How Long Do Roofs Last in Northern Colorado? A Straightforward Answer

How Long Do Roofs Last in Northern Colorado? A Straightforward, Real-World Answer

Most people don’t really think about their roof until there’s a reason to. Maybe a leak shows up after a storm. Maybe a neighbor gets a new roof and suddenly you wonder how old yours is. Maybe your insurance sends you a letter hinting it might be time soon.

It’s not always obvious. And to be honest, most of the information online about how long roofs last isn’t written for places like Northern Colorado. It’s written for climates where the sun isn’t as harsh, where hail is a once-in-a-decade thing, and where temperatures don’t swing from warm to freezing in the same day.

Up here, roofs age differently.

Most shingle roofs in Northern Colorado last somewhere between 12 and 20 years. Some make it longer. Some fail sooner. But that window is the most honest and realistic one you’ll hear from anyone who actually works on roofs in this region.

And the main reason comes down to what our weather does to the materials over time.

What Our Weather Actually Does to a Roof

Think about a roof as something that’s constantly being pulled and pushed in different directions.

The sun here is stronger than it feels. Higher elevation means thinner air, which means UV light hits the shingles harder. The oils in the asphalt start to dry out. The surface granules loosen. The shingles slowly become more brittle. You can’t see that from the street, but it’s happening from day one.

Then there’s hail. Not the huge hail that leaves obvious dents—that’s the easy kind to spot. It’s the smaller hail, the stuff that taps your roof like gravel in a rainstorm. When that hits, it knocks off the protective granules one spot at a time. That doesn’t cause a leak right away. But it exposes the underlayers to the sun. And that speeds up aging.

Wind plays a role too. Not the dramatic gust that rips shingles off in one big moment. More like the dozens of smaller winds over months or years that lift the edge of a shingle just enough to break the glue strip underneath. When that seal breaks, water has an easier time finding its way in when the roof is older.

And then we get the freeze-thaw cycles. Warm days. Cold nights. The roof expands, contracts, expands, contracts. The older it gets, the less forgiving it becomes.

That combination is what shortens the life of a roof here compared to most places.

So What’s Considered “Good” Roof Life Here?

If your house has standard architectural asphalt shingles, the kind you see on most homes from Fort Collins to Windsor to Loveland, a 15–20 year lifespan is solid.

If you have impact-resistant shingles, you can sometimes push closer to 20–30 years, depending on how many storms that roof has been through.

Metal roofs generally last a long time — decades — and usually age gracefully.
Tile roofs can last even longer, but a lot of homeowners don’t realize the underlayment beneath the tile is what typically needs replacement first, and that part has a much shorter lifespan.

And wood shakes just don’t do well here. Our mix of dry air, sun, and wind wears them down quickly.

The thing is — none of this is about selling anything. It’s just the reality of what the weather in this part of the state does to materials over time.

How to Know Where Your Roof Stands — Without Climbing Anything

Here’s the simplest, most honest way to look at it:

• If your roof is under 10 years old, it’s likely fine.
• If your roof is somewhere between 10 and 18, you’re in the stage where things might start showing up.
• If your roof is 18+, especially in Northern Colorado, it’s worth taking a closer look rather than assuming it has years left.

But here’s the catch:

Most roofs still look fine from the ground, even when aging is underway.

That’s why so many people are caught off guard when a leak suddenly appears. The early indicators aren’t dramatic. They’re subtle. And unless you’re comfortable getting on a roof, you’d never see them.

Which is why inspections matter — not as a sales tactic — but simply as information.

The Easiest Way to Get a Real Answer

We use drones for inspections because they let us get close-up images of every part of your roof — the ridge, the valleys, the flashing, the slopes — without anyone needing to climb anything.

You get a set of clear, zoomed-in photos you can see for yourself.

We sit down with you and go through them.
We show what’s in good condition.
What’s wearing.
What’s concerning — if anything is.
And whether replacing soon is smart, or whether your roof still has time.

Sometimes the answer is: “You’re totally fine. Check again in a year or two.”
Sometimes it’s: “You’ve got a few spots starting to go — here’s what to watch.”
Sometimes it’s: “The roof is tired. It makes sense to plan for replacement.”

No pressure. No scripts. No made-up damage.
Just clarity.

If You Want to Know Where Your Roof Stands, We’ll Check It for Free

You don’t owe us anything for the inspection.
We don’t try to “find something wrong.”
We just give you the truth so you can make decisions based on reality, not guessing.

Free Drone Roof Inspection
We take the photos.
We explain what they show.
We leave the decision in your hands.

If that sounds helpful, just say when.