Repair when the damage is in one place and the rest of the roof has years left. Replace when the whole roof, or the waterproof layer under it, has worn out. In Scottsdale that second case is often invisible from the street, because tile outlasts the underlayment below it.
Should I repair or replace my roof?
Repair it if the problem is local: a few slipped tiles, one cracked pipe boot, a leak at one flashing. Replace it if leaks show up in several places, repairs are becoming yearly, or the material is at the end of its life across the roof. The decision to repair or replace should come from photos of the whole roof, not from the one spot that leaked.
How do I know when my roof needs to be replaced?
A roof needs to be replaced when the waterproof layer has failed in general, not at one point. The signs depend on the roof.
- Tile: underlayment that is brittle, cracked or missing at the eaves and valleys, even if the tile looks good
- Shingles: widespread cracking, curling, bare patches and brittle tabs that break when lifted
- Foam: coating worn through over large areas, with foam exposed and pitted
- Membrane or built-up flat roofs: open seams, splits and wet insulation in many places
- Any roof: soft decking, sagging, or leaks returning after repairs
My tile looks fine but the roofer says the underlayment is finished. Is that real?
It can be, and you should ask to see it. Tile sheds most water, but the underlayment below is the waterproof layer. HomeGuide publishes a life of 20 to 30 years for underlayment under tile, against 30 to 50 years or more for concrete tile and 50 to 100 or more for clay. Desert heat is hard on that layer. Ask for photos taken with tiles lifted at several places, not only at the leak. If it is worn across the roof, the usual answer is to lift the tile, replace the underlayment and relay the same tile.
I have a 15-year-old shingle roof with one leak. Repair or replace?
Repair it in most cases. A 15-year-old shingle roof with a single leak usually has a single cause, such as a cracked pipe boot, a lifted flashing or wind damage on one slope. Replacement makes sense only if the inspection shows the shingles are brittle and cracked across the roof. Strong sun ages shingles here, so ask for photos of the south and west slopes, which take the most heat, as well as the leak.
My 22-year-old roof has no leaks, but a roofer says replace it now. Should I?
Not on age alone. A 22-year-old roof that is dry inside has earned a second opinion with photos. Architectural shingles are published at 20 to 30 years and 3-tab at 15 to 20, so a 22-year-old 3-tab roof is past the range while an architectural one is inside it. If it is tile, the question is the underlayment, at 20 to 30 years. Ask the roofer to show you what has failed. If the evidence is thin, plan and budget for replacement and keep inspecting every year.
Can you put new shingles over old shingles?
Sometimes, but we rarely advise it here. Scottsdale's re-roofing guide allows one layer of new asphalt shingles over an existing layer. A second layer traps heat, hides the deck from inspection, and adds weight. In desert sun the extra heat shortens the life of the new shingles. Tearing off lets us see and fix the wood and the flashing.
Can I replace only half of the roof or one slope?
Yes, one slope or one section can be replaced if the rest is sound. It is common on tile roofs, where the underlayment on the sun-baked south or west side wears out first, and on houses with a flat section and a pitched section of different ages. The join between old and new has to be detailed with care. Colour will not match exactly on shingles, and the other half will still need doing later.
I am selling the house in a year or two. Is a new roof worth it?
Only if the current roof would fail a buyer's inspection or scare buyers away. If you are selling with a roof that has years left, repair what is wrong and keep the paperwork. If the roof is plainly at the end, you will likely pay for it one way or another, through the work or through the price. An inspection with photos tells you which case you are in. Ask your agent what buyers in your part of Scottsdale expect.
I am buying a house with an old roof. What should I ask?
When buying a house with an old roof, ask for facts on paper.
- How old is the roof, and for tile, has the underlayment ever been replaced?
- Are there records of repairs, re-coating or leaks?
- For a foam or coated flat roof, when was it last re-coated?
- Is any warranty transferable to a new owner?
- Will the seller allow a roofer's inspection, separate from the general home inspection?
A general home inspector often does not lift tiles. A roofer's inspection during your inspection period can show the state of the underlayment before you are committed.
