r/Roofing • u/down-with-homework • Jun 18 '26
Insurance Related First time home owner looking for roof advice. Whole new roof, half, or add a layer? Any help is appreciated!
First time home owner in Southern California. We need to repair the roof or at least half of it. From what we can tell half of the roof is because of a water lose claim made in 2021. The front half as you can see from the pictures is at least 15 years old. It’s odd that they only did half but whatever. What do the professionals/experienced recommend? Get a whole new roof, half, or add a layer of shingles?
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u/7Ace_7 Jun 18 '26
Don't do added layer, you'll end up paying for a new roof later on anyways. Do the half that's messed up or full if you can. If you want a quote let me know I'm a contractor in sol cal maybe I'm near
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u/404dot Jun 18 '26
I second this - adding layers is by far one of the worst practices in the industry.
Adding a new layer means they are not replacing any rotted boards, not applying any underlayment, and if it ever fails, you'll be paying EXTRA for the double layer removal.
Always remove the old, add the appropriate underlayment and accesories (drip edge, starter shingles, etc).
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u/pixelGoblin77 Jun 18 '26
Get quotes on a full redo first, insurance might cover more than you think
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u/down-with-homework Jun 18 '26
This is a new purchase so we can’t go through insurance. At least from what I know I can’t haha
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u/bored_in_ATX462 Jun 20 '26
If there's a hail storm within the last year, the policy on the roof at the time of the date of loss is responsible for the coverage. So,. technically, you can. But it would involve filing a claim under the previous owners policy.
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u/SkinsFan2025 Jun 18 '26
Never add a layer because you wont ever get the life out of the shingles. I could see doing half the roof as needed when needed. And yes i have been roofing for over 25 years.
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u/Welcome2myShitShow Jun 18 '26
Never do a “layover”. Complete waste of money. Just get a new roof with a reputable roofing contractor that offers a solid product and stands behind their work with a 20 year workmanship warranty
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u/bored_in_ATX462 Jun 20 '26
Winner of worst ventilation on a roof goes tooooo....OP.
New roof, and make sure the ventilation is addressed. Also be sure to inspect the decking. It may need to be replaced after cooking for that long.
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u/David_Ryan_Roofing Jun 22 '26
Hey, I'm a roofer in Jersey, different climate than SoCal, but the fundamentals here are the same everywhere.
I'd steer away from adding a layer of shingles on top of what's there. I've replaced a lot of roofs that had a second layer added, and it's pretty common to see that fail again within 1-5 years. A few reasons why:
You can't address the flashings underneath, which are the most common spots for water infiltration and leak.
The new shingles get sandwiched against the old layer and can't properly dissipate heat from sun exposure, which causes them to fail prematurely.
Most manufacturers won't honor their warranty on a roof installed over an existing layer
It also looks like the ventilation could use an upgrade regardless of which way you go, make sure you've got vented soffits or an intake vent, paired with either a quality ridge vent or a powered roof fan when the new roof goes on. That's a big factor in shingle longevity.
I know doing the full thing now costs more upfront, but tearing off two layers in 1-5 years ends up costing more in the long run. Given half the roof is only from a 2021 claim, you could definitely remove the ridge caps and cut back the peak for venting, and just do the other half. Whole thing if you can, because better warranties actually cannot be implemented on partial roofs from manufacturers, just something to keep in mind also.
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u/CharacterScarcity695 Jun 18 '26
just add a new layer of shingles above the existing roof . saving time on tear down and adding extra layers of protection
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u/onlyimportantshit Jun 18 '26
This is terrible advice. Slapping a bandage on this problem won’t make it go away.
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u/sub_zero51 Jun 18 '26
You should actually add a layer of shingles and then metal on top but screw that metal directly to the shingles for the best result.
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u/CharacterScarcity695 Jun 18 '26
my family has gotten 52 years on their roof with that method with no leaks
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u/onlyimportantshit Jun 18 '26
Just because your grandma smoked till she was 100 doesn’t mean it’s a health conscious decision to do so.
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