax appeal needs, let’s connect by phone 916-595-3735, email, Twitter, subscribe to posts by email (or RSS) or “like” my page on Facebook
FHA no longer mandates automatic inspections for flat or unobservable roofs. In the appraisal report the appraiser will note any evidence of deterioration of roofing materials (missing tiles, shingles, flashing). Deteriorated roofing materials include those that are worn, cupped, or curled.
Expect an Increase: If you purchased in the past 10 years, there is a good chance your property taxes will be going up this year in light of the market increasing in value during 2012. For instance, say you bought your property for $400,000 in 2007, but the assessment was lowered over the past few years to $250,000 due to Proposition 8, which allows for a temporary reduction in assessed value due to market declines. This year the Assessor may look at your property and give a 10%+ boost or so. In future years if the market continues to increase in value, your property taxes can be adjusted each year until the assessed value gets back up to the original “base year” value at $400,000 when you first purchased. On the other hand if you bought a property many years ago, your assessed value should be based on the value of your home when you purchased instead of market value on January 1, 2013. This means you’ll probably have a standard 2% increase for inflation instead of a huge increase like others may have.
Don’t Hire Someone Right Now: If you need to hire someone to help you appeal your property taxes, don’t do that until the formal appeals period is open for your county. For instance, Sacramento County has an appeals period between July 2 and November 30, 2013 (some counties go from July to mid-September). This means if you get a mailer right now promising to help reduce your property taxes, that’s bogus for two reasons: 1) The appeals period is not even open yet; and 2) New assessments for 2013 have not been revealed, so these companies sending mailers don’t really know if you should appeal or not because they don’t have your 2013 assessed value. However, keep in mind the deadlines for disputing supplemental taxes and
Prop 8 Form vs Appeal: Lastly, there are two forms for the appeals process. There is a free form called the “Proposition 8 Decline in Value” form, which is an informal review and NOT an appeal. There is also a form called “The Application for Changed Assessment” that IS an appeal – and costs $30. Contrary to public perception, it is technically NOT free to appeal your property taxes. However, my suggestion is for property owners to try the free Prop 8 route early during the appeals period, but then to file a formal appeal a few weeks prior to the appeals deadline if you have not heard back from the Assessor yet. 

e appraiser know if you simply got an amazing deal or whatever it was to cause the price to be so much different now. Moreover, if you’ve done substantial improvements to the home since the initial purchase, provide a written list of upgrades (with costs) to the appraiser. Whatever you do, be as specific as possible. Maybe the conversation could sound something like this: