Published on: September 24, 2025
The rainy season in Washington is quickly approaching, making it essential to decide on roof repairs vs replacement before the storms arrive. If you have any concerns about your roof’s integrity, now is the time to call an expert to check your roof and offer suggestions.
Depending on what you find, you might be evaluating roof repairs vs. full replacement. 2FL Windows, Siding and Roofing is a trusted contractor serving the greater Seattle area. We’ll walk you through the pros and cons of each as you evaluate the best next steps for your roofing needs.
Replacing a roof is expensive. But so is dealing with a leak. We understand that you want to maximize the life of your existing roof as much as you can, and we’re here to help you assess when that life has been exhausted.
This guide will help you make the best choice to protect your home or commercial building, match your budget and offer peace of mind that your asset is covered.
Over time, roofing materials degrade, which reduces their performance at protecting your home and reflecting heat. Most asphalt shingles last 20-25 years, though extreme weather can impact that timeline. There are some longer-lasting shingles on the market, but most asphalt shingles last around two decades.
Metal roofs can last up to 70 years. These durable roofs offer corrosion resistance and help reflect the heat.
As roofs get toward the end of their lifespan, no matter how severe the damage is, you might be better off doing a full replacement. This prevents future fixes, and could cost you less in the long-term because you won’t have any interior water damage to clean up. Consider this if your roof gives you a warning sign that it simply isn’t as strong as it once was.
Even new roofs can have widespread damage after severe storms to where it’s better to view them as a total loss. But you might have a 15-year-old roof with localized damage that is worth repairing to get another 5-10 years out of the roof.
Generally, you can use the following guidelines to determine whether to repair or replace your roof.
Replace the roof if:
Simply fixing these things might just be delaying the inevitable as they generally point toward larger hidden problems.
A roofing repair might be an option if you’re dealing with the following:
Talk with your roofing contractor about the cost to repair the roof. This can be anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars depending on how widespread the damage is, how much material is required and the number of labor hours the project will take.
In contrast, a new roof could cost $10,000-$30,000 on a residential property for asphalt shingles depending on the size and pitch of the roof.
Generally, you don’t want to spend more than 30% of the replacement cost on repairing your roof. At that point, you might as well invest in a full new roof. Or, if this is a subsequent repair on the roof, it might be time to replace the roof instead of investing in yet another fix.
Depending on the age of your roof, your first step might be to look into the roof’s warranty. Newer roofs, especially those installed in the last 10 years might still have manufacturer warranties on the materials. Few contractors offer installation warranties like 2FL does.
If your roof is too old to be covered under warranty, look into what your insurance might cover. Most homeowners’ insurance policies will cover storm damage. However, isolated damage might be harder to get coverage on. Instead, you might need to pay for the repair yourself.
Regardless of how much the insurance company covers, you’ll be responsible for your deductible. So if you’re completing a repair that is $2,000 and your deductible is $1,500, it might not be worth going through the insurance company to complete the repair.
If you know you’ll be moving soon, you might opt for a full roof replacement to make the home more salable. Roofs that are 20 or more years old could present challenges in passing inspection, leading to a home sale falling through and disrupting your purchase of your new home.
In these scenarios, it might be better to replace the roof. The Cost vs. Value Report found that an asphalt shingle roof replacement offers the seller 80% of what they spent back in the sale of the home.
Plus, if your roof has older shingles on it, they might not be as energy efficient as today’s shingles are, meaning you could lower your energy bills with your upgrade.
If you’re on the fence about whether to replace the roof due to its age and the cost of repairs, ask yourself whether you can go through the process of coordinating repairs again for your aging roof. If you don’t have the bandwidth to act fast at the first sign of a problem, it’s best to replace the roof now to protect your valuable asset.
Plus, if you don’t replace the roof now while you’re getting a warning sign that something isn’t right, you could be left waiting a few weeks when you have severe damage due to manufacturing delays for your shingles.
2FL is a local business based in the greater Seattle area. With more than 18 years of experience replacing roofs, we know how to help homeowners evaluate the best replacement or repair timelines based on their unique factors.
When you work with our team, you get:
Schedule your in-person assessment and estimate with our team now if you have any concerns about your roof making it through the rainy winter months. You don’t want to find out too late that your roof is not ready for the rainy season.
Further Reading:
Read the latest articles about roofing.
