Is replacing an old roof worth the money?
If the roof is genuinely reaching the end of its economic life, replacement can remove recurring repair costs and protect the structure and interior from future water damage. However, replacement is poor value where a roof remains broadly sound and only needs a localised repair.
How to weigh it up
The question is usually whether continued repairs are solving the problem or postponing it. Repeated call-outs to different parts of the same roof, widespread deterioration and failing underlay all point towards replacement rather than repair.
How long you intend to stay matters too. A localised repair may be the right decision on a roof you will not own in a year, and the wrong one on a house you plan to keep.
What replacement gives you
A re-roof replaces the components you cannot see as well as the ones you can — battens, underlay and fixings — which is usually where an old roof is actually failing.
It also resets the detailing at ridge, verge and abutments, which is where many recurring leaks on older roofs originate.