Curling, buckling and granule loss are separate findings
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Moisture Control Guidance for Building Design, Construction and Maintenance includes a sample roof inspection checklist that lists missing, loose, buckled and curled shingles, missing tabs and granular loss as separate items to record. That guidance was written mainly for schools and commercial buildings, but the distinction is just as useful on a house. If a report calls every raised edge "curling," ask the roofer to say which condition each photo shows.
Treat the symptom as a reason to look closer rather than as a diagnosis. Without knowing the specific shingle product and how it was installed, nobody can responsibly say from a description alone whether curling comes from age, moisture, ventilation or something else. Ask what the roofer saw that supports the cause they name.
Why granules in the gutter matter
The same EPA guidance tells building inspectors to look in the gutters for mineral granules from shingles, because they may indicate the shingles are worn. In its discussion of roof coverings, it also notes that once gravel, granule or liquid surface coatings are damaged, sunlight can degrade the roofing membrane beneath them. So granules are a clue worth following up, but a handful in a downspout doesn't tell you how much life the roof has left.
Ask for photos of the shingle surfaces themselves, not just of loose granules in a gutter. A good report separates light, scattered wear from concentrated bare patches and explains whether the pattern fits the cause it proposes. If the inspector isn't sure, the report should say so plainly instead of turning a guess into a firm explanation.
Ask for a mapped inspection, not a single snapshot
EPA's guidance recommends mapping the problems found during an inspection and keeping photographs and inspection records so changes in a roof's condition can be checked over time. For a house, that means labeled photos showing which slope each problem is on and whether it's an isolated spot or repeated across the roof. EPA's guidance also covers flashing and drainage, including gutters and downspouts, so the inspection should look beyond the most worn-looking patch. Our checklist of photos to gather for a home repair estimate can help you organize what you already have.
Ask whether the roofer checked how well the shingles are sealed and fastened. FEMA's guidelines for wind vulnerability assessments say shingles that are unsealed or only partly sealed are vulnerable to wind damage, and that investigations of damaged roofs have often found an incorrectly installed starter course left the row of tabs along the eave unsealed. That document was written for critical facilities such as schools, so we use it only for those general points. A shingle that is distorted is a different finding from one that lifts because its seal or fastening has failed, and the report should say which it is. Don't lift tabs or climb onto the roof to check this yourself.
Check the whole roof system, not just the shingles
The Building America Solution Center, a U.S. Department of Energy resource run by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, describes asphalt shingle roofs in its asphalt shingle roof guide as a system that also includes the roof deck, underlayment, drip edge at the eaves and rakes, and flashing at roof penetrations and roof-to-wall intersections. Ask whether those parts were looked at where they could be seen, and what couldn't be checked without removing shingles.
Where the attic can be reached safely, have the inspector look inside too. The Solution Center's pre-retrofit assessment of attics, ceilings and roofs calls for checking for water staining, damp wood and other signs of roof leaks, and for confirming that exhaust fans, including bathroom fans, vent outdoors rather than into the attic. Ask for any moisture findings to be documented without automatically blaming the curling on ventilation. If there are signs of mold or rotted framing, that same guidance calls for a qualified professional to evaluate and correct it. In our area, winter ice can add its own problems; our guide to what causes ice dams and how to fix the cause covers that side.
Get the reasoning in writing before you approve work
Ask for a written summary that separates what was observed, what the likely cause is, and what the inspector couldn't verify, including any areas they couldn't reach. Keep that report, the photos and any past repair paperwork together, which is the record-keeping EPA recommends so later inspections can tell whether conditions are changing.
Before you approve a repair or a replacement, ask what exactly needs correcting, why the proposed scope fits, and what evidence supports it. If replacement is recommended, ask how the roof deck, underlayment and flashing will be evaluated, not just which new shingle will go on. The Solution Center notes that a roof replacement is an opportunity to improve roof deck attachment, underlayment and flashing as needed. In Philadelphia, our rowhome roof replacement permit guide explains when the work may need a permit.
This is general information drawn from the public sources linked above, not an inspection of your roof.