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Start with the paperwork: a re-roof permit in your city's permit search, the last roofer's invoice or warranty, or the home inspection report from when you bought the house. With no records, a roofer can usually place the roof within a few years from the shingle type, granule loss and flashing work. In Western Washington an architectural shingle roof realistically lasts 22 to 28 years.
Start with the paperwork, because a document gives you a year and the roof itself only gives you a range. A re-roof permit, the last roofer's invoice or a registered warranty will usually settle it. If none of that turns up, a roofer can place the roof within a few years by looking at the shingle type, the granule loss and the flashing work.
Here are the six places to look, in the order we'd check them, and what the answer means for a roof in Western Washington.
1. Search your city's permit records
Most Eastside cities share one public permit search, MyBuildingPermit. You don't need an account: pick the city, choose Location, type the street address and look for a re-roof or roofing permit. The issue date lands close to the week the old roof came off. Kenmore, Bothell, Bellevue, Kirkland, Sammamish, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Edmonds and unincorporated King County are all on it. For a house in Lynnwood, Kent or Everett, which aren't on MyBuildingPermit, check that city's own permit records or call its permit counter.
One catch: no permit on file doesn't prove the roof is original. Several cities around here let a like-for-like re-roof that keeps the existing sheathing go ahead without a permit, so plenty of replaced roofs never show up in a search. A permit on file is a firm date. A blank search only means you keep looking.
2. Pull out your closing papers
If you bought the house in the last ten or fifteen years, the home inspection report from the sale is the next best source. Inspectors usually note the roof covering, an estimated age or remaining life, and any repairs they saw. Look at the photos too, since they show the roof as it was on that date.
The Washington seller disclosure statement (Form 17) helps less than people expect. It asks whether the roof has leaked in the last five years and what year the house was built, but not when the roof was replaced. If the roof is original, the build year is your answer. Your insurance agent may also have a roof year on file, because many insurers ask for it when they write the policy.
3. Find the last roofer's paperwork
Invoices, contracts and warranty certificates all carry dates. A manufacturer warranty that the installer registered is tied to the address and the install date, so the installer or the shingle manufacturer can often look it up even if the certificate is gone. If you know which company did the work, call them. Roofers keep job records for years.
4. Ask the previous owner or the neighbors
A quick message to the previous owner can settle it in one line, and they may remember leaks or repairs along the way. In a neighborhood where the houses went up together, the neighbors are a good check too. If the houses on either side re-roofed around 2012 and yours has the same shingle and color, yours was probably done around then.
5. Read the roof itself
With no records at all, the roof still leaves clues. Look from the ground with binoculars or from a ladder at the eave, and stay off the roof itself, especially when it's wet.
| What you see | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Flat, single-thickness shingles with evenly spaced slots (3-tab) | An older style. In our climate a 3-tab roof realistically lasts 15 to 20 years. |
| Granules piling up in the gutters and at downspout outlets | The shingles are shedding their protective layer, which is typical in the second half of their life. |
| Curled, cupped or cracked shingle edges | Late-life wear, or an attic with poor ventilation baking the shingles from below. |
| Thick moss mats lifting the shingle edges | Years of growth. Moss holds water against the shingles and shortens their life. |
| Cracked rubber vent boots or dried-out sealant | Seals often wear out before the shingles do, and a cracked vent boot is one of the most common leaks we repair. |
| Two layers of shingles visible at the edge | The roof was laid over an older one, so the house is on at least its second roof. |
Match what you see against realistic lifespans for our rain, not the number printed on the shingle wrapper. Our guide to asphalt shingle lifespan in the Pacific Northwest breaks it down: about 15 to 20 years for 3-tab, 22 to 28 for architectural shingles and 28 to 35 for premium designer lines.
6. Have a roofer date it
A roofer who has torn off hundreds of roofs can usually narrow the age to a few years from the shingle line, the nailing pattern and the flashing details. Titan Roofing's free roof inspection comes with photos of what we find and a straight answer, in writing, on how much life the roof has left. We usually get out within 1 to 2 days of your call.
What your roof's age means
For an architectural asphalt roof, the most common roof on houses around Kenmore, Kent and Lynnwood, this is how we'd read the number:
| Roof age | What to do |
|---|---|
| Under 10 years | Keep the paperwork, keep the gutters clear and treat moss early. Check that the warranty was registered. |
| 10 to 20 years | Have it inspected each fall before the rains. Fix vent boots, flashing and small leaks while they're cheap. |
| 20 to 25 years | Start budgeting. An inspection tells you whether you have a few more winters or should plan the replacement. |
| Over 25 years | Plan the replacement on your schedule, before a leak picks the date for you. |
Age is a guide, not a verdict. A well-ventilated roof that's kept free of moss can outlast these numbers, and one under heavy shade or with a poorly vented attic can fail years early. For prices, see our 2026 roof replacement cost guide for Washington, and for timing, the best time to replace a roof in Western Washington.
When your roof's age matters most
- Selling or buying. The buyer's inspector will estimate the roof's age anyway. Knowing it first keeps it from becoming a surprise in the negotiation.
- Insurance. Insurers often ask for the roof year, and an older roof can affect coverage or price. Have the date ready when you shop a policy.
- Before winter. About three quarters of Sea-Tac's yearly rain falls between October and March, so an older roof gets its hardest test right as the weather turns.
- After a leak. On a young roof a leak is usually a repair. On an old one, it's worth asking whether the repair money is better spent toward a new roof. Our roof leak repair cost guide covers what each fix runs.
How old is my roof? FAQ
How can I find out how old my roof is without records?
Read the roof and the neighborhood. A 3-tab shingle, heavy granule loss, curled edges or a second layer at the eave all point to an older roof, and neighbors who built or re-roofed at the same time give you a reference year. A roofer can usually narrow it to a few years with an inspection.
Do permit records show when a roof was replaced?
Often, but not always. Kenmore, Bothell, Bellevue, Kirkland and other Eastside cities share a public search on MyBuildingPermit, and Lynnwood, Kent and Everett keep their own records. A like-for-like re-roof that keeps the existing sheathing can be permit-exempt, so a missing permit does not prove the roof is original.
How long does a roof last in Washington?
Realistically 15 to 20 years for 3-tab asphalt, 22 to 28 years for architectural shingles and 28 to 35 years for premium designer shingles in our rain. Standing seam metal can last 45 to 70 years.
Is a 20-year-old roof too old?
Not necessarily. A 20-year-old architectural shingle roof in good shape may have a few winters left, but it is at the age where an inspection every fall pays off and the replacement belongs in the budget.
Does the seller disclosure tell me the roof's age?
Not directly. Washington's seller disclosure statement (Form 17) asks whether the roof has leaked in the last five years and what year the house was built. It does not ask when the roof was replaced.
A family-owned CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster contractor based in Kenmore, WA. We install, repair and clean roofs across the Eastside and North King County, and we write about what we find on them. Book a free inspection →
