Should you repair or replace your asphalt shingle roof?
Updated August 2026
← Every repair-or-replace call
Repair an asphalt shingle roof when the damage is isolated and the roof is under 15 years old; replace it once it passes 18–20 years, loses its granules, or leaks in more than one spot. A spot repair, say a dozen blown-off shingles or a flashing reseal, costs $300–1,200. A full tear-off and re-roof on an average home runs $6,000–15,000, more on steep or cut-up rooflines. Architectural shingles are rated for 20–25 years and 3-tab for 15–20, so the calendar does most of the deciding. Count the years and count the active leaks before you price anything else.
The short version
Roofing does not follow the 50% rule the way mechanical equipment does, because a roof is one continuous surface rather than a box of swappable parts. Two numbers settle it: the age and the number of active leaks. A 10-year-old roof leaking at one vent boot is a $300–600 fix, and patching it is obviously right. The same leak on a 22-year-old roof says the mat underneath has gone brittle, and the next storm will find another weak point. Once you are in the last few years of the 20–25 year window, paying $1,000 a season is money spent on a surface you will tear off regardless. Granule loss, curling edges, and bald patches visible from the driveway mean the shingle is finished, whatever the install date says.
Your situation, decided
| Situation | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Under 15 years, wind tore off a few shingles | Repair | A $300–1,200 patch on a roof with a decade of service left |
| One leak at a vent boot, pipe collar, or flashing | Repair | The shingle field is fine; a single detail failed, and that is cheap |
| Past 20 years, leaking in two or more places | Replace | Scattered leaks mean the whole surface has reached the end |
| Granules filling the gutters, shingle edges curling | Replace | The mat is exposed; patches will not bond to brittle shingles |
| Hail or storm damage across most of the slope | Replace (file a claim) | Storm losses often qualify for a covered full replacement |
| Soft spots or sag felt underfoot on the deck | Replace and repair sheathing | Rot below the shingles is structural, not a shingle problem |
What each path costs
Repairs typically run $300–1,200; a replacement is $6,000–15,000 installed. Architectural shingles last 20–25 years, 3-tab 15–20. Repair freely under 15 years; from year 18 a second leak usually means the roof, not the shingle, has failed. Price your own number on the home maintenance cost calculator before you commit either way.
The repair-or-replace call is easy when you know the unit's age and service history. OnOtto keeps both, plus the maintenance that delays this decision for years.
Start your home's service log, freeFrequently asked questions
Can I put a new layer of shingles over the old roof?
Most codes allow one extra layer, and it saves the $1,000–2,500 tear-off cost. It is still usually a bad trade. New shingles laid over old sit on an uneven surface, run hotter because the layer beneath holds heat, and often reach only 15 years instead of 20–25. Nobody sees the sheathing either, so soft decking and old leaks stay buried. When the overlay finally comes off, you pay to remove two layers. Tear off unless the budget genuinely will not stretch.
How many leaks does it take before repairing stops making sense?
Two active leaks in separate areas on a roof past 15 years is the practical line. A single leak has a single cause, usually a flashing joint or a cracked vent boot, and it patches for $300–600. Leaks in different places mean the shingle field is failing rather than one detail, and the next storm finds the next weak spot. At that point you spend $500 a season toward a $6,000–15,000 job you will do anyway. Walk the roof checklist after storms so you catch the first one early.
Will a repair match the shingles I already have?
Not exactly, and you should expect that. Colors get discontinued, and shingles already on the roof weather several shades lighter over 10 years, so a patch tends to read as a patch. Good roofers salvage matching shingles from a hidden slope, a garage roof, or the back of the house and put the fresh bundle in that spot instead. If a large repair lands on the visible front slope of a 15-year-old roof, the mismatch is one more argument for replacing.
What makes a roof fail before 20 years?
Heat and trapped moisture, mostly. Weak attic ventilation bakes the shingle from underneath, drying the asphalt and shedding granules years early. Ice dams push water up under the courses in cold climates. Overhanging branches scrub the surface and drop debris that stays wet. Clogged gutters back water beneath the first course at the eave, which is exactly where a small leak turns expensive. A roof with clear vents and clear gutters routinely reaches the top of the 20–25 year range.