Repair it or replace it

A roof at the end of its life is a planning problem this year and an emergency the year after. A repair averages $1,173. A replacement averages $9,608. The question is which one you are actually buying.

What is probably happening

• InterNACHI's life expectancies: 3-tab asphalt about 20 years, architectural asphalt about 30, wood 25, metal 40 to 80, slate 60 to 150, clay or concrete tile 100 or more. Hot climates and severe weather shorten all of these.
• One leak on a 10-year-old roof is a repair. A third leak on a 22-year-old 3-tab roof is a replacement being paid for in installments.
• Insurers care too: the III says most companies require a roof over 20 years old to pass an inspection, some decline it, and older roofs may be paid at actual cash value with depreciation taken out.

Do this in the next five minutes

1. Find the roof's age: closing papers, the building department's permit history, or the previous owner.
2. From the ground, look for curling, cracking, bald patches, and shingles that look wavy. Count the repairs already done.
3. Get a written inspection with photos. A roof inspection runs $75 to $600.
4. Get three replacement quotes if it is at or past the InterNACHI life for its material. Get three repair quotes if it is not.
5. Ask each roofer the one question that separates them: what on my roof makes this a repair or a replacement?

Do not

• Do not replace a roof because a salesperson says it is 'about time'. Ask for the specific failures, in writing, with photos.
• Do not keep repairing past the point where two repairs cost more than the depreciation you are avoiding.
• Do not accept a second layer of shingles over the old ones without a written reason. Ask what your local code allows and what it does to the manufacturer's warranty.

Ask this contractor, on the phone, before anyone comes out

Tap each one as you ask it.

• Is this quote a repair or a replacement, and what specifically makes the difference on my roof?
• Is a full tear-off included, and is the decking inspection and any deck replacement priced per sheet?
• Which shingle, which underlayment, which ice-and-water barrier, and which ventilation are in the scope?
• Who pulls the permit, and is the permit fee in the price?
• What is your workmanship warranty in years, and is that yours or the manufacturer's?

End the call if

• A replacement quote with no photos and no inspection report.
• A quote far below the others. NRCA: 'If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.'
• A large deposit before materials are delivered.