If your home has been sitting on the market longer than expected, don’t blame your realtor—look at your roof.
We’ve seen it happen time and time again. Sellers focus on their yard, fresh paint, and staging, but overlook one of the biggest red flags for buyers. Even minor roofing issues can stall financing, spark last-minute negotiations, or cause buyers to walk away entirely.
Property Records of Pennsylvania notes, “In June 2025, about 17% of pending home sales in the state were canceled. That’s higher than the national average of around 15%.” Homes that fall through once and return to the market often sell for 2–3% less than originally listed. In more severe cases—inspection issues like roof or septic failures—price reductions of $15K to $25K (or more) are not uncommon.
At Equity Roofing, we’ve inspected thousands of roofs across Central PA, Northern Indiana, and Southern Michigan. As Platinum Preferred Contractors with Owens Corning, we have the education and experience needed to know what agents, buyers, and lenders look for. A seemingly “fine” roof can turn into an expensive headache.
In this article, we’ll guide you through how to confidently prepare your home for the market and avoid derailment from roof issues.
We’ll Cover:
A bad roof can most definitely keep your home on the market longer and potentially sell for less. More often than not, a bad roof will look bad, turning away potential buyers from the start. Those willing to look past aesthetics may have second thoughts once they realize what fixing the roof will cost them.
Buyers, lenders, and inspectors are all evaluating your roof. It can lose you a sale when:
A good roofer remains neutral and reports their findings with complete transparency. This is why it's important to work with reliable contractors who won't change their reports based on who's paying them.
One of the biggest points of confusion in roofing during real estate sales is the lifespan of shingle roofs. Many sellers assume that if their shingles are only 10 years old on a "30-year roof," everything's fine. But a roof is only as strong as its weakest part.
In reality, even roofs with 50-year warranties aren't guaranteed to last 50 years. The shingles might have a life expectancy of 30 years, but the accessories, like pipe boots and flashing, may only last 15 years.
So if your roof is 10 years old, you might only have five years left before major repairs are needed.
Here's what shortens your roof's expected lifespan:
Most homeowners don't realize that their roof is a system. This leads to homeowners investing in quality shingles but skimping on everything else to save money. The result is a roof that looks fine from the outside, but starts failing much earlier than expected.
Find the best practices for your roof components in our article, “Roofing Systems 101.”
Most home inspectors have general knowledge about roofs and know when a professional roofer is needed. That's where roofing contractors usually get called in.
These are the issues we see most often:
Your roof's ventilation system relies on a balance between intake vents (usually located at the soffits) and exhaust vents (typically at the ridge or near the roof’s peak). When this ratio is off, it disrupts airflow in the attic.
Poor ventilation can cause:
For a healthy roof, you want roughly 1 square foot of ventilation per 300 square feet of attic space, evenly split between intake and exhaust. Matching the right components and ensuring they’re working together is key to long-term roof performance.
Not always. Most of the time, a roof doesn't need a complete replacement to sell the home—just the right repairs.
Over 19% of home inspections uncover roofing issues. Most need a few accessory replacements or minor fixes. A roof replacement is only recommended when there are structural or safety concerns.
Your goal should be to pass inspection and provide buyers with confidence that their roof is in good condition. Some contractors push for replacement because it means more business. But honest professionals will only recommend replacement when the roof is actually failing.
In most cases, yes, homeowners should repair roof issues before attempting to sell. Real Estate agents and lawyers alike will recommend that their clients negotiate for the cost of any major roof issues, up to a full roof replacement.
The smartest approach is getting a roof inspection prior to listing. This spots any code violations, accessory failures, or visible flaws so you can fix them proactively.
Focus on addressing granule loss, cracked boots, damaged flashing, and anything near the end of its life. Document everything to show future buyers that the roof has been recently inspected and repaired.
Be prepared for your buyer (or their real estate agent) to ask the following questions about your home's roof:
If you don’t have this information available, your roofer can try to help during their inspection. They may be able to identify the brand of shingle used, note any signs of past repairs, and determine your roof’s ventilation. Once you know the manufacturer of your shingles, you can call to confirm if it has a transferable warranty.
Not every roofing problem is a small fix, and there are a few situations where professionals advise buyers to be cautious. Knowing their red flags ahead of time can help you sell your home faster and in your preferred price range.
Widespread attic mold
If there's mold throughout the attic, even if the shingles look okay, it usually means ventilation problems and possibly rotted decking. This often requires replacing all the underlying wood structure.
Soft or delaminated decking
When plywood decking is spongy or separating, you can't see the full damage until you remove the shingles. This can mean replacing all the wood underneath, which gets very expensive.
Two layers of shingles
This is almost always a cheap shortcut that homeowners use to save money on tear-off costs. It costs extra to remove two layers when replacement time comes, and there might be hidden decking damage underneath.
Metal roof over two shingle layers with cheap fasteners
This creates major problems when repairs are needed later. Removing metal roofing, then two layers of shingles, then potentially replacing decking, becomes extremely expensive.
DIY installations with no paperwork
Without knowing what materials were used or if it was installed correctly, you're taking a big risk on future problems.
If a homebuyer is considering a house that requires a $25,000 roof replacement, they will likely seek out similar houses without roof problems for the same price. Sellers will need to significantly lower their prices to compete.
Many sellers have their money tied up in their next home purchase. The key is being reasonable about what needs fixing versus what would be nice to fix. Small repairs that prevent buyer doubt are usually worth it.
A full replacement when the roof has years of life left might not be necessary if your budget is tight. You’ll need to be prepared for your buyer to request a lower price, however. Obtaining a professional roofing quote can help you negotiate a reasonable price.
Selling a home is stressful enough. You don’t need surprises slowing things down or slashing your price. Pre-existing roof damage creates uncertainty that buyers and lenders don’t want to gamble on.
Now that you’ve seen what to watch out for, it’s time to address roof problems early. Get an idea of average prices for common roof repairs and roof replacements through our cost guides.
When you’re ready, schedule a professional inspection, address minor repairs, and document all findings. Equity Roofing is a firm believer in transparency and homeowner education. Whether you work with us or a competitor, we want your roofing experience to be the best.