A roof leak brings out two kinds of contractors: the one who wants to sell you a whole roof, and the one who tells you what the roof actually needs. Here is how to tell which one you are talking to.
When a repair is the right call
The roof is under about 15 years old, the damage is in one spot, and the rest of the roof is sound. A slipped shingle, a failed pipe flashing, a cracked tile, or a bad valley can all be fixed for a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars. A contractor who does both repairs and re-roofs has no reason to talk you out of the cheap fix.
When replacement is the smarter money
The roof is at the end of its life, it is leaking in more than one place, shingles are curling or shedding granules everywhere, or the sheathing underneath is soft. Patching a roof like that is throwing money at it. Composition shingle roofs in Southern California last 20 to 30 years; a roof from the 1990s is on borrowed time.
The storm-chaser problem
After every heavy rain, crews with magnet signs knock on doors offering free inspections. The inspection always finds a full replacement. Some are from out of the area, and some will be gone before the first leak. Get a second opinion from a local contractor before signing anything.
What a new roof costs
Composition shingle re-roofs on a typical single-story home around Norwalk run $12K to $25K depending on size, pitch, and how many layers come off. Tile and flat-roof systems vary more. Every re-roof in California needs a permit and an inspection, which is your proof the nailing, underlayment, and flashing were actually done right.
Get a straight opinion
Call Any And All Construction and describe the roof and the leak. Mickey gives you a repair-or-replace opinion and a range on the phone, then gets on the roof to confirm it. If a $600 repair will honestly solve it, that's what you'll be quoted.