When we get a call from a home owner they are usually calling us for one of two reasons, either pain or pleasure. Replacing a roof can be an unexpected expense or it might be something you’ve been looking to have done to your home to increase the value or curb appeal but how do you know when it’s time to replace your roof? Most roofs last anywhere from 15-25 years but the lifespan of your roof can be significantly shortened by many factors. If you’re always going on your roof or shoveling your roof, you can cause premature wear on the shingles by causing the granules in the shingle to fall off.

It is not always in your budget to replace the roof pro-actively but you should plan for it. There are less expensive ways to prolong your roofs lifespan. You may be able to hire a roofing contractor near you to replace a few shingles, or patch your roof. This may give your roof 1-2 more years but I always recommend a full roof replacement. Something happened last week that I have been thinking about since it happened. Someone gave our number to a potential customer, they stated they had water running inside their walls and that the roof was leaking.

We ran out to take a look for them and immediately we noticed there were 4 layers of shingles, when code is 3 layers, the drip edge was in poor condition, there was improper flashing, the roof was in terrible shape and needed to be completely stripped and replaced but we were too far booked out to help them with the URGENT replacement they needed.

After my guys reported the condition of the roof in Baldwinsville, NY to me; I gave the homeowner a call and their care taker answered. We let them know that we had two of our guys stop out to take a look and just as I was explaining our findings she interrupted me. I was in the process of explaining the condition of their roof and she had automatically assumed we were lying to upsell her on a new roof that she did not need and then she hung up on us. The point of the story is this; if you’re going to bring an expert roofer to your home for a free estimate, take their word for it. The difference, for us at least between a full roof replacement and a roof patch are pretty significant. A roof patch is something our guys can do in 1-3 hours and when you consider the margins per time invested, gives a larger return. If we were a smaller contractor then perhaps we would make off better with a full replacement but we’re here to help you, we have plenty of work and we are selective with the jobs we take.

Now how can you tell when you need to replace your roof? If your roof is over 15 years, if you see curling on the edges of your shingles, if you have a leaking skylight, chimney, flashing, or dormer, you may need a new roof. Those items don’t necessarily mean your entire roof is bad, but if they are failing then chances are the rest of your roof isn’t too far behind, at least as long as those items were properly installed.

Here are some photo examples of when you should hire a roofing contractor to replace your roof or give you a free roof inspection.

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