According to Pharrell, a room without a roof is a “Happy” thing, but we’d like to formally disagree.

A roof is a major investment, costing at least a few thousand dollars. But a roof works wonders for curb appeal and you’ll get about 60% of your investments back on resale. It keeps the heat and AC in the home while keeping weather out.  Not only will a good roof keep you happy, but it will save you from headaches down the road. So let’s take a look at the decisions that go into your new roof.

1.      Do I Need to Perform Room Maintenance?

The timing on replacing your roof is tricky. You don’t want to replace it too early because you’d just be wasting money, but if you wait too long the damage could be costly.

Is your roof leaking? If so, the answer is a simple yes. But most of the warning signs to invest in the roof are not so obvious. Here are some other indicators to look for:

• missing or torn shingles
• loose shingles at risk of being lost in strong wind
• decay or other rain damage around gutters
• missing or loose flashing (flashing is the metal sheet around chimneys, sky lights, etc.)
• inside, look for discolored plaster, chipped paint, or peeling wallpaper

An average residential roof can last anywhere between 20-50 years. So if you’re somewhere in that time frame, it may be time to seriously consider an update.

2.      Can’t I Just Repair It?

A quick roof repair will save you time and money when compared to a full replacement. Matter of fact, a chunk of it will usually be covered by insurance (although there’s no legal way to avoid paying the deductible). So why not just always do quick repairs as needed? Insurance will only cover the repair, not the damage done in the meantime; all those rain-stained walls and saturated floorboards are going to be your problem.

If the problem can be contained and costs around a thousand bucks (average on a repair is $1,146) then go for it. But if a similar situation presents itself afterward, you may want to pay the piper… and by “piper” we mean roofing professional.

Now if you’re just looking to avoid roof repairs in the future, maybe you’re due for a roof cleaning. Hire someone to get rid of all the moss, algae, and anything else harmful for just a few hundred bucks. Add life and improve cosmetics of your roof.

3.      Should I Hire a Professional?

The short answer to this question is yes.

First, this job is dangerous and you are not ninja-y enough to maneuver around there properly. Oh, you’re a rock climber? Yeah, still no.

Second, you really can’t afford for your roof to be anything less than perfect. It’s not like a bad paint job where you notice a few days later and go fix it. By the time you notice something is wrong with your roof, you’re back to budgeting a repair.

Best to get someone who knows what they’re doing.

4.      Can I Afford a New Roof?

Turns out this essential part of your house doesn’t come cheap.

Installing a roof costs $7,816 for the average HomeAdvisor user.

So you may need to start budgeting for such a large-scale repair a few months out. But don’t let the price tag talk you out of a project you know needs to be done. The cost of ignoring the roof will be much greater than simply replacing it.

When it comes to your roof, it’s not a matter of can you afford to replace it. Can you afford NOT to replace it?

5.      Where Can I Save Money?

Research any money saving tactics you may hear about. A lot of them are just band aids that don’t really solve the problem.

One of the most common “cheats” is to install a new shingle roof over the old one, rather than replacing the whole thing. This will be good for curb appeal, but it never lasts as long as an actual new roof. You may have saved a couple thousand, but you also have to deal with the whole project again even sooner.

6.      What Kind of Roofing Options Are There?

Composite shingles are the most common residential roofing option, and usually the cheapest. The only drawback is that they’re the most vulnerable to moss and other damaging buildup.

You can now get metal tiles that look like composite shingles. These also require a lot of cleaning, but will probably last longer than you so it could be a worthwhile investment.

For a list of all the top roofing choices, as well as their pros, cons, and eco-friendliness, click here.

So what do you think? Is it time to get a roof? What kind of roof do you want and what can you do to responsibly cut costs? Let us know what other factors are important for this massive endeavor in the comments below!

This article was written by: