Why DIY Roofing is a Bad Idea

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015 by Danny Peterson

Most of the homeowners we know are pretty enterprising people. You almost have to be. When you own a home, no matter how new or how well-constructed, things are going to go wrong. Sooner or later, you’ll need to make some repairs—and learning how to do some basic maintenance on your own is a great way to save money while also feeling more ownership of your home. But there are some things homeowners probably don’t want to do on their own. Changing a light bulb is one thing; re-wiring your home, without any prior electrical experience, is extremely dangerous! And what about roofing? Into which category does that fall? Some homeowners think roof repair is something they can do on their own, and that taking on this project DIY is a smart way to save a few bucks. We would respectfully disagree—and we have several reasons why.

DIY Roofing Can Be Dangerous 

We’ll start with the obvious one: Going up on your roof to do repair work can be extremely dangerous. Chances are, your roof is not perfectly flat, and neither is it particularly low to the ground. Thus, you stand a decent chance to accidentally falling and hitting the ground—the results of which can obviously be pretty serious. Some homeowners will laugh this off, but it’s no joke. Several homeowners die every year from DIY roofing accidents. It’s an unnecessary risk to take, and while you may think you’ll be careful and won’t fall, accidents can happen to anyone. Put your health and safety first by calling a roofing professional.

DIY Roofing Can be Time-Consuming 

A professional roofing crew may take anywhere from a day to multiple days re-roof, simply depending on the scope of the project and how hard it is to remove the existing roof to make room for a new one. And if it takes professionals that long, think how long it could take you! Simply put: This is not going to be an afternoon project. It’s going to involve a real time commitment—and do you really have that kind of time to spend up on your roof?

You’re Not an Expert in Roofing 

We don’t want to sound harsh, but it is important to recognize that, no matter how much of a DIY spirit you possess, you’re likely an amateur at roof repair. As such, you’re going to need to turn to someone for guidance on certain things—but where will you turn, if you’re roofing all by yourself? When you work with a professional roofer, you have someone to field questions and make recommendations about the scope of the project, the materials used, the best methods for roofing, and more. That advice can be utterly invaluable.

DIY Roofing Can Lead to Problems 

In keeping with the last point, doing a DIY roofing project can lead to problems; if you’re roofing for the first time, it’s only natural that you might make some mistakes, perhaps without realizing it. With roofing, though, mistakes can be quite serious. They can compromise the insulation of your home, lead to structural or moisture problems, or simply look a little off. And when you do roof repair on a DIY basis, it can void the warranty on the roofing products you buy. All told: What may seem like a cost-saving move may end up costing you a lot more in the long run.

What we recommend is that you hire a reputable roofing company to inspect your property. Let that be the first step—and from there, you can ask your roofer more about the benefits of hiring a pro to make any necessary repairs!