If you're handy and value getting the most for your money, then you may be tempted to take care of roof repairs yourself. Some basic roof repairs are not that difficult to make, and your DIY efforts may therefore play out just fine. But this is more the exception to the rule than the rule itself. In most cases, the DIY approach is not a smart approach when it comes to roof repairs. Here's why.

The stakes for injuries are high.

Sure, most house work comes with some risk of injuries. You could hit your finger with a hammer when nailing floor boards into place, for example. However, the injuries you're at risk for when repairing a roof are much more severe. You can't usually repair a roof without climbing onto the roof, and there's then the risk that you'll fall down. That could lead to a concussion, broken limbs, or worse. It's silly to take this risk to repair your own roof when a pro could do it for you instead. Professional roofer are trained to avoid falls and associated injuries, and they have the right equipment to keep themselves safe, too. 

You need to buy the right equipment.

Roof repairs do require the right equipment. You need a specific tool to strip shingles off the roof, and you need specific adhesives to make various repairs. These pieces of equipment and supplies are not always cheap, and it's silly to buy them only to use them once or twice. Hiring a roofer to make the repairs won't cost much more than buying the equipment, and roofers come equipped with everything they need, regardless of the type of repairs they need to make.

You could accidentally make matters worse.

With roofing, it's possible to make some little mistakes that actually make the situation worse rather than better. If you choose the wrong nails, for example, you may end up with water seeping in around them. If you don't secure flashing in place properly, then water may leak behind it and contribute to rot and mold growth. You don't want to make DIY repairs, only to have to call the pros for more extensive repairs a few months later. 

DIY roofing repairs may sound like a good idea at first, but they're not usually the best option. Hiring a roofing professional is a great way to ensure you get good results the first time around.