This quick article will cover a question we hear from time to time: Can you save money by putting a new roof over your old one? And more importantly—should you?

Let’s break it down.

The Quick Answer

Yes, a second roofing layer—often called a “layover”—is cheaper.

You skip the tear-off labor. You avoid dumpster fees. There’s no hauling debris to the landfill. Your crew doesn’t have to clean up for hours. All of that adds up to a lower quote.

In fact, depending on the size of your roof, you might save $1,000 to $2,000 or more up front.

Sounds good, right?

But here’s the other side of it…

The Tradeoffs

Doing a layover might save money today, but it comes with some serious drawbacks.

No Deck Inspection

You can’t see what’s underneath. If there’s rotted decking, you won’t know until it becomes a problem later. If you do need to replace any decking, part of the new roof has to be torn back up to access it.

Shortened Shingle Life

When you install shingles directly over old shingles, the new ones don’t lay flat against solid decking. They retain more heat, wear faster, and often fail well before their rated lifespan. You’re spending good money on new shingles and immediately slashing their performance by 25–50% or more.

Added Weight

An extra layer means more weight on your structure—especially if it’s already an older home. Most roofs weren’t engineered to hold multiple layers long term.

Ventilation Problems

One of the key factors in a long-lasting roof is proper airflow. When new shingles aren’t backed by cool, ventilated decking, they bake faster in the sun. A layover interrupts that natural ventilation path, increasing roof temperature and accelerating aging.

Warranty Issues

Many manufacturers don’t allow full warranty coverage when their shingles are installed over existing roofing material. If a problem arises, you might be out of luck.

Ugly Appearance

If your current roof has architectural shingles and you add another dimensional shingle layer on top, it can look wavy and uneven. We’ve seen it before—it’s not pretty. Dimensional on dimensional creates a visible distortion across the roofline.

Limited Upgrades

You can’t upgrade to better underlayment like ice and water shield when doing a layover. In theory, you could lay synthetic felt on top of old shingles, but most companies don’t. And even if they did, it doesn’t perform the same.

So Why Do Some Companies Offer It?

Simple—it’s a faster job. Less labor. No dump trailer. Fewer materials. And to be honest, some roofers like that because it helps them win jobs on price.

But at what cost?

If you’re putting a 30, 40, even 50-year shingle on your roof… is it worth it to cut its life in half just to save a grand or two?

Probably not.

At Roofs Made Easy, We Don’t Do Layovers

We believe every roofing system starts with a solid foundation. That means stripping it down to the decking, doing a proper inspection, and rebuilding it the right way.

We can’t warranty a layover. We can’t look a customer in the eye and tell them it’s a good idea. And we don’t want you spending thousands of dollars on a roof that’s compromised from the start.

If money is tight, we understand. But there are better options:

• Ask about financing with no prepayment penalty.
• See if there are material combinations that could help lower cost without sacrificing quality.
• Consider delaying a month or two to plan, instead of rushing into a layover just because it’s cheaper today.

In Summary

Is a second layer cheaper? Yes.

Is it worth it? In our opinion—no.

You lose longevity, warranty coverage, ventilation efficiency, and peace of mind. You may also be violating code in some areas, or setting yourself up for a denied insurance claim down the road.

It’s not worth the gamble.

At Roofs Made Easy, we’ll help you find a better way to protect your home without cutting corners. We’ll walk you through real savings options that don’t involve jeopardizing your roof.

Simple. Honest. No shortcuts.

That’s roofing made easy.