The roof over any house or building is no inexpensive item, costing anywhere from a few thousand to many tens of thousands of dollars depending on the building size and roof style.
When roof repairs are needed, how much is worth doing before considering having roofers just do a whole replacement?
Replacement may sound like an extreme at times, but if you’re working with an honest and experienced roofing company, they will show you which option would be better using many of these consideration points.
1. Current Condition
The first consideration when trying to decide between roof repair or replacement is the current condition of the roof excluding the damage:
- Is everything still in good shape?
- Has the roof been well maintained, with minor repairs made by roofers when necessary?
- Are the shingles still flat and well adhered?
A roof that’s still in very good condition is more worth repairing than one that’s seen better days, no matter what the age of the installation is.
2. Extent of Damage Present
The next idea to think about is how much damage is present.
This requires getting a very thorough inspection of the roof and its support system from a qualified roofing company that will recognize all direct and associated damage and be able to give an accurate estimate of repairs needed.
It’s important to look for potential hidden damage first before deciding on repairs, then finding the damage to be much worse than anticipated once the actual work begins.
The more widespread the damage is, the more that replacement ends up being a better choice.
3. Age of The Roof
An important point to consider about the age of even a pristine-looking roof is that the older some materials get, the less efficient they are.
Roofing materials like tile, cement, and metal may stand the test of time and remain fully functional for decades, but others, like wood and asphalt shingles, membrane, BUR, and other installations start to deteriorate as they age.
The closer the roof is to its life expectancy, the more likely roofers are to find things like materials drying out and becoming less resilient, protective coatings worn away, and less thermal-efficiency.
In some of these cases, any need for repairs could make it more worthwhile to just replace, to prevent more needed repairs in the not-so-distant future, and to regain many protections that were lost due to aging.
4. Structural Soundness
Another important detail that a roofing company can tell you after performing a detailed inspection of a roof is whether there is any damage, new, old, or age-related, that is affecting the structural support system of the roof.
Warped, sagging, or rotting trusses and support beams indicate a serious need for structural roof repairs.
Those kinds of repairs can be extensive, expensive, and may involve removing parts of the roof anyway.
5. Cost Comparison
At the end of the day and after a thorough inspection and work estimate has been written, what can be a big deciding factor is cost.
If repairs cost more than a whole new roof, the choice seems obvious.
If not, then all the other factors must be weighed to come up with the best decision.
Many Considerations About Roof Repair Or Replacement
No one enjoys having to pay for a new roof. Roof repairs often seem like the least expensive way to get problems resolved, but this is not always the case.
Before saying no to your roofer doing a full replacement, pay attention to ideas like current condition, roof age, and the extent of the damage.
Sometimes, for the same price or just a little bit more, a roofing company can wind back the clock on your installation to Day 1 by putting on a whole new roof for nearly the same cost as repairing the old one.
