On an older shingle roof, faded color and grit in the gutters raise questions. The buyer’s inspector will look at the roof, and so will the buyer. You may as well know what they’ll see before they see it, while there’s still time to do something about it.
We evaluate asphalt shingle roofs across the Phoenix metro for sellers, listing agents and buyer’s agents. Someone gets on the roof, checks the shingles by hand and photographs every slope. You get the photos and a short written summary. We don’t do repairs or replacement, so that summary isn’t a sales pitch for either.
Before you list
Get the roof evaluated before the listing goes live. That gives you room to act on what we find, whether that means treating the shingles, calling a roofer, or simply having the facts in hand.
Arizona’s standard seller’s property disclosure statement, the SPDS, asks about the roof. Knowing the roof’s real condition makes those questions easier to answer accurately. We’re not your agent or your attorney, so ask them what you need to disclose. Our part is the facts about the shingles.
Many Valley listings come with an HOA too. Axios Phoenix reported that “nearly three-quarters of Valley home listings included HOA fees” in 2024, citing Realtor.com. If the home is in one, a roof treatment may need the association’s sign-off first, and that can take longer than a listing date allows.
What you get from the evaluation
- Photos of each slope, plus close-ups of anything worth a second look.
- A written summary of what we saw: shingle condition, granule loss, lifted or missing tabs, flashing and valleys.
- One of three answers. The roof is a candidate for treatment, the roof is fine for now, or the roof needs a roofer.
- Something you can share with your agent, the buyer’s agent or a roofer.
It’s a condition note from a company that treats shingle roofs. It isn’t the buyer’s inspection, it isn’t a roofing estimate, and it doesn’t vouch for the roof to anyone.
Honest options for an aging but sound roof
If the roof is a candidate
Rejuvenation may be an option. It’s a soy-based treatment, made by SoyLei Innovations of Ames, Iowa, that soaks into aging asphalt shingles and is meant to help bring back some flexibility. Before you book it in the middle of a sale, settle three things:
- The shingle maker. Some shingle makers, Owens Corning among them, have published bulletins advising against field-applied rejuvenators. A treatment can also affect your shingle warranty, and buyers may ask about it.
- The HOA. Find out if the association needs to approve it.
- The calendar. SoyLei says to check the forecast so no rain, strong wind or severe weather is expected during or after application. In monsoon season, that can move dates.
If it’s better left alone
Sometimes the best move is to leave the roof as it is and let the buyer see the photos. A buyer who plans to re-roof may not put any value on a treatment.
What we won’t claim
We won’t tell you a treated roof will clear the buyer’s inspection, raise the sale price or satisfy a buyer. Nobody can honestly promise those things, and we won’t put them in writing. What the treatment is meant to do, in SoyLei’s own words, is on our roof rejuvenation page.
When the roof needs a roofer
If we find leaks, soft decking, missing or torn shingles across a slope, or bare spots where the mat shows, the roof needs a roofer. We’ll tell you that plainly. We don’t do repairs or replacement, so the photos are yours to take to any roofer you choose. Our is my roof a candidate page shows where the line falls between a roof we can treat and one we can’t.
For listing and buyer’s agents
If you sell homes in the Valley, an older shingle roof is a question you’ll run into again. Here’s how we keep it simple:
- We go over the findings with the seller in plain language, with no pressure to buy anything.
- Photos and the summary go to whoever the seller says, including you.
- If the roof turns out to be tile or foam, we’ll tell you straight away that we’re not the right call.
- Buyer’s agents: if your buyer is weighing a home with a tired shingle roof, the seller can book an evaluation so everyone is working from the same photos.
For sellers who want the longer version, our guide to selling a Phoenix home with an older shingle roof walks through it.
Next step
Book a free roof evaluation for the property. Want a rough idea of what treatment would cost first? Try the instant roof estimate.
Common questions
Will a treated roof pass the buyer’s inspection?
We can’t promise that, and you should be wary of anyone who does. The inspector reports what they see on the day. A treatment doesn’t fix lifted, missing or cracked shingles, leaks or soft decking, and it doesn’t make an old roof new. What we can give you is an honest read on the roof and a set of photos before the inspector goes up.
Should I treat the roof before I list?
Sometimes. If the roof is sound, the shingles are drying out, the HOA and shingle maker questions are settled and there’s time before the listing date, treatment may make sense. If the buyer is likely to re-roof anyway, or the schedule is tight, it may be smarter to share the evaluation photos and leave the roof alone. We’ll tell you which way we’d lean and why.
Can buyers see your photos and summary?
Yes, if the seller wants to share them. They belong to the seller. Keep in mind what they are: a condition note from a company that treats asphalt shingle roofs. They don’t replace the buyer’s own inspection, and they aren’t a roofer’s repair estimate or a promise about the roof’s future.