The clearest signs are leaks in more than one spot, widespread granule loss and curling on shingle, cracked or slipping tile with failed underlayment, a sagging roofline, daylight or moisture in the attic, and a roof that is past its expected lifespan or costing you a repair every rainy season. One of these might mean a repair. Several together usually mean it is time for a new roof.
Some of the clearest warnings show up indoors before anything looks wrong outside. Fresh or spreading ceiling stains, especially in more than one room, mean water is getting in and traveling. Peeling paint near exterior walls, a musty smell in closets, and any daylight or damp framing visible in the attic all point to a roof that is letting water through. When water shows up in several places, the roofing system has usually given out broadly rather than at one spot, which is a replacement signal.
From the ground or the gutters, watch for shingle granules washing into piles at the downspouts, bald and shiny patches on the roof, and shingle edges that curl or cup. On a tile roof, look for cracked, slipped, or missing tiles and debris packed into the valleys, though remember that a tile roof can look fine and still leak through failed underlayment. The most serious outside sign is a sagging or dipping roofline, which points to trouble in the structure and is worth addressing right away. Our page on what causes a sagging roof covers that one in depth.
A single sign often means a repair. A few broken tiles, one worn flashing, a leak in one spot: those are fixable while the rest of the roof carries on. It tips toward a replacement when the signs stack up, when the roof is past its expected lifespan, or when you are paying to patch it every year. At that point the money spent on repeated repairs is better put toward a new roof that ends the cycle.
The honest way to settle it is a written roof inspection. We look at the whole roof and the attic, tell you plainly what we find, and lay out the options. Our guide on whether to repair or replace walks through the trade-offs.
We inspect the whole roof and tell you honestly whether a repair holds or it is time to replace. Call (310) 806-5959 or request an inspection below.
Tell us what you are seeing and we will inspect the roof and give you a straight answer, with no obligation.