Can I Replace Part of My Roof?

Whether your home had an encounter with a windstorm, a bit of hail, or a fallen tree, it’s difficult to justify an entire roof replacement if just part of your roof has been damaged. So, can you replace just part of your roof, or is at an all-or-nothing deal? Well, it depends on the level and expanse of the damage.

Let’s look at a few different situations:

Replacing a Few Shingles

If you lost a few shingles here and there after a storm, you probably don’t have all that much to worry about. It’s important that you have a professional come take a look as soon as possible, but generally, a few missing, curled, or torn shingles aren’t a huge cause for concern.

Your roofer will be able to tell you how much damage, if any, was done to the underlayment or decking of the roof, and, so long as the underlayment and decking are in good shape, they can slip in a few new shingles where the old ones disappeared. This is why it’s so critical that you talk to your roofer soon. The longer your roof has missing shingles, the more damage that can be done to the underlayment of the roof. And once that’s damaged, you’re looking at a much larger repair.

Know that it is difficult to match the color and shade of a roof when just patching shingles, especially if your roof is more than a couple of years old. You might notice the patched shingles, but if they extend the life of your roof for 10-15 more years, a little patch isn’t a big deal.

Patching Damaged Areas of Your Roof

Let’s say that instead of losing a few shingles, you have a lot of damage concentrated to just one or two small areas. If the damage covers less than half of your roof, you’re probably wondering if you can just patch the damage.

As always, we recommend you talk to your local roofer first. What might look like a small patch job on the outside could be more serious once your roofer gets up there to make a close examination. Your roofer will look to see if there’s any water damage to the underlayment or seeping into your attic.

If there’s no serious water damage, you might be able to get your roof patched. Remember that it’s tough to match roof color, especially if your existing shingles have already seen a bit of weathering. You may not get an exact match, so the patch could be noticeable. But, if it will save you money and keep your roof in top shape, patching might be the way to go for you.

What if Half My Roof is Damaged?

If half or more than half of your roof is damaged, it’s typically in your best interest to re-roof the entire home.

First of all, reroofing just half of a home can pose some problems, namely that the two halves of the roof will be different ages. This will make roof repair difficult in the future, as it’s much harder to roof just half of a home than it is to roof an entire home.

It will be even harder to match the two sides of a roof for a half-roof repair, and it’s difficult to figure out how to get both halves of the roof back on the same schedule if you plan on selling the home to new owners.

In most cases, we recommend that homeowners just go for a full re-roofing if about half of the roof is facing damage. That said, there are a few cost-saving options if you’re afraid your budget won’t support an entirely new roof. Check out our blog on Tear-Off vs. Overlay roofing for more information there.

My Insurance is Only Covering Part of Roof Repair

If your insurance is only covering a partial roof repair, you might feel at an impasse. It’s hard to decide what to do when your roofer says you need a completely new roof, but your insurance will only cover a partial repair.

One suggestion is to have your roofer and your insurance adjuster chat. If your roofer says it’s a poor choice to repair only part of the roof, they may be able to explain to the adjuster what the issue is.

Another option is to use the insurance money to cover what you can and repair the rest out of pocket. While this might not sound like a great option, repairing your entire roof is a much better choice for the overall health of your home. Typically insurance won’t cover the cost of a new roof due to regular wear and tear anyway, so using their coverage for part of your full roof repair will save you money in the long run.

What’s the Cost Analysis of Repairing Just Part of a Roof?

Many people opt for a partial roof repair job because they assume it will be cheaper. In fact, it will usually cost you more money, cost-per-square-foot, to repair just half of your roof rather than the entire thing.

This is because you still have to pay to get a roofing crew and all of their materials and equipment out to your site. While repairing half a roof is quicker and will take less material, you’re paying more than you would for transportation and labor than you would if you just had the entire roof done at once.

In the end, if your roof needs just a few shingles replaced or a few minor patches made, you can get a roofer to make those small repairs for you. But, if you need anything more than half of your roof repaired, it’s in your best interest to simply re-roof your entire home. Re-roofing the home will offer you the best in quality, performance, and color consistency, and it’s also the more cost-effective option.

Still not sure how much of your roof to replace? Get in touch with Werner Roofing. We can come out to evaluate the condition of your roof and offer a free, no-obligation estimate for what could use fixing. Give us a call at 616-844-5382 or contact us online today for your free estimate.