I think any reputable SE would take a look in the attic to see if any movement of the rafters or ridge was present if he was doing his job correctly.

Nearly all the SE's I've ever seen on the job have entered the attic space.

We must keep in mind though that theses SE's are just people too and make errors. They are not God's.

I called out for a SE once due to excessive damages under a home due to wood decay, termites, etc.

The guy just walked the exterior of the home and said it looks great. The real story was it was on a July 3rd. before a holiday and he was in a hurry to get to go out of town. When the agent called me and said the SE said everything looked great, I picked up the phone and called him myself to ask if he even went under the house. He didn't.

He could have been buying that house if I hadn't made that call so he could go back out and re-inspect it before actually submitting his documents.

rick