Most homeowners who call us about a leak ask the same thing: can this be fixed, or do I need a new roof? The answer usually comes down to four questions. You can answer some of them yourself. The rest take someone on the roof and in the attic.
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1. How old is the roof?
Architectural asphalt shingles are rated for 25 to 30 years, but in North Texas heat and hail usually shorten that. A roof in its first ten years with one problem is almost always a repair. A roof past 20 years that starts leaking is often telling you it is near the end.
If you do not know the age, check your closing documents, ask a neighbor who has been on the street a while, or look for a permit on file with the city.
2. Is the damage in one place or everywhere?
Repairs make sense when the problem is local:
Replacement makes more sense when the problem is spread across the roof:
3. What is under the shingles?
This is the part you cannot see from the yard. Soft or sagging decking, rotted wood around old leaks, mold in the attic, or two layers of old shingles under the current one all push toward a replacement. A repair laid on top of rotted decking will not hold.
A good inspection includes the attic. Water stains on the underside of the decking and damp insulation show how long a leak has been going on.
4. Was there a storm?
In North Texas this question often decides everything. If a hailstorm damaged the roof, the fix is usually a replacement paid through your homeowner's insurance, minus your deductible. Patching storm damage yourself before the adjuster sees it can make the claim harder to prove.
Hail damage is easy to miss from the ground. A bruised shingle looks normal but has a cracked mat underneath that will start leaking a season or two later. If there has been a significant storm since your roof was last inspected, get it checked before you decide anything.
A quick way to think about cost
A repair costs less today. A replacement costs less over time once:
If you plan to sell in the next few years, a newer roof also helps the sale. Buyers' inspectors flag old roofs, and insurers sometimes refuse to write a new policy on one.
Warning signs to act on now
Any of these means water is already getting in or soon will. Waiting turns a repair bill into a decking and drywall bill.
Get a straight answer
We inspect roofs across Justin and the Dallas-Fort Worth area for free, take photos of everything we find, and tell you whether it is a repair, a replacement or an insurance claim. If it only needs a repair, that is what we will quote. Call (855) 741-ROOF to schedule.