Q&A – Gauging a roof's condition

Entering a conversation without much background in the industry can be intimidating, especially when the numbers start growing. So a homeowner came to our experts for a bit of extra confidence.

A question came in through AskARoofer from Gretchen, a homeowner in Pennsylvania. They asked:

Hi! I have a mix of roofs in my house: slate and shingle. I had a roofer come repair some slates. He quoted me $2,000 to repair 19 slates. He had another guy who works for him do the work, and he only replaced seven slates. When I questioned it, he lowered the price to $800, and he told me this shingle roof is “on its last leg” and quoted me $3,500 to replace it. The roof looks fine to me, and I’m starting to suspect the roofer I used is a scammer. Could you please let me know the condition of this roof?

Our roofing expert, John Kenney of Cotney Consulting Group, responded after analyzing the photo Gretchen provided, saying:

Several visual issues and age are potential signs that it is time to replace a shingle roof.

• The roof's age is twenty years or more, showing signs of excessive wear – From your photos, I can tell the roof's age, but excessive wear is not present.
• Shingle edges are cured or tabs are cupped – Condition not visible from photos.
• Missing granules or cracked shingles - Condition not visible from photos.

If you are not experiencing any leaks from this roof and none of the signs of worn or deteriorated shingle roofs were shown in your photos, you should have serviceable life left in your current roof system. I can't tell you how many more years are left, but if you inspect annually and look for the above signs, you will know when it is time for a new roof.

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About Cotney Consulting Group

Unlike other “business” consultants, Cotney has 65+ years’ experience solving the problems of roofing companies. With real experience running 8-figure, multi-million dollar companies, our consultants did not learn about business consulting from a book — we have experienced the same problems that you have, solved them and moved on to create a storied history of success. We can share our experiences with you and help you achieve success. Learn more at www.cotneyconsulting.com.