Do you actually need a new roof?
We'll tell you if you don't.
Most roofing companies answer this question with a sales call. Here is the honest version: the answer depends on nine things, and for a lot of Metro Detroit homes the right call is a repair costing a fraction of a replacement. Below is the same framework our crews use on-site. Read it before you call anyone — including us.
The nine things that decide it
1.Roof age
Points to repair
Under about 15 years old, with the damage confined to one area.
Points to replacement
Past 20–25 years. Asphalt shingle roofs in Michigan are at or near the end of their service life by then regardless of how well any single repair goes.
2.Granule loss
Points to repair
A scattering of granules in the gutters, especially in the first year after installation. That is normal shedding.
Points to replacement
Bald patches where the black asphalt mat shows through. Granules are the shingle's UV protection; once they are gone that section is aging fast.
3.Curling or cupping shingles
Points to repair
Curling confined to one slope — often a heat or ventilation problem that can be corrected without replacing the whole roof.
Points to replacement
Curling across multiple slopes. That is the shingle itself failing, not a localized condition.
4.Failed flashing
Points to repair
Almost always. A leak at a chimney, valley, vent boot, or sidewall on an otherwise sound roof is a flashing repair — and flashing is the single most common source of roof leaks we see.
Points to replacement
Only when the flashing failure has gone unaddressed long enough to rot the decking underneath.
5.Attic ventilation
Points to repair
Poor ventilation on its own is an insulation and venting job, not a roofing job. It can often be corrected as standalone work.
Points to replacement
If bad ventilation is why a roof failed at 15 years instead of 25, replacing the shingles without fixing the ventilation just restarts the same clock.
6.Decking condition
Points to repair
One or two soft sheets. Decking gets replaced as part of a normal repair.
Points to replacement
Soft or spongy decking across a wide area, or a roof that feels like it gives underfoot. Once the substrate is compromised, new shingles have nothing sound to fasten to.
7.Ice-dam history
Points to repair
Occasional ice damming. This is an insulation and ventilation problem far more often than a shingle problem — a new roof by itself will not stop it.
Points to replacement
Years of repeated ice damming, which forces water back under the shingles and eventually reaches the decking.
8.How many times it has been repaired
Points to repair
A first repair, or repairs in different places for different reasons.
Points to replacement
The same spot fixed more than once. A leak that keeps coming back means the underlying failure was never actually found. Also relevant: a roof already carrying two layers of shingles has to be torn off eventually, and repairs on a double layer are harder to do well.
9.Extent of storm damage
Points to repair
Damage on a single slope, or a manageable number of missing or wind-lifted shingles.
Points to replacement
Damage spread across multiple slopes. Insurance policies differ on how they handle partial damage and shingle matching, so what your carrier will approve is worth asking about early — we document what we find either way.
When replacement really is the answer
A page like this is only useful if it is willing to give you the expensive answer. Sometimes it is the right one.
Full asphalt shingle tear-off and replacement in Metro Detroit typically runs $9,000 to $18,000 for an average-size home, depending on pitch, how many layers have to come off, and shingle grade. That number is the benchmark for every repair decision: a repair costing a meaningful fraction of it, on a roof with only a few years left, is money spent twice.
If your roof is past twenty years, already carries two layers, has soft decking, or has been patched in the same place more than once, we will tell you that replacement is the better value — and show you the photos that led us there. What we will not do is arrive at that conclusion by default.
What a free inspection actually involves
We walk the roof where it is safe to do so, check the attic side for daylight, moisture, and ventilation, photograph anything we find, and give you a written scope. If the answer is a repair, you get a repair quote. If the answer is that nothing needs doing yet, you get that in writing too, along with a rough sense of how much life the roof has left.
There is no charge and no obligation. If storm damage is involved we document it to the standard adjusters are trained to look for, and can meet your adjuster on-site.
Repair or replace — common questions
Ready for the honest answer?
Tell us what you're seeing and we'll take a look. If the roof has life left in it, that's what we'll tell you.
Ready to start your project?
Free in-home estimates across Metro Detroit. Most quotes turned around within 48 hours.
Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00am–6:00pm, Sat 9:00am–2:00pm · Closed Sun · Eastern Time (ET) · We respond to estimate requests within one business day.