Repair or replace? How to decide

Start with the honest number — Two out of three roofs we're called to look at get a repair, not a replacement. If a roofer's first answer to a ceiling stain is "you need a new roof," get a second opinion. The right answer depends on three things: age, extent, and what's coming.

The age test — An architectural shingle roof is built to last 25 to 30 years here. Under 15 years old with a local problem — one leak, a few missing shingles, a failed pipe boot? Repair it, almost every time. Past 20 years, every repair is buying time on a roof that's near the end either way, and the math starts favoring replacement.

The extent test — Count the problems. One slope with wind damage is a repair. Damage scattered across every slope — the classic hail pattern — usually isn't, because the same storm bruised everything, and the shingles that look fine today fail next season. That's why storm damage so often becomes a full replacement, and why insurance treats it that way.

The "what's coming" test — Planning to sell in the next few years? A documented repair with a transferable warranty is often all a sale needs. Staying for twenty? Repeated repairs on an aging roof are payments on a roof you'll replace anyway — you're just paying twice.

The repair-cost rule of thumb — When a repair quote passes about a quarter of the cost of replacement, stop and run the numbers. A $4,000 repair on a 22-year-old roof isn't a repair; it's money better put toward the replacement.

What we'll never do — Nail new shingles over old ones (it hides the problem and voids most warranties), patch soft decking without telling you, or sell you a replacement your roof doesn't need. Our repair crews carry a five-year written warranty precisely because we expect the repairs to hold.

How to find out for free — The decision takes twenty minutes on your roof, not a phone estimate. Book a free inspection and you'll get a written report, an honest recommendation, and a fixed price for whichever one you actually need.