Shingle Roofers in Phoenix: Asphalt Shingle Roof Replacement & Repair

Asphalt shingle roof replacement and repair for Phoenix-area homes, with cool-roof rated architectural shingles built for Arizona's desert climate. Shingle roofs typically last 20–25 years here. Licensed ROC #358508. Call (602) 849-7990.

Shingle Roofs in Arizona: Choosing, Replacing and Keeping Them Sound in the Heat

Asphalt shingles are the usual roof on the Valley's older ranch homes, bungalows and many custom homes. They cost less than tile and are lighter, but they sit in direct sun with nothing shading them. In our heat they typically last 20 to 25 years, and the way they age here is different from what most national guides describe.

This guide covers how shingle roofs wear out in Phoenix, what the product ratings on a shingle wrapper actually mean, the code rules that matter for low-pitch roofs and ventilation, what a replacement costs, and how we decide between a repair and a new roof.

What we do on shingle roofs

Our shingle work ranges from a single pipe boot to a complete tear-off. Common jobs include:

  • Full replacement: tear-off to the deck, new underlayment, flashing, vents and shingles
  • Replacing rotted or delaminated deck boards found during tear-off
  • Wind repairs: reattaching or replacing lifted and creased shingles
  • New pipe boots, step flashing, counter flashing and drip edge
  • Fixing the joint where a shingle roof meets a flat patio, carport or addition roof
  • Correcting attic ventilation that is cooking shingles from below
  • Switching to cool-rated shingles when the roof is replaced
  • Detaching and resetting solar panels so the roof under them can be replaced

How shingles wear out in Phoenix

A shingle is a fiberglass mat soaked in asphalt and covered with mineral granules. The granules are there mainly to block ultraviolet light, because sunlight breaks down asphalt quickly. Heat and oxygen also harden asphalt over time. In the Valley, all three work on the roof for most of the year.

Granule loss is the first visible sign. As the asphalt dries out it holds granules less firmly, and every wind and rain carries more of them into the gutters or onto the ground below the downspouts. Once the asphalt is bare, it ages much faster and the shingle starts to crack.

Summer storms add a sharp temperature swing. A roof that has been in full sun all afternoon can be hit with cool rain in minutes. Repeated expansion and contraction like that opens cracks and loosens granules.

Blisters, small raised bubbles that pop and leave bare spots, usually point to a roof running too hot. Poor attic ventilation is the most common cause. That is why we look at the attic, not just the shingles, before we price a roof.

Wind is the other big factor. Shingles are held down by nails and a strip of sealant that bonds each course to the one below. When that bond fails on an older roof, monsoon gusts can lift and fold shingles back, and a creased shingle will not lie flat or seal again. Monsoon season runs June 15 to September 30, and wind damage on shingle roofs is most often found after the first strong storms of the year.

What the signs on your roof mean

You can see a lot from the ground or a ladder at the eave. Here is how we read what homeowners describe to us:

  • Granules piling up below downspouts: normal in the first months on a new roof, a sign of aging on an older one
  • Dark, smooth patches with no granules: bare asphalt that will crack soon
  • Edges curling up or the middle of the shingle cupping: the shingle has dried out and is shrinking
  • Straight-line creases across a row: wind lifted the shingle and bent it, and it should be replaced
  • Missing shingles on one slope only: usually wind, and a repair may be enough if the rest is sound
  • Cracked rubber around vent pipes: the boot has failed in the sun, a common leak even on newer roofs
  • Soft or bouncy spots underfoot: the deck below has taken on water

Choosing shingles: what the ratings mean

Most shingles sold today are architectural, also called laminated or dimensional. They have two bonded layers, which gives a thicker, textured look. Three-tab shingles are a single flat layer and are less common on reroofs now.

Wind ratings come from two tests. ASTM D3161 Class F and ASTM D7158 Class H are the top classes of each. IKO's Cambridge line, which the page above describes, carries both. Its standard limited wind warranty is 110 mph, and it rises to 130 mph only when the roof is installed with IKO's High Wind Application. If wind coverage matters to you, ask your roofer which application they use.

A Class A fire rating is the highest rating for roof coverings, and it applies when the shingle is installed over approved underlayment. Algae warranties, often 10 years, matter more in humid climates than in Phoenix.

Cool-rated shingles use granules with pigments that reflect more of the sun's infrared energy. The Cool Roof Rating Council measures solar reflectance and thermal emittance on a scale of 0 to 1 and publishes both new and three-year-aged values, so you can compare products. IKO's Cambridge Cool Colors Plus, for example, has a solar reflectance index of 20 or more. Even a cool-rated shingle reflects less sun than a light tile or a white foam coating, so think of it as an improvement over a standard shingle, not as a substitute for good attic ventilation.

You may still see shingles advertised as ENERGY STAR. The EPA ended ENERGY STAR certification for roof products on June 1, 2022, so a cool roof rating from the Cool Roof Rating Council is now the number to look at.

Color is also a practical choice. Lighter shingles run cooler. Many HOAs limit colors, so we confirm approved colors before ordering.

Low-pitch shingle roofs

Many 1950s and 1960s ranch homes in Phoenix, Tempe and south Scottsdale have gentle pitches. Building code (IRC R905.2.2) allows asphalt shingles only on slopes of 2 inches of rise per 12 inches of run or steeper. Between 2:12 and 4:12, the code requires a double layer of underlayment, because water moves slowly on a low pitch and wind can push it uphill under the shingles.

