The honest answer most contractors won’t give you: most roofs are repaired more times than they should be, and homeowners end up spending repair money on a roof that should have been replaced. Conversely, sales-driven contractors will tell you to replace a 12-year-old roof with one bad valley.
Here’s how we decide on every inspection:
- Repair if: the damage is localized to one area (one leak, a torn flashing, a cracked vent boot), the roof is under 18 years old, and the field of shingles still has full granule coverage. Repair cost should be under ~15% of replacement.
- Replace if: the roof is 20+ years old, you can see field-wide granule loss (bald patches, gutters full of granules), there are multiple leak points, or the deck shows soft spots from chronic water intrusion.
- Borderline — get a written second opinion: roof is 15–20 years old, one leak, otherwise looking OK. We’ll quote both paths and let you decide.
We will tell you straight if a repair is the better economic call. That’s why our inspection is free — we’d rather earn your business when you actually need a roof than upsell you on one you don’t.
Have a follow-up question for your specific roof?
Free, no-obligation on-site inspection. Honest written report — yours to keep whether you hire us or not.