Lindon, UT · Serving Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, Summit and Wasatch counties
(385) 438-3591
Lindon, UT · Serving Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, Summit and Wasatch counties
(385) 438-3591
You can roof over old shingles once instead of tearing them off, if code allows it, but it is rarely worth it. A layover costs about 80 to 85% of a full replacement for about half the value. Two-layer roofs always leak in my experience. I'd only do one when you're selling and the buyer accepts it.
Pay for the tear-off, unless you are selling and the buyer will accept a second layer.
A layover saves little, keeps 20- to 30-year-old waterproofing in place, and leaves no one fully responsible for leaks.
Ask your roofer to price the tear-off and the layover side by side, and ask your insurer about a second layer.
Before you roof over old shingles in Utah, price the tear-off too. The gap is smaller than you think, and the tear-off gets you a roof that is actually new.
Mattie Tueller, Master Roofing
Roofing over old shingles saves money on the day of the job, and that is its only real advantage. The most expensive parts of a roof are the shingles and the labor to put them on. The tear-off is a much smaller share. So a layover, also called a recover, still costs about 80 to 85% of a full replacement. You get about half the value of a new roof.
What the code allows, and when it says no, is in how many layers Utah allows.
A second layer of shingles can affect your homeowners insurance. Connecticut's insurance department lists multiple layers of roofing among the roof conditions insurers commonly review when deciding whether to issue or renew a homeowners policy. Each insurer sets its own rules, so ask yours.
Before you choose a layover, call your insurer with two questions:
The second answer matters most. If the policy dates the roof by the bottom layer, a storm claim can be paid as if your new shingles were worn out. Whether to file a storm claim at all has its own answer.
Two-layer roofs leak more and wear out sooner, for three reasons:
There is a warranty problem too. When a layover leaks, the installer can blame the old roof underneath, so workmanship warranties on a second layer are very limited. How manufacturer and workmanship warranties differ has its own answer.
Roofing over old shingles makes sense in one case. You are selling the house, and the buyer will accept a second layer as a new roof. Then the layover only has to last until closing.
If you are staying, compare the two prices side by side before you decide. The gap is usually smaller than people expect, and the tear-off buys you:
If the real goal is to buy time on the roof you have, making an old roof last longer may be the better path.
As a roofing contractor in Utah, I'll be honest: I love doing recovers. They're easy. There's no tear-off and no risk of damaging anything, and we can do a big house in a day. They're pretty profitable too.
Homeowners ask for them because a layover looks like the cheap way to a new roof. But they're not good for our customers, so Master Roofing, a Utah roofing company, talks people out of them. If I put a second layer on my own house today, it would still cost me $15,000 to $20,000. And insurance companies have started writing into their policies that a two-layer roof is dated by its bottom layer.
So if a storm hits and that bottom layer is 25 years old, your new shingles may be covered as if they were worn out. A new roof is a decision for the next 20 to 50 years. Spend a little more and get a lot more roof. You end up with a roof that is actually new, with a warranty someone will stand behind.
Building codes, permit rules, and licensing requirements change over time, and they differ by city and county across Utah. Verify current requirements with your local building department before relying on anything here, and work with a licensed contractor who knows the rules in your jurisdiction.
This article is general information about Utah roofs, not an assessment of yours. Every roof is different, and no article can tell you what is actually happening on your specific house. Have a licensed roofing contractor look at it in person before you act on anything here.
Roofing over old shingles saves less than most people think: a layover still runs about 80 to 85% of the cost of a full replacement. The shingles and the labor to install them are the expensive parts, and a layover still needs both. What you skip is the tear-off, which is a smaller share of the price.
A layover usually comes with a very limited workmanship warranty, if any. When a two-layer roof leaks, it is hard to say whether the new work or the old roof caused it. So installers limit what they will promise. Ask to see the warranty in writing before you agree to one.
A second layer of shingles does not last as long as a single layer. Heat builds up between the two roofs and cooks the new shingles early. In Utah's strong sun, that wear shows up sooner. So a layover saves money once and costs you years of roof life.
Roofers usually do not replace the flashing on a layover, and that is one of its biggest weak spots. The old flashing and underlayment stay under the new shingles, even though they are 20 to 30 years old. A tear-off replaces them, along with the vents and pipe boots.
We're here to see what's going on with your roof. A real assessment starts with your history and your attic, not a number from the driveway. You'll get a straight answer about what's up there, what it needs, and what it costs. Sometimes the honest answer is: your roof looks great.