Repair or replace?

Most roofing companies answer this question based on what's in it for them. Repairs are small jobs; replacements are big ones. Here's the honest math, so you can decide before anyone quotes you.

How to decide in ten minutes.

How old is the roof, really?

Compare the roof's age to its realistic service life, not the brochure number. An asphalt roof past 18 to 20 years is at the end of its design life even if it looks fine from the driveway.

Is the damage isolated or systemic?

One lifted shingle from a wind event is a repair. Curling across whole planes, granule loss everywhere, or soft decking under multiple slopes means the system is done, whatever the patch costs.

What does each option cost over five years?

A repair that buys three years on a roof with four left is throwing money away. Price both paths: the repair now plus likely repairs later, against replacement once.

The roof is young and the damage traces to one event: wind-lifted shingles, a failed flashing, one tree limb impact.
The rest of the field is sound: no curling, no granule loss, no soft spots when walked.
The repair buys real years, not months: a flashed repair on a sound roof should outlast the shingles around it.

Rule of thumb: if the repair costs less than about a tenth of replacement and buys more than five years, repair.

Photo slot
isolated flashing repair
(pending client images)

The roof is past its design life, whatever it looks like from the ground. Shingles over 18 years old are living on borrowed time.
Repairs are repeating: two or more leaks in different places, or a second repair on the same slope within five years.
You're re-roofing anyway within five years for another reason: solar panels, an addition, or a sale where the roof will be inspected.
You want the warranty: a new full-system install registers manufacturer coverage and our written workmanship warranty. Repairs carry neither.

Full re-roof with old roofing removed and the new system going on

Can I get an honest answer without booking an inspection?

Yes. Send photos of the roof through our quote form with the roof's age and we'll tell you which way we'd lean, free and without obligation.

Does one bad shingle mean the whole roof is done?

No. Shingles are individual units; one wind-lifted tab is a repair. The system is done when failure shows up in many places at once.

My roofer says it needs replacing but the roof is 12 years old. Do I trust that?

Ask for specifics: which failure signs he saw, and photos. A 12-year-old roof with isolated damage is usually a repair. A quote for full replacement should come with the reasons written down.

What does a repair cost versus replacement?

Repairs typically run a few hundred dollars; replacements run five figures depending on size and material. Our replacement cost guide breaks down the ranges by system.

Still stuck between repair and replace? Get a free inspection.

A real conversation with a local roofer. No pressure and no obligation, just honest advice about your roof.

Call 604-226-3530 Book Online