How do I answer it well?
Answer from what you can see from the ground or an upstairs window. Binoculars make rust spots, cracked tiles and lifting laps much easier to judge. If you honestly can't tell, choose "not sure", because a guess tips the result for no good reason.
Count a leak as "several" if it keeps coming back after a repair. A leak that returns says more about the roof than one wet patch does.
What the lean is based on
Mostly, the roofing material itself. Restoration means cleaning, repairs, new fixings and a repaint or recoat, and it suits iron, longrun, decramastic and tiles that are still sound. Once sheets are rusting through or tiles are breaking up all over, paint only hides a roof that's finished.
Grey cement sheets get their own answer. WorkSafe says homes built before 1 January 2000 may contain asbestos, so on an older house the first step is a test, not a quote. Decramastic needs the same care. Gerard says asbestos was used in these tiles up until 1981, and a roofer will want a test before stripping them.
What can't the quiz see?
It can't see underneath. Rotten battens, tired underlay or rusted fixings only show up when a roofer looks closely, and they can flip the answer.
It doesn't know your consent position either. Like-for-like re-roofs are often exempt under Schedule 1 of the Building Act, but not always. Wairoa District Council, for one, says switching systems (corrugated iron to pressed metal tiles, say) needs consent, and so does replacing roofing that failed within 15 years. Where a re-roof does need consent, the roofing is restricted building work, so an LBP has to do or supervise it. Check with your council or roofer if you're unsure.
What we'd do with your result
If it leans towards restoring, ask a roofer to photograph the worst parts and quote the restoration. If it leans towards a re-roof, or lands in the middle, ask for both options on the same written quote so you can see the gap between them. Our guide to restoration or re-roofing goes through the signs in more detail, and when you're ready, we'll pass the job to one checked local roofer.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.