Roof Repair vs Roof Replacement: 10 Things to Help You Decide

Your roof is the quiet watchman against the elements. It plays a significant part in shielding your home. Depending on where you like, the weather in your city will play a large role in how long your roof does its job. Over time, wear and tear is unavoidable. So, let’s take a look at the 10 factors to consider when making the roof repair vs roof replacement decision. choice.

Photo of home in Little Spring Farm, a Best Louisville Neighborhood - Roof Repair vs Roof Replacement: 10 Things to Help You Decide
The newer the home the more likely you’ll choose roof repair vs roof replacement.

10 Factors to Evaluate for Roof Repair vs Roof Replacement

  1. Assessing the Damage – The most critical phase in deciding whether your roof needs repair or replacement is a careful assessment of the damage. If the issues are restricted, such as missing shingles a roof repair may be adequate. If your home is nearby roof repair Pittsburgh will do a great job for you. However, if the damage is broad, affecting an enormous region or numerous roof layers, a replacement might be the more practical solution.
  2. Age of the Roof – Think about the age of your roof. Most asphalt roofs have a life expectancy of 20-25 years. On the off chance that your roof is approaching the finish of its average life expectancy and showing signs of wear, it may very well be more cost-powerful over the long haul to put resources into a replacement as opposed to frequent repairs.
  3. Cost Analysis – Budget constraints frequently impact the choice between repair and replacement. While roof repairs are generally more affordable in the short term, multiple repairs over time can add up, making a replacement the more economical decision occasionally. Get estimates from trustworthy roofing professionals to make an informed choice based on your financial circumstances.
  4. Energy Efficiency – Present-day roofing materials offer superior energy efficiency. Repairing an existing roof won’t make much difference to the energy efficiency of your home. But if you are running a cost/benefit analysis, make sure to include the increase in savings you would likely experience if you installed a brand-new roof.
  5. Future Plans for the Home – Contemplate the home’s future and the way that you need to utilize it. A new roof can build your home’s resale value and make it more appealing to expected buyers assuming you intend to sell it soon. In these situations, cash flow will likely be one of the largest factors when making this difficult decision.
  6. Weather Resistance – It makes sense that as you’re comparing roofing materials you will better understand how long a roof should last. Depending on your location, the weather resistance of your roof will come into play. There are new technologies such as metal roofs that look like standard asphalt singles, which can do wonders against hard winter snow storms. Along the same lines, think about sound as metal roofs are generally “nosier” than asphalt roofs.
  7. Environmental Impact – A full roof replacement is a bigger job with additional environmental concerns. If this is important to you, you may want to opt for the smaller job that has less environmental impact on the planet. You can also investigate eco-friendly roofing choices that utilize recyclable materials. Also, when homeowners are looking to go green they often evaluate solar panels which would prompt a roof evaluation to begin.
  8. Structural Integrity – Evaluate the structural integrity of your roof. If there are hidden structural issues, for example, sagging or widespread rot, a simple repair probably won’t be adequate to address these worries. In such cases, a roof replacement gains ground over simply patching a smaller area. After all, we’re talking about the safety of your whole house and the people and animals that live within.
  9. Maintenance Routine – Have you given much thought to maintaining your home’s roof? Check out this roof care guide to see what steps you might take to extend the life of your roof. If your home has not received ongoing maintenance over the years, then it’s more likely a candidate for a full replacement than a roof that has.
  10. Insurance Considerations – Here’s the big one! Survey your homeowner’s insurance policy. If your home has experienced recent storm damage from a wind or hail storm, you’ll want to have your insurance company send out an inspector. Can can potentially green light a new roof and all you would need to pay is your homeowner’s insurance deductible. You won’t know until they inspect it but it’s worth the call!

Conclusion

All roofs will degrade over time. Weather conditions can be unforgiving. For each situation, it’s smart to evaluate each of these 10 factors to choose roof repair vs roof replacement.

If this decision seems overwhelming, speak to your trusted real estate expert and see what they think. They may have a strong recommendation for a local roofing company that will shoot straight with you. Once they have inspected your home’s roof, they can give you multiple recommendations with costs so that you can make an educated decision.

Tre Pryor, Realtor

Tre Pryor is the leading real estate expert in the city of Louisville. He is a multi-million dollar producer and consistently ranks in the top 1% of Louisville Realtors for homes sold. Tre Pryor has the highest possible rating—5.0 stars on Google—by his clients and is routinely interviewed by the local NBC news. Tre Pryor is a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame.