How Old Is My Roof? 10 Simple Ways to Determine the Age of Your Roof

Check the building permit

When you purchase a home, it comes with a lot of documentation. From the deed and tax information to closing disclosures to various affidavits and, hopefully, the building permit. Look through all your records and see if the permit is included, as it will provide a date or dates when significant work was done to the home.

Also, check with your county for building permit records related to your home, as roofing work will require the homeowner or contractor to pull a permit prior to doing such work. The documentation will include the date the permit was issued and there could also be documentation related to inspections upon completion of the work, which is also a requirement in most counties.

Building permit records will include all the dates for each action, but they might also provide insights into the quality of the reroofing or repairs, but at the very least will include the scope of the project. This means you will have knowledge of the dates of the work, as well as the extent of it – from repairs large enough to require a permit to a full-on replacement.

In the hands of a roofing contractor, this type of information is invaluable and will help them to more accurately tend to your roofing needs, as well as provide advice about steps to take in the future that will help you maintain your roof and protect your home.

Examine roofing warranty documents

Warranty information related to your roofing materials and/or workmanship is another document that you should look for, as it will have the install date on it. Quality roofing material manufacturers commonly offer warranties, and roofing contractors who hold themselves accountable also offer a warranty on their work. These documents will provide insights into the age of the roof.

Should the documentation not exist, you have another option. Look for information on the shingles themselves, such as model and type, and relay that information to the manufacturer. They can provide details about the shingles, such as the years those specific types were made available, and you can get a better idea of the age of them and when they might have been installed.

Once you know the approximate age of the roof and you have informed your roofing contractor, they can make an assessment through their inspection of the roofing system that will tell you whether the roof is showing wear that is typical or atypical for a roof that age.

Seek historical aerial photographs or satellite imagery of your property

It’s not exactly common, but in some cases, it is useful to research aerial photography related to your home. Satellite imagery that goes back several years to decades, can offer insights about your roof. If the color of the roof changed between one set of photos and the next, that’s an indication that the roof had been replaced at some point between the time those photos were taken.

While satellite imagery could be a trusted source, you can also research local archives, online databases and inquire of government agencies about their visual archives. Also, check with your local historical societies about their records related to aerial imagery.

Ask the previous owner or real estate agent

Some homeowners have an exceedingly tough time due to the fact that there seems to be no paper trail leading to identifying when work was done to the home. Without documentation, the course of action has to be contacting someone with involvement in the history of the house.

One of the best resources would be the previous owner – especially one who lived there for a long time. If you have their contact information, reach out and inquire about the roof and if they ever had it replaced. Most people are open to questions like these and might even enjoy talking about their previous home, as they likely made many memories there.

One hiccup many people will run into with contacting the previous owner is that they simply cannot find their contact information. If this is the case with your home and previous owner, reach out to the real estate company that handled the sale. Their records should include the information and allow them to act as the third party and communicate your desire to get more information about the roof. This is considered by some to be a more professional method.

In a perfect scenario, you’ll get plenty of information from the previous owner or real estate agent and make an informed decision about what to do next. But in the worst-case scenario, when you’ve exhausted all options and you still don’t have the information about the age of your roof, there are other methods you can use.

Analyze your neighbors roofs

Rarely will there be homes in a neighborhood that were built decades apart. Rather, many homes within the same division are built around the same time, and therefore have the same style and age of roof. Even if the shingles vary in color, they are usually around the same age.

Have you noticed more roofing companies doing work in your neighborhood? This could be because the homes were built around the same time, and because asphalt roofing products have a specific lifespan, it makes sense that they are all suffering some degree of degradation and are in need of repair or replacement.

There are circumstances that will cause a deviation from this norm, such as a roof that took the brunt of a storm and was damaged more so than surrounding roofs and needed to be replaced. House fires and falling tree limbs can also create situations where one or more roofs in the surrounding area will be newer than others.

But in a situation where 3-tab shingles were the product of choice for a home construction company, the average lifespan for these shingles is around 15 years in normal conditions. For thicker and longer-lasting shingles, the builder might have chosen the architectural style shingles, which last around 25 years.