Below 2:12, shingles are not allowed at all. Those areas need a low-slope system such as foam or a roofing membrane. We often find shingles that were laid on a nearly flat patio or carport section years ago. That is a common source of repeat leaks, and the fix is to change the material on that section, not to patch it again.

Attic ventilation

A shingle roof depends on the attic below it. Hot air needs to leave near the ridge and be replaced by cooler air coming in at the eaves. The code (IRC R806.2) sets a minimum vent area of 1/150 of the attic floor area, or 1/300 when 40 to 50 percent of it is high exhaust within 3 feet of the ridge and the rest is low intake.

Ventilation also affects the manufacturer warranty. IKO's limited warranty, for example, excludes damage caused by insufficient attic ventilation. Common problems we find are eave vents painted over or blocked by insulation, too few vents for the attic size, and different vent types mixed on one roof so they work against each other. A replacement is the cheapest time to correct these.

What a shingle roof costs

A full shingle replacement in the Phoenix area usually runs about $8,000 to $15,000. Shingle repairs fall in our general repair range of $300 to $5,000, from a single pipe boot at the low end to rebuilding a valley or a damaged section of deck at the high end.

Where a replacement lands in that range depends on:

  • Roof size and the number of hips, valleys and roof planes
  • Pitch, since steep roofs take longer and need more safety setup
  • How many layers of old roofing come off
  • How much deck needs replacing once the old roof is off
  • Low-pitch areas that need double underlayment or a different material
  • Ventilation changes, skylights and chimneys
  • Solar panels that have to be detached and reset

Paying for a new roof

Financing is available if you would rather spread the cost out. Terms depend on the lender and your credit, so your estimator can walk you through the current options when you get your written price.

Repair or replace?

A shingle roof is a good candidate for repair when the damage is in one place, such as a few blown-off shingles or a failed pipe boot, and the shingles around it still bend without cracking and hold their granules.

Replacement makes more sense when the shingles themselves are worn out. New shingles patched into a brittle roof will not match in color, and lifting old shingles to weave in new ones often cracks the ones around them. We recommend replacement when we see several of these together:

  • The roof is around 20 years old or more
  • Bare spots or heavy granule loss on more than one slope
  • Curling or cracking across the roof, not just at one spot
  • Leaks in more than one place over the past few years
  • Soft deck in several areas
  • Two layers of shingles already on the roof

How a shingle replacement works

An estimator inspects the roof and the attic, measures it, and photographs what they find. You get a written price that lists the materials and any likely deck work.

On the day of the job, the crew tears the old roof off down to the deck. We do not lay new shingles over old ones. A tear-off lets us see and replace damaged deck boards, and it means the new roof is nailed into solid wood.

Next comes high-temperature synthetic or self-adhered underlayment, new drip edge and flashing, new pipe boots and the vent changes the roof needs. Then the shingles go on, followed by ridge cap and cleanup.

Summer installs need extra care. The roofing industry association ARMA notes that hot shingles soften and scuff under foot traffic, and recommends working early, rotating slopes with the sun and keeping traffic off valleys. The sealant strip bonds faster in heat, which helps the new roof resist wind once it seals.

When the work is done, you get photos of the finished roof. The work is backed by our 10-year workmanship warranty (25-year available), and the shingles carry the manufacturer's own warranty.

Switching from shingles to another material

Some owners replace shingles with tile, and some low-pitch sections are better off as foam. Concrete tile weighs much more than shingle, so before you switch, the framing has to be checked to make sure it can carry the load. A change like that generally needs a building permit, and in an HOA it usually needs design approval too. A full tile roof is a larger project, typically about $15,000 to $35,000. Your estimator can price both options on the same visit.

Solar panels on a shingle roof

Panels are often installed on roofs that are halfway through their life. If the shingles under the array wear out first, the panels have to come off before the roof can be replaced. We detach the panels, replace the roof, flash the mounting points into the new roof and reset the array. If your shingles are already 15 years old or more and you are planning solar, it is worth having the roof checked first.

Storm damage and insurance

After a monsoon, we photograph lifted, creased and missing shingles slope by slope and can be at the house when your adjuster inspects. That gives the adjuster a clear record of what we found.

Arizona law requires anyone who negotiates a claim settlement for pay on a homeowner's behalf to be a licensed adjuster. As a roofing contractor, we document damage, explain what it takes to repair it and provide a written price. Your insurance company decides whether the damage is covered and how much it pays, and any questions about your deductible or policy are between you and your insurer.

Permits and HOAs

Most Valley cities do not require a building permit to replace shingles with shingles, but the details vary. Phoenix exempts same-material reroofs. Chandler requires a permit when the existing roof already has more than two layers. Gilbert exempts reroofs that do not change the structure. Building code also does not allow a new layer over a roof that already has two or more, which is one more reason we tear off. Each of our city guides gives the local rule.

HOAs usually care about color and style more than anything else. Some historic districts go further: Scottsdale's Village Grove guidelines, for example, call for shingles similar to the originals. We confirm approvals before ordering material and can provide product sheets and color samples for your HOA submittal.

Where We Work

Guides and cost breakdowns