Yes, but usually for less than it costs. The 2025 Cost vs Value report estimates that a new asphalt shingle roof costing $31,871 adds $21,501 to a home's resale value, recouping 67.5% of its cost, and that a metal roof costing $51,865 adds $25,972, or 50.1%. The value a new roof adds goes beyond the sale price, though. An old roof can be flagged by a home inspection, held up in a buyer's FHA appraisal, or make the house harder to insure, and real estate agents in a 2025 national survey ranked new roofing among the projects they most often suggest before selling.
What the national figures say
| Project, Cost vs Value 2025 | Job cost | Value added at resale | Cost recouped | Cost not recovered at sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingle roof replacement | $31,871 | $21,501 | 67.5% | $10,370 |
| Metal roof replacement | $51,865 | $25,972 | 50.1% | $25,893 |
The last column is our own arithmetic: the job cost minus the value added. Cost vs Value prices one standard, fully specified project the same way everywhere, using Verisk's XactRemodel estimating data, and estimates the resale value from a survey of real estate professionals. Your own roof will cost a different amount; our roof replacement cost guide explains why the report's figure runs above what many homeowners pay.
Two things stand out. The metal roof adds more dollars to the sale price, but it recovers a smaller share of what it costs. And neither roof pays for itself at sale. Our guide to metal roofs and shingles weighs the two over the years you own the house.
What real estate agents and homeowners report
The National Association of REALTORS® published its 2025 Remodeling Impact Report in April 2025. It surveyed its members on what they recommend and what buyers want, and homeowners on how they felt about finished projects. For new roofing it found:
- Agents recommend it before selling. 37% of the agents surveyed said they had recommended new roofing to sellers before listing, the third most common recommendation after painting the whole home (50%) and painting one room (41%).
- Buyer demand has grown. 43% said they had seen increased demand for new roofing in the last two years, second only to kitchen upgrades at 48%.
- Homeowners are pleased with it. New roofing earned a Joy Score of 10, the highest possible, alongside an added primary bedroom suite and a kitchen upgrade. NAR builds the score from the share of homeowners who said they were happy or satisfied with the finished project.
The report's own list of the projects with the highest cost recovery, led by a new steel front door at 100%, does not include roofing. The report also says agents conveyed that 46% of home buyers are less willing to compromise on a home's condition when they buy.
Why the roof matters more than the percentage suggests
The resale percentage measures what a new roof adds to the price. It does not measure what an old roof can cost you during a sale. Three people look at the roof on a buyer's behalf: the home inspector, the lender's appraiser and the insurer. Any of them can turn an aging roof into a problem the seller has to solve while the sale is under way, when there is little time to compare roofers. The sections below show what each one checks.
The home inspection
If the buyer hires a home inspector, the roof is on the list. InterNACHI's Standards of Practice for home inspectors say an inspector shall inspect the roof covering, gutters and downspouts, the vents, flashing, skylights, chimney and other roof penetrations, and the general structure of the roof. The inspector must report observed signs of active roof leaks as needing correction.
The same standards say the inspector is not required to walk on the roof or to predict how long it will last. So an inspection report can note an old or worn roof without saying how many years it has left, and a buyer may then ask for a roofer's opinion, a repair or a lower price. Our guide to what a roof inspection costs explains what a roofer's inspection adds. If you want to know where your roof stands before a buyer's inspector does, our guide to the signs you need a new roof is a place to start.
Buyer financing: the FHA appraisal
A buyer's loan can depend on the roof. For an FHA-insured mortgage, HUD's Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1 tells the appraiser to notify the lender if the roof covering does not keep out moisture or provide reasonable future utility, durability and economy of maintenance, and does not have a remaining physical life of at least two years.
The handbook also says that if the appraiser finds the roof has less than two years of remaining life, the appraiser must report it and make the appraisal subject to an inspection by a professional roofer. The appraiser has to identify the roofing material and its condition in the report. For a seller, a tired roof can mean a delay, a required repair or a buyer whose loan does not close on time. Other loan programs and lenders set their own property standards; the buyer's lender can say which apply.
Insurability
A buyer with a mortgage generally needs homeowners insurance: the CFPB says lenders generally require proof of it. An old roof can make that harder. Triple-I, the insurance industry's information group, says most insurers require a roof more than 20 years old to pass an inspection before they will write a policy, that some decline older roofs, and that some cover them only at actual cash value, which subtracts depreciation from a claim payment.
A buyer who cannot get coverage on reasonable terms may ask for a new roof, a credit or a lower price. Our guide to roof age and homeowners insurance covers age cutoffs, roof payment schedules and renewal inspections.
Should you replace the roof before you sell?
