A common worry at brake time: if I am replacing the pads, do the calipers have to come off the parts list too? For most brake jobs the answer is no - calipers are built to outlast many sets of pads. But there are clear cases where a caliper does need replacing. Here is how to tell.
Usually, no - calipers are reused
Brake pads are the wear item; a healthy caliper commonly lasts through several pad sets - often 100,000 miles or more. On a routine pad job the caliper is simply cleaned, its slide pins re-greased, the piston compressed, and it goes back on. Replacing good calipers "just because" is wasted money.
When a caliper DOES need replacing
Replace a caliper if it is sticking - a seized piston or frozen slides that drag or wear one pad far faster than the other, see sticking caliper symptoms and reading wear patterns. Also replace it if it leaks brake fluid, has a torn piston boot letting in corrosion, or a bleeder screw snapped off. A caliper causing a pull or uneven wear must be fixed before new pads, or the new pads repeat the problem.
Rebuild vs replace
A sticking or leaking caliper can sometimes be rebuilt with a seal kit rather than replaced outright - see rebuild vs replace a caliper. On many modern vehicles a loaded replacement caliper is priced close enough that swapping is the practical choice.
What you SHOULD replace with pads
The parts that genuinely should be refreshed at every pad change are the small hardware - the clips, shims, and abutment pieces - see what is in a hardware kit. Fresh hardware and quality pads, with the caliper reused only if healthy, is the right-sized brake job.