Take a closer look at your neighbors’ roofs and compare what you see with your roof. Talk to your neighbors about granules in their downspouts and if they are consistent with what you see in yours, because these protective outer layers on shingles shed over time and can indicate an aging roof.

Find the previous roof replacement company and request a receipt

Roofing companies often keep detailed records and can assist you in getting information about your roof’s age. If the previous owners and real estate agent can’t recall a date of the reroofing, but remember the name of the contractor, you can request the information directly from the contractor. Many roofing contractors offer a workmanship warranty, which is why they will know exactly when the work took place.

If you can’t get information about which roofing contractor reroofed your home, your next option is to make a list of local contractors and contact them one by one to see if they did the work. It’s not the most desirable method of getting the information you need, but when all else fails, this could be the method that allows you to move forward with your project.

Look for manufacturer’s information on shingles

Taking a more investigative approach, obtaining information from the shingles themselves could unlock all the clues about the age of your roof. Unfortunately, the manufacturer’s information is printed on the underside of the shingles, which means you will need to carefully lift a shingle section without damaging it or surrounding shingles and gather the information.

The data provided on the back of shingles will vary depending on the manufacturer. It’s not standard practice for them to stamp or print the date of production or a manufacturing code on every single shingle, which means you might have to inspect more than one area. Also, the information on the shingle could be related to the manufacturing process rather than provide information about dates. Furthermore, a code on the shingle could be used over the span of several years, which could also provide a less-than-precise estimation of the age of your shingles.

Having a conversation with the manufacturers’ customer service could be helpful, as they will be able to walk you through the meaning of the various codes on your shingles.

Check for visible signs of roof aging

As shingles age, they will begin to show specific signs of wear, such as warping, cracking and discoloration. Take a close look at yours and be sure to check on all sections of the roof and look for any sign of degradation. Do you see a difference in the texture of the outer layer of granules? Do you notice any balding or surface undulations? These are all signs of an aging roof.

Another sign that your shingles are old is the presence of organic growth. Many shingles manufacturers make their products with ingredients that prohibit the growth of mold and algae. But as they get older and lose this ability, you will notice everything from moss to mildew, and perhaps black streaks or stains. This means moisture is becoming an issue and that your shingles are probably due for replacement.

Check the attic for potential clues

Even when everything looks fine from the outside, there could be signs on the inside of your home that your roof is no longer protecting like it once did and has begun to fail. The perfect place to look for this is in your attic. Grab your flashlight out and head up to your attic, whether it’s a large, fully functional space or simply a crawlspace, and look for telltale signs of roof problems, which will most likely present as moisture damage.

If your roof is having problems, you’ll see anything from sagging sections to dark streaks, stains and perhaps even evidence of active moisture. It’s often the case that if the attic is showing signs of moisture, it could be getting into your interior walls, going unnoticed until the damage is done and extensive and expensive repairs are required.

In the absence of such deterioration, there could be clues left behind by roofers that can point to the age of your roof, such as extra, unused shingles with original packaging and documentation.

Ask for an assessment from a local roofing contractor

You’ve exhausted all available options and you are no closer to determining the age of your roof than when you started, so what’s now? Calling in an expert – someone who has years of experience and knows exactly what to look for – is the next step.

It’s important to note that even though a local roofing contractor has many tools they can use to assess the quality of a roof, there is no guarantee that they can pinpoint the date it was installed. Rather, they can offer an approximation. But they can also investigate specific areas that might need attention and provide a recommendation about the overall “health” of the roofing system.

While having the exact date information is of value, so too is knowing the condition of your roof. Inspectors charge a fee for their services, and while this is not the preferred method for homeowners who would rather not spend money, when ascertaining the age of the roof is not possible through free means, at least you know that paying for these services will yield far more than simply the age of the roof.

When the roofing contractor has completed their inspection, you will know how to plan for the future. In some cases, the roof could have 10 or more years of service in it, which offers plenty of time to put aside funds for the reroofing project. Or, you can begin making arrangements for more immediate needs, whether it’s minor repairs or a complete replacement.