There is no single answer, but these questions help:
- How old is the roof, and how much life does it have left? A roof near the end of its life is likely to come up in the inspection, the appraisal or the insurance quote either way. Our guide to how long a roof lasts gives lifespans by material.
- What is the cost against the likely value added? The national figures above put the unrecovered part of a standard asphalt job at about $10,000. Ask a local real estate agent what buyers in your market expect, and get a written estimate for the roof.
- Will the buyer's financing or insurance hinge on it? If an FHA appraisal or an insurer is likely to flag the roof, dealing with it before listing avoids a scramble during escrow.
- Would a repair or a credit do? A roof with a few problems may need a repair, not a replacement. Some sellers offer a credit instead and let the buyer choose the roofer. Compare both with a roofer's written estimate in hand.
- Is there storm damage? If a storm caused the damage, talk to your insurer before you sign with a contractor.
If you plan to stay for years, the question is different: the roof protects the house you live in, and the resale figure matters less than how long the roof lasts and what it saves you in repairs and insurance.
Frequently asked questions
How much value does a new roof add?
The 2025 Cost vs Value report estimates $21,501 for a $31,871 asphalt shingle roof and $25,972 for a $51,865 metal roof, national figures for one standard project. Your home's market decides the real number.
Does a new roof increase an appraisal?
It can support it. HUD's rules for an FHA appraisal require the appraiser to report a roof with less than two years of remaining life and make the appraisal subject to a roofer's inspection, so an old roof can hold up a sale. How much a new roof adds to the appraised value depends on the appraiser and comparable sales.
Is it better to replace the roof or give the buyer a credit?
It depends on the roof, the market and the buyer's financing. A credit avoids managing the project during a sale; a new roof can remove an inspection, appraisal or insurance objection. Ask your agent which buyers in your price range expect.
Is a metal roof worth more at resale than shingles?
In dollars, yes: $25,972 against $21,501 in the 2025 Cost vs Value figures. As a share of cost, less: 50.1% against 67.5%.
Do I pay tax on the value a new roof adds when I sell?
The cost of a new roof generally adds to your home's basis, which can lower the taxable gain on a sale. Our guide to whether a new roof is tax deductible explains how. That page, like this one, is general information, not tax advice.
Where this information comes from
HomeAnvil does not yet publish resale or price data of its own. Each fact on this page comes from the source named beside it, all read on September 26, 2026:
- Remodeling Cost vs Value Report 2025, by Zonda with the Journal of Light Construction: the 2025 national averages, the source of the cost, resale value and cost recouped for asphalt shingle and metal roof replacement. Zonda's announcement and method, published September 18, 2025, says its results come in part from surveys of real estate professionals and from Verisk's XactRemodel estimating data.
- National Association of REALTORS® Research Group, 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, April 2025, and its news release of April 9, 2025: recommendations before selling, increased demand, the Joy Score and the cost recovery list. NAR surveyed a random sample of its members in summer 2024 (4,005 responses), consumers through HouseLogic in winter 2024 (806 responses), and remodelers of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry for costs (177 responses).
- InterNACHI, Home Inspection Standards of Practice, last revised October 2022: what an inspector must and need not do on the roof.
- HUD, FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, read in the update of August 12, 2026: the roof covering requirements for FHA appraisals.
- Triple-I, how your roof influences your home and business insurance: the 20-year inspection threshold, declined policies and actual cash value. The page carries no date.
- CFPB, what is homeowner's insurance and why is it required, last reviewed August 8, 2024: lenders generally require proof of homeowners insurance.
- The cost not recovered at sale is our own arithmetic on the Cost vs Value figures.
We will update this page when these sources publish new figures, and the date above will say when.
Related guides
How much does a roof replacement cost?A roof replacement typically costs $5,900 to $13,400, or $400 to $1,100 per square installed. How to measure your roof, what moves the price and how to compare estimates.
Is a metal roof worth it over asphalt shingles?A standing-seam metal roof costs about 1.6 times as much as asphalt shingles ($51,865 against $31,871) but is rated to last 40 to 80 years instead of 20 to 30.
How does your roof's age affect your homeowners insurance?Many insurers inspect or decline roofs over 20 years old, and older roofs are often paid at depreciated value. What to check in your policy and at renewal.
How long does a roof last?Architectural shingles last about 30 years, 3-tab about 20, metal 40 to 80, slate 60 to 150. What shortens a roof's life, and why a warranty isn't a lifespan.
What are the signs you need a new roof?The signs a roof needs replacing, outside and in: age past 20 to 30 years for shingles, bald or curling shingles, repeat leaks, a sagging line. What each means.
How much does a roof inspection cost?A roof inspection typically costs $125 to $383, about $252 on average. Drone inspections run $150 to $400 and infrared $400 to $600. What each one checks.