Bad roof ?

Im selling my house. Its approximately 88 years old. Inspection day comes, I know theres nothing wrong with it, minus a few minor issues.

The roof is 21 years old. I noted that on the disclosure. There are two areas, approximately 3 square feet, each, that have been repaired. I live in central NY. Over the last week, we received 2 plus inches of rain. Half of the attic is finished. No water spots, no wet rafters, AT ALL.

Home inspector, decides to scare the twenty something year old girl buying the house by saying the entire roof is bad and needs to be replaced.

Not sure if i can load pics of it, if i can i will. Ill load the links to photobucket site. Please let me know if you think im wrong about the roof still being serviceable.

Thanks for your time…

Not sure this will help but I inspected a 14 year old roof that had large amount of granule loss and crackeked shingles.

No leaks but I recommeded getting bid so my client could budget for replacement.

We are paid for our opinions and to inform our clients of conditions.

It sounds like this roof is close to needing replacement ,
You say it has two patches,
I say it is not a case of is it going to leak but when is it going to leak.
If you where going to buy this home would you not be concerned with the roof .
What kind of shingles (grade ) are on the roof,
Did you have it replaced or are you going by what the previous owner said?

Based upon the information given, and the pictures submitted, I would have to say that the roof is at the end of its useful life expectancy and should be replaced within the next three years.
Now, is that scaring someone? I say no. Is that effectively representing the condition of the home? I say yes.

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Agreed, its nearing the end of its service life, and will probably need to be replaced within a few years, is a far cry from…the roof, entire roof, needs to be replaced immediately. Especially when you’re told its 21 years old, make a deal based on the disclosure, now are scared off by a recommendation to have it removed. Last June, when a couple of shingles were replaced, a contractor, who stood to make money, looked at roof, said the rest of the roof is fine.

So, where is the line between representing you’re client and CYA ? Again, a 25 year rain event hits the area, and no moisture at all gets in…isn’t that the job of a roof ? The roof doesn’t have to pass an aesthetic test, just has to function, and make a comment on the age and it will need replacement in he near future.

Having not seen the roof or read the inspectors comments, it is not reasonable for any here to pass judgment on either.

I understand your angst when a deal goods sour.

Contact your roofer.

Maybe he will provide a stronger professional opinion on the roof’s likelihood of failure.

I’m getting bids to replace my roof before I list it because I don’t want to have the issue you did.

The inspector’s duty is to his client and, in this case, it appears that he correctly recommended that a 21 year old roof that was showing signs of deterioration be replaced.

A roof does not have to be in the act of leaking in order for a recommendation for replacement to be appropriate. Perhaps this should have been the recommendation that your contractor made to you when he patched it.

Gee I do not wait till my car has a flat to change the tires .
I also do not wait till me roof leaks to get new shingles .
One serious leak can do more damage then the money saved .
One blown tire can cost me my car and possible a life .
it’s called preventive maintenance works well for most people ,
then there is those who like to take chances

( Sounds to me like you do not want to hear the truth )

I agree Roy, I am the same way.

But, how can anyone make a call on this picture of the condition of the roof covering. OK, I see a couple of ruffles, so am I to say that it is at the end of its usefull life or should I say that it might be wise to budget for a new roof covering in the near future?

Was that a 20 year shingle, 25, 30 or 35 year warranty shingle?
I cannot tell from those photos.

So I would stick to the facts of what was seen on walking the roof. Not from what we see here. :):smiley:

Marcel get Gary to look he can tell from the ground no need to walk.

I inform my buyers concerning roofs that appear to be at the end of a average life expectancy to consult with their insurance company and if they can get insurance at a reasonable rate then go for it if not ask for replacement of the shingles

21 years for a three tab shingle is at the end of expected life even without visible repairs. I would recommend to a client of mine to budget for replacement in the near future…

Seems like all agree with this except (" John Romanowski ")
Looks like he does not like the answers he is getting from his question.
So sad John I wish you all the best… Roy

If I had a nickel for everytime I’ve heard this from every seller… ;-).

On a serious note, if the house you’re buying had a roof such as your house that you’re selling, how do you think it should be reported by your Inspector? Often, when sellers look at things from a buyer’s point-of-view, things are often seen in a different light.

Agree with Jim if a 3 tab, but can’t realy tell from those pictures.

Like Charley said, walk the roof. ;):slight_smile:

Anybody tell this guy that the satellite dish is installed on the roof. It looks like it is installed right on top of the shingles.

Question for you out of state - ers. How long does a shingle roof last in New York. I know there are differences all over the country. Down here we are lucky to get 18 years because of the sun. Thought maybe you might get up to 25 years up there.

I usually will try to tell my clients that they should take the average life the roof. Whatever the replacement cost is divide it by that number. In this case if the roof is $4000.00 to replace and will last 25 years, then it would cost $160.00 per year. If the roof is 21 years old, then she should try and bargain for a $3400.00 credit. Unfortunately the seller always thinks that age and wear and tear do not count.

If its still flexible and does not have significant granule loss, hail strikes, cracking things like this then no the cover is still doing it’s job and your patch job would have to be evaluated by me to make a conclusion on that. However if it’s proven the cover is indeed 21 years old I would not make a recommendation for replacement until I took the above into consideration which more than likely after 21 years the above probably exist. Remember you are not contracted as the client and we are paid for our opinions which can vary widely. Get 3 roofers up there and I bet their opinions will vary as well. Some people don’t jump until something is about to fail. Some people jump when the tank is still half full to prevent total failure. Hope I’m making sense.

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Up here in the North East if you get 21 years out of a three tab shingle your living on borrowed time.

Also, curled shingles, prior repairs…

Inspector made the right call.

Insurance companies want at least 5 years life before they will insure it. Even some lenders want that also. If an appraiser notes the ripples and patching, they will also say it needs replacement.

This is what we are up against here. These people claim to be roof experts, but they are informing the people about conditions.

If you disclosed it as 21 years of age, most of the people listed above will want it replaced, despite what other inspectors will say.

The age of the roof isn’t as important as its condition.
It’s impossible to give a worthwhile opinion based on two photos that don’t show the roofing material clearly. If the inspector was qualified, I wouldn’t want to second-guess him without good reason.

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Kenton did I just hear you say some inspectors are not qualified to inspect roofs:p;-)