Repair or Replace Your Roof? A Straight Answer

Straight answer: if the problem is one spot and the rest of the roof has life in it, repair it. If the wear is all over, the leaks keep coming back, or the decking is going soft, replace it. Here's how to tell the difference, and how to keep anybody from selling you the wrong one.

Repair it when

• It's one leak, and it traces back to one spot: a flashing, a pipe boot, a few nail pops.
• Wind took a handful of shingles and the rest are lying flat.
• The shingles still have their granules and aren't curling or cracking.
• The decking is solid when you walk it, and the attic is dry.

A good roof repair on a roof with years left is money well spent.

Replace it when

• Shingles are curling, cracking or missing across the whole roof, not just one spot.
• Your gutters are full of shingle granules.
• You've got more than 1 leak, or the same leak keeps coming back after it was "fixed."
• The decking is soft in more than one place, or you can see daylight in the attic.
• There are already 2 layers up there.
• The roof is 20-plus years old and nobody's looked at it.

At that point, repairs are spending money on a problem that keeps growing. A roof replacement is usually the better money. Our ballpark ranges are on that page and in our NJ roof cost guide.

How long does a roof last?

Asphalt shingle roofs commonly last somewhere around 20 to 30 years, depending on the shingle, the attic ventilation and how much weather they take. A hot, stuffy attic shortens that. So does wind off the bay.

If you don't know how old your roof is, that's a good reason to have it looked at.

What you can check from the ground

You don't need to climb anything. Please don't.

• Binoculars from the yard. Look for curled edges, cracked or missing shingles, and bare or dark patches.
• The gutters and downspouts. A pile of granules at the bottom of a downspout means the shingles are wearing out.
• The attic, with a flashlight. Water stains on the wood, damp insulation, or daylight coming through.
• The top-floor ceilings. New stains, or old ones getting bigger after rain.

Selling the house?

A buyer's inspector flagged the roof? Get your own straight read first. Photos from a free 21-point inspection show you what's actually up there, so you know whether it's a repair, a replacement or a non-issue before you negotiate.

Our rule

If it's a repair, we sell you a repair. If your roof has 5 more years in it, we tell you that. We'd rather you call us in 5 years than curse us tomorrow.

The free 21-point inspection checks the roof, the edges and the attic, and you get photos of everything we find. Call (732) 344-4702, Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to 7 PM.