Every homeowner who calls us after a leak or a storm asks the same question: can this be fixed, or do I need a new roof? Anyone who answers that from your driveway is guessing. Here are the five things the answer actually depends on, the way we work through them on every inspection in Rowlett, Rockwall and around DFW.
1. How old the roof is and how much life it has left
Age is the first filter, and it’s about remaining life rather than the number by itself.
A six-year-old roof with a leak gets repaired. There’s too much life left in it to do anything else. An eighteen-year-old roof with the same leak gets a conversation, because fixing one spot on a roof that’s near the end of its run often means paying for a repair this year and a replacement in two or three anyway.
The middle is where judgment comes in. A roof at year 12 or 14 in North Texas can go either way, and the rest of this list is how we decide.
2. How much of the roof is affected
A leak is a location. Wear is a condition. The question is whether the problem is in one place or everywhere.
One failed pipe boot, one section of lifted flashing, one valley that’s holding water, a handful of shingles blown off in a windstorm: those are localized, and localized problems get repaired.
Hail is different, because hail doesn’t hit one spot. When we inspect for hail, we do what an insurance adjuster does: mark out a test square (10 feet by 10 feet) on each slope and count the hits inside it. Enough hits inside the square and that slope has damage across its whole surface, which can’t be repaired shingle by shingle. If the hits are on one slope, that slope may be replaceable on its own. If they’re on every slope, the roof is done. Carriers set their own thresholds for how many hits count, but the method is the same, and we’ll show you our photos of every square we marked.
Wind works the same way. A few tabs off a corner is a repair. Shingles peeled back across a whole slope, with the seal strips broken on the ones that stayed, is a slope that needs to come off.
3. What’s under the shingles
Two roofs can look identical from above and be completely different underneath.
Decking that’s soft, delaminated or rotted from a slow leak has to be replaced before anything goes over it, and if the soft spots are widespread the roof is being replaced regardless of what the shingles look like. A roof with two existing layers of shingles has to come off entirely when it’s replaced, because code allows two layers and no more. And a roof that’s been patched repeatedly by different people over the years often has flashing and sealant in a dozen different states, which makes the next repair harder to guarantee.
None of this is visible from the ground or from a satellite image. It’s why we get on the roof and, when we can, in the attic.
4. Whether the repair can actually be made
Sometimes the plain technical answer is that the roof can’t be repaired even if you’d like it to be.
Shingles get brittle with age and Texas heat. Repairing a roof means lifting the shingles around the damaged area to slide new ones in, and a brittle shingle cracks when it’s lifted. Try to fix one and you’ve broken four. At that point a repair creates more leaks than it solves.
Matching is the other problem. Shingle lines and colors get discontinued. A ten-year-old roof may have no exact match on the market, and a mismatched patch on the front slope is a visible fix that a buyer’s inspector will ask about later.
We’ll tell you when we hit either of these. Sometimes the answer is a repair that won’t look perfect on a back slope nobody sees, and that’s a fine answer if you know it going in.
5. Whether this is the first repair or the fourth
One repair on a roof is normal. A third leak in two years, each in a different place, is a pattern, and the pattern is telling you the roof as a whole is wearing out. At that point the repairs stop being maintenance and start being a payment plan on a roof you’re going to replace anyway, without the roof at the end of it.
We keep records of the work we do, and if you’ve called us before we’ll tell you plainly when the pattern has shown up.
What we’ll tell you
After the inspection you get one of three answers.
The roof is fine. This happens more than people expect, especially after a storm when a door-knocker has already told the homeowner otherwise. Our photos come with it either way, and some of our best reviews are from homeowners who paid us nothing.
It needs a repair. You get a written estimate for exactly that repair, photos of what we’re fixing, and a warranty on the repair work itself.
It’s time to replace. You get an itemized estimate you can compare line by line against anyone else’s, a conversation about shingle options, and the financing page if you’d like to spread the cost over a monthly payment.
If we recommend a repair and you’d rather replace, or the other way around, we’ll walk you through the tradeoff, because it’s your roof and your call.
Questions to ask anyone who tells you it needs replacing
Show me the photos. Any roofer who has been on your roof has photos of the damage, and a roofer who won’t show them hasn’t found anything.
Which slopes, and how many hits per test square? Someone who inspected for hail can answer this in specifics.
What’s the condition of the decking? If they haven’t looked in the attic or don’t know, the estimate is incomplete.
Can this be repaired, and if not, why not? “It’s old” is a starting point for a conversation, and it isn’t a reason on its own.
What’s the warranty on the repair, and on the replacement? Both should be in writing.
Quick answers about repairing vs. replacing a roof
Can hail damage be repaired instead of replaced?
Sometimes. Isolated hits, or damage on one slope, can often be handled without replacing the whole roof. Widespread hits across multiple slopes generally can’t.
Does a repair void my shingle warranty?
A repair done to the manufacturer’s installation standards doesn’t. A repair that involves a different shingle, sealant in the wrong places or an untrained installer can. Ask before anyone starts.
How long does a roof repair last?
A pipe boot or flashing repair on a roof with years left in it should last as long as the roof does. A repair on a roof that’s near the end of its life buys time rather than a permanent fix, and we’ll tell you which one you’re getting.
Is it worth repairing a 15-year-old roof?
If the damage is localized and the shingles are still flexible enough to work with, yes, and it can buy several more years. If the shingles crack when lifted or the wear is everywhere, the money is better spent on the replacement.
Do you charge for the inspection?
No. The inspection and the photos are free, whichever of the three answers you get.
Rooted in Rowlett since 2013
Riddle Brothers has been on North Texas roofs since 2013, based in Rowlett and working across Rockwall, Garland, Wylie and the greater DFW area. The owners are still on the jobs. Book your free inspection or call (214) 884-8346, and we’ll tell you which of the three answers your roof gets.
