7 Signs It's Time for a New Roof

1. Your roof is 20+ years old

Most asphalt-shingle roofs in Central Illinois last 20–25 years, and our freeze-thaw winters and summer hail can shorten that. If you know your roof is past the two-decade mark — or you're not sure because it was on the house when you bought it — it's worth an inspection even if nothing looks obviously wrong.

2. Shingles are curling, buckling, or cupping

Shingles should lie flat. When the edges curl up or the centers cup, the asphalt has dried out and lost its flexibility — a sign the roof is near the end of its service life and increasingly prone to wind uplift and leaks.

3. You're finding granules in the gutters

Those sand-like granules protect the shingle from UV. A new roof sheds a few; an aging roof sheds them by the handful. Bald, shiny spots on the shingles and piles of grit at the downspouts mean the protective layer is wearing through.

4. Shingles are cracked or missing

A few missing shingles after a storm is a repair. Widespread cracking, or missing shingles across multiple areas, usually points to a roof that's failing overall rather than in one spot.

5. There's daylight or moisture in the attic

Go into the attic on a bright day. If you see daylight coming through the roof boards, or you find water stains, damp insulation, or a musty smell, water is getting in. This is one of the clearest signals that the roof — or its underlayment and flashing — has failed.

6. Sagging or a soft, spongy deck

A roofline that dips or sags suggests the decking underneath has absorbed moisture and weakened, or there's a structural issue. This is not a wait-and-see problem — have it looked at promptly.

7. You're repairing it every year

One repair is normal. But if you're patching a new leak every season, you're spending real money to keep an aging roof limping along. At some point a full replacement is cheaper than the running total of repairs — and it resets the clock with a warranty.

Not sure? A free inspection settles it

Several of these signs can also just mean a targeted repair — and we'll tell you honestly which camp your roof is in. We don't upsell replacements homeowners don't need. See our roof repair service, or read how long a roof lasts in Illinois →

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I just repair my roof instead of replacing it?

Often, yes — if the damage is localized and the roof is otherwise in good shape and not too old. If the roof is aging overall or leaking in multiple spots, a replacement is usually the better value. A free inspection tells you which applies.

How much does a new roof cost in the Peoria area?

Most asphalt replacements run roughly $9,000–$16,000+ depending on size, pitch, and material. See our Peoria roof cost guide for details.