"Should I Repair or Replace My Roof?"

It’s a tough question, “Should I repair or replace my roof?”Branches on Roof You ask a similar question when your old car breaks down one too many times, right? You don’t want to repair something that really needs replacing, because then you’re just wasting money. On the other hand, replacing is expensive, and you don’t want to jump the gun and replace something that has a few years left in it.

How to Tell Whether Roof Repair or Replacement is the Best Option

We feel your pain. Lyons Roofing helps Arizona homeowners like yourself make this decision all the time. So here are 4 factors we look at to determine if repairing or replacing is the best idea.

1) Cost of repairing vs. reroofing

First, you need to get an assessment of how much it would cost to repair vs. replace the roof. Get a professional assessment from a licensed and insured roofing contractor. (We can offer you an estimate free of charge, just FYI). If a few shingles need replacing or there’s a simple leak, then repairing is usually the best choice. But if the repair is significant, enough to warrant partial re-roofing, then compare the cost of the partial re-roof to replacing the entire thing.

Remember, it costs money to get workers on-site to set up scaffolding, ladders, and equipment. Meaning replacing the entire roof now instead could save money in the long run depending on your situation. For example, let’s say you have a 4-sided roof, and one side needs reroofing, costing you $3,000. But reroofing the entire thing costs $9,000 ($2,250 a side). See how reroofing the entire roof now could save you money in the long run?

2) Current age of the roof material vs. its average lifespan

Alongside cost, always keep in mind a roof’s age relative to its average lifespan. For example, while clay tile can last up to 50 years, the underlayment usually needs replacing every 12 to 20 years. Shake roofs can last up to 30 years and shingle roofs have a wide range or life expectancy (from 20-50 years) depending on the quality of the shingle. If your roof needs a significant repair and it’s near the end of its expected lifespan, it’s usually more cost-effective to replace the whole roof.

3) Roof’s current condition

If your roof isn’t maintained properly, it won’t live to its fullest lifespan and will need replacing prematurely. So if your roof is in really poor condition, consider replacing instead of repairing it.

4) Ability to match new roofing material with old ones

Matching new clay tile, shakes or shingles with your old ones is tough due to:

  • Manufacturer improvements in materials
  • Differences in sizing (metric vs standard)
  • Discontinued products
  • Discontinued colors
  • Arizona’s harsh sun fading the color of your current roofing

This is important to know if you want to sell your home soon or want your home’s roof to look nice and consistent. Reroofing makes sense if repairing would significantly ruin the look of your home.

Get a professional’s opinion (or two). Whichever decision you make, get multiple estimates from professional roofers.

Are you seeking a roofer in Tucson or Phoenix? Contact Lyons Roofing for a FREE roofing repair and replace estimate.

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