Are curling, cracked or bald shingles a reason to replace?
Yes, when it is across the roof. Curling and cracking mean the shingle has dried out and lost its flexibility, which desert sun speeds up. A few damaged shingles in one area can be replaced. When most of a slope is curled or bald, patches will not hold because the shingles around them break.
What do granules in the gutters mean?
Granules in the gutters or at the base of downspouts mean the shingles are shedding their protective surface. A little is normal on a new roof and after a hard storm. A steady build-up on an older roof means the asphalt below is being exposed to ultraviolet light, and wear speeds up from there. Homes without gutters will see the granules on the ground along the drip line.
Is a sagging roof dangerous?
It can be. A sagging roof line or a dip between rafters points to a problem in the structure or the decking, such as long-term leaks, broken framing or too much weight. Tile is heavy, so sagging under a tile roof deserves a prompt look. On a flat roof a sag holds water, which adds weight and makes it worse. Have it inspected soon, and stay off that part of the roof.
When is a roof too far gone to repair?
A roof is too far gone to repair when the material around the damage can no longer hold a patch. On shingles that means tabs that snap when lifted. On tile it means underlayment that tears or crumbles wherever a tile is raised. On a flat roof it means wet insulation or foam under the surface over a wide area. Soft decking in several places is another sign. One test is simple: if the roofer cannot tie a repair into sound material on every side, the repair will not last.
Is a 20-year-old roof automatically due for replacement?
No. A roof is not automatically finished at 20 years. Age tells you where to look, not what to do. By the national published figures, 3-tab shingles last 15 to 20 years, architectural shingles 20 to 30 and underlayment under tile 20 to 30, while the tile itself goes far longer. Desert sun pushes shingles and underlayment toward the early end. A 20-year-old roof needs a careful inspection with photos, and then a decision based on what the photos show.
Can I patch the worst spots and get another five or ten years?
Another five years is sometimes realistic. Another ten years rarely is on a roof already near the end. Patching works when the worst spots are local, such as one valley, one slope or a few penetrations, and the rest is sound. It does not work when the whole surface is brittle, because each patch breaks the material next to it. Nobody can honestly promise a number of years. Ask the roofer to show which areas are sound and which are not, and budget for replacement while the patches buy time.
One roofer says a $1,200 repair, another says a $14,000 replacement, on an 18-year-old roof. Who is right?
Either could be, and the photos decide it. The two prices are $12,800 apart, and the repair is under a tenth of the replacement. If the leak has one cause and the rest of the roof is sound, the $1,200 repair is the sensible spend even if it buys only a few years. If the shingles or the underlayment are worn out everywhere, $1,200 goes on a patch that the next storm undoes. At 18 years a 3-tab roof is near the end of its published range and an architectural roof is not. Ask both roofers for photos of the whole roof, and ask the second one to show what would fail if you only repaired.
A roofer says replace the roof for $18,000. A handyman says he can fix it for $600. Who do I believe?
Believe whoever can show you the evidence. The handyman is pricing one leak and the roofer is pricing the whole roof, so $600 against $18,000 is not a like-for-like choice. A $600 fix can be the right answer for a single cracked boot or a slipped tile. Know the limits, though. Arizona's handyman exemption covers only minor work under $1,000 that needs no permit, an unlicensed person gives you no route to the Registrar of Contractors recovery fund, and sealant smeared over tile often hides a torn underlayment. Before spending $18,000, get a second licensed roofer to inspect and photograph the roof.
My insurance company says replace the roof in 60 days or be dropped. What should I do?
Ask the insurer, in writing, exactly what it wants and why. This is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Some insurers decline to renew over roof age or condition seen in a photo or drone survey. Sixty days is short for quotes, HOA approval and scheduling, so act in the first week. Get a roofer's inspection with photos. If the roof is sound, send the report and ask whether that settles it. If repairs would do, ask for that in writing. If it must be replaced, ask whether a signed contract and start date earn an extension. Have your agent shop other insurers at the same time. The Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions takes consumer questions and complaints.
A free roof inspection with photos and a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your roof. Call or text (480) 442-0926.