Repair vs. Replacement: Making the Right Call
The repair vs. replacement decision depends on roof age, damage extent, and remaining life — not a contractor's sales target. Independent documentation gives you the baseline to evaluate proposals honestly.
When to Repair vs. Replace
The factors that actually matter.
Repair makes sense when
The roof is under 15 years old with localized damage, the decking is sound, flashing is intact, and less than 25% of the surface is affected.
Replacement makes sense when
The roof is over 20 years old, damage is widespread, granule loss is significant, or multiple repairs have been made to the same areas.
The documentation baseline
Without independent documentation, you are evaluating the contractor's word against itself. A documented condition report gives you a neutral baseline that makes contractor proposals comparable.
Red flags in estimates
Pressure to decide same-day, no written scope, no material specifications, and estimates that appear only after you mention insurance are all signals that the proposal is sales-driven, not condition-driven.
Insurance-safe documentation boundary: The Roof Shepherd observes, documents, and explains visible roof and property conditions. We do not act as public adjusters, interpret insurance policy coverage, negotiate claims, guarantee claim outcomes, or waive, absorb, rebate, or pay deductibles. Coverage decisions belong to the insurer.
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