Roof Repairs: You Probably Don't Need a New Roof

I get the same question at least ten times a week: "Do I need a new roof?" It's a fair question. And more than half the time, the answer to that question is, "no." Most roofing companies don't want to tell you that, especially with the market being as competitive as it is these days. However, it's true.

Is is better to get a new roof sometimes? Of course. Is it more expensive? Absolutely. Roofs don't last forever. In Florida, they tend to get about 15 years on average before being truly in need of replacement. And that's regardless of shingle brand or style.

So here's the scenario: A rain storm comes through, and your roof is leaking into the house. What do you do? You Google the top roofing companies in your area. You choose the ones with the most five-star reviews and give them a call. They come out and get on your roof (and some don't even do that. I cannot stress enough to be wary of a roofing company that uses drones or any other tech to examine your roof. A roofer needs to get on the roof, plain and simple.) And when they get down, you ask, "Well? What do you think?"

That's when they look at you like an auto mechanic who just got out from underneath your hood for an oil change. It's bad news. "You're going to need a new roof," they tell you. And low and behold, guess what? 10 times out of 10, that guy happens to install new roofs. What a coincidence, right? Well, they are a roofing company, so it's to be expected. But imagine if every time something in your hosue breaks, like the refrigerator or the AC unit, and the repairman tells you rather than replace the motor or change out the lightbulb, that you need a new unit entirely? It doesn't make sense.

One single leak coming into your house can be repaired 99% of the time and it isn't always indicative of an overall roofing issue. Several leaks in several different areas may tell another story. But one leak?

I had a homeowner call me and ask for a price to replace two (TWO) shingles that blew off their roof in the recent rain storm. I came out, took a look, and found the missing shingles were easily replaceable. Turns out, that homeowner had another company come out and tell them they need a new roof entirely. Over 2 missing shingles??? It turns out, the roof was only six years old, which is very young in roofing terms; so the homeowner knew that first roofer was slinging lies. That's because most companies don't want to mess with repairs, they want the easy money that comes with re-roofing.

That said, there ARE reasons to replace your roof instead of opting for a simple repair. Sometimes, it's leaking due to age. If your roof is over 15 years old, consider replacement. But even then, it's not necessarily time. I just got a call for a roof that is currently 20 years old but is in excellent condition otherwise. The color of the shingle has faded but the granules are still intact and there was only one leak on the entire roof. The shingles were not brittle and the repair went smoothly.

"But my insurance company told me I need a new roof." It's true that insurance companies have been telling Florida homeowners this and even jacking up the rates, but sometimes they're going off misinformation (usually from aforementioned drones.) We've successfully turned around insurance companies's demands for a new roof. It's not always a guarantee, but sometimes, if you get the word from your insurance that you need a new roof but you get a licensed roofing professional (such as myself) to examine your roof and sign an affidavit, claiming the roof still has some life left in it, they'll extend your coverage. Again, this isn't always the case, but it has happened. The reason this may be considered rare is because what usually happens is as follows: 1) Insurance tells you to get a new roof. 2) You call a local roofer 3) The roofer looks at your roof and sees money, they give you a price to replace it, even if they don't necessarily see anything wrong with it. And why wouldn't they? Nobody is going to talk themselves out of a job, unless they're honest.

And that's the angle some of these other roofing companies take: You have a little bit of damage, therefore you need a new roof. If your car needs an oil change, should you just get a new car? Absolutely not. Everything under the sun needs maintenance: your car, your electronics, and the rest of your home. Your roof is no exception.

Always get a second opinion. Repairing your roof over the years is par for the course, despite what some companies may tell you.