Condition check
Do my shingles need replacing? Check your roof
Eight questions you can answer from the ground or your attic in about two minutes. You will get an honest classification and what to do next — including "in good shape," which is a real result here.
If you can safely check your attic for stains or daylight through the deck first, do that — a couple of the questions below need it.
1. Roughly how old are the shingles?
2. Any granules building up in the gutters or downspouts, especially after a storm?
3. Do the shingles have dark streaks, or a greenish/black tint in shaded areas?
4. Any shingles that look lifted, curled at the edge, or missing after a windstorm?
5. Any water stains on interior ceilings or in the attic?
6. If you have walked the roof or attic, any soft or spongy spots underfoot?
7. Do you know if there is more than one layer of shingles under the visible layer?
8. Has it been more than a year since your last hailstorm and you have not had the roof inspected?
Why age and leaks matter most
Cosmetic wear — a little granule loss, minor curling, or algae streaking — is often years away from an actual problem. Active leaks and exposed decking are different: water finding its way past the shingles gets worse the longer it sits, and it can damage the deck, insulation, and interior finishes well beyond the cost of the roof itself. That is why this assessment treats an active leak or exposed decking as urgent regardless of how the rest of the roof scores.
Age matters because real-world asphalt shingle lifespan in this valley runs roughly 15-25 years even on shingles rated for 25-30, given the high-desert UV exposure and thermal cycling here. See signs your shingles need replacing and how long shingles actually last here.
If the answer is replacement
Ask every bidder to write down four things: whether they do a full tear-off or a shingle roof-over, what underlayment they use, how they handle deck repair if they find it, and their fastening pattern for local wind. Those four are most of the difference between a roof that holds up and one that does not — and they are invisible once the roof is finished. Our architectural shingle replacement page covers what a proper tear-off replacement involves.
Questions
About this check
When should shingles be replaced instead of repaired?
The rough test is how isolated the damage is and how much life is left in the rest of the roof. A single leak, a handful of missing shingles, or one damaged flashing detail is usually a repair. Widespread granule loss, multiple leak points, or a roof already past 20-25 years is usually a replacement — patching around failing shingles at that point means paying labor twice.
Will this tool just tell me to buy a new roof?
No. It returns "in good shape" and "likely just a cleaning job" for shingles that do not need replacement — those are common results for roofs under 15 years old with no storm damage or just algae staining. We would rather you trusted the answer than acted on it once.
Is this the same as an inspection?
No. It is a structured version of the questions we would ask you on the phone, and it is only as good as what you can see from the ground or your attic. Some things — deck condition under the shingles, flashing detail at penetrations — can only be checked in person or from the roof itself. The on-site inspection is free.
Get a free on-site estimate
A real person answers. We walk the roof with you, check the deck, and give you a written per-square price — at no charge and with no pressure.