Roofs rarely announce their retirement. They wear down gradually, and the last few years look much like the first few from the driveway. Knowing what ageing actually looks like tells you whether you are budgeting for a repair or a replacement.
1. Start With the Age Itself
Most asphalt roofs are engineered for twenty to thirty years, and performance drops sharply near the end of that window. If you inherited the house without paperwork, a roofer can date the roof from the shingle profile and the condition of the flashing.
Past twenty years, the question changes from whether the roof needs work to when it needs replacing.
2. Wear That Repairs Cannot Reverse
Isolated damage is fixable. Widespread material fatigue is not, because patching a worn surface simply moves the next failure a metre sideways.
Curling or clawing shingle edges across whole slopes
Bald patches where granules have washed away
A ridge line that dips or waves
Shingles that crumble when handled
3. When Repair Stops Making Sense
A useful rule of thumb: if the repair costs more than a quarter of a replacement, or if you have paid for three separate repairs in two years, you are funding a replacement in instalments. Ask for both numbers side by side and decide with the full picture.
9 years estimating repairs and full replacements across the region. Xactimate certified estimator.
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