Whether you are looking into getting a roof replaced due to age or repaired because of obvious damage, understanding the roofing process can save you time, money, and importantly frustration. The process is semi-complex and somewhat expensive. There are many moving parts to this machine that require a tad of coordination and understanding of responsibilities.
There might be bumps along the way. Help yourself out by creating a checklist of tasks and costs. At the end of the entire process you should feel confident in your choices and of course be protected from the weather.
In Short, Here’s What To Expect
- Consider your options – how to pay for it, when does it need to be completed, what will your new roof look like?
- Ask questions – if you don’t understand, then ask for an explanation or clarification. It’s your roof when all is said and done.
- Expect the unexpected – some damage to your roof can’t be determined until those layers start coming off.
- Do your part before the roofing begins – this includes moving your cars, inspect your house (take photos), and put your pets away. You also need to pay your deposit before work begins.
- The roof repair or replacement – the old roof is stripped away, damages are fixed, new materials go up.
- Walk-through and inspection – the contractor should walk you through the completed job and they need to complete their own quality assurance inspection. At the completion of the project, you will have to pay the remainder of the bill.
Before The Roofing Project Starts
Consider The Following Items
Once you have determined that you need part of your roof repaired or the entire roof replaced, the next phase is to gather some information. If hindsight is 20/20 and knowledge is power, then arm yourself before tackling one of the more complex and expensive home improvement projects you can face. You might not have an answer yet for some of these questions, or they might not apply to you, though you should at least briefly consider them.
Cost: Roof repair might be a few hundred dollars, but roof replacements will certainly run you thousands or tens of thousands of dollars for larger roofs. Ask yourself if you have warranty and if this project is covered. Perhaps this will be covered under your insurance plan – those can get gritty in the fine print. Another option is to pay out of pocket, but that doesn’t always mean out of your bank account. There are financing options that can spread out payments. Ask your roofer if they recommend a financing option, and be sure to ask your friends and neighbors if they were successful with other options.
Get Multiple Quotes: Unless you targeted a specific roofer, you should always get multiple quotes. Though you can find your eventual roofer after the first few calls, you should get several quotes to understand the difference in material costs, compare contractor availability, reassure yourself based on recommendations, and so forth. Don’t just go with the cheapest option unless you are comfortable with it. Remember, you or your tenants have to live under this roof.
Timeline: In the case of severe weather, a lot of people are going to be asking for roof replacement at the same time. You need to show a little patience and flexibility around such times. Outside of post-weather events, you will have to find a roofer that is able to deliver on a schedule that works for both of you. For example, if you are trying to sell a house, you need to eliminate all roofers who can’t complete the project before showing or closing dates.
[Side note: after severe weather, a few opportunistic roofing companies or scam artists will go door-to-door trying to solicit business. They may be accurate that you have some visible damage, but do not take their word for it. Beware anyone asking for payment upfront or all in cash. Some might slap a roof over your house, though you’ll find it to be of very poor quality and when you call to file a complaint the company has flown the coop.]
Building Codes: You might think something as ordinary as a house roof would be little changed, but small changes over time add up to a rather dynamic roofing process. The codes change frequently. Some rules would apply to all houses equally, some rules don’t apply under grandfathered scenarios. While collecting quotes, ask each roofing company what rules apply to your scenario.
The quote below from Prime Roofing is an example of one recent change that affects all homes in Florida:
The Florida Building Code updated the 25% roof replacement rule, eliminating it in specific situations due to the enactment of SB-4D in May 2022. The 25% rule previously stated roof replacements are necessary if there is damage to more than 25% of the surface.
Roofs built after March 2009 likely feature compliance with the 2007 edition of the Florida Building Code. So, the changes require homeowners to repair the damaged section of their roof instead of replacing it if there is damage exceeding 25%.
Homes built before March 2009, with no prior roof replacement, are still under the last 25% rule. Therefore, they must undergo a complete roof replacement if they experience damage exceeding 25% of the total surface area.
Assessment: Make sure your quotes match the roofing issues you have. Gather a few basic measurements of your roof just to compare. If you found a leak and they suggest a roof replacement, be wary. If they give you a quote that includes a lot of structural damage claims but didn’t spend long on the roof, be wary. Essentially, you’re already a bit familiar with your own roof. Apply that knowledge against all the quotes you are collecting to help you make the best judgement.
The Unexpected: You should expect the unexpected and breathe a sigh of relief if it never comes. The larger and more costly a project is, the more likely there will be unforeseen issues along the way. Like it was mentioned above, be patient and flexible as issues come up. There is a section below that covers some of these. Also, don’t let a project get out of hand, don’t let your roofing contractor push you over.
Questions To Ask
If this is your first large home improvement project, there might be a lot of unfamiliar terms, costs, material choices, and other concerns you that can catch you off guard. You can, and should, ask questions when something is not clear. It’s your roof and your money.
Some of the items listed here would slip through the cracks if no one discusses them. Costs can jump up, construction can stop, and/or you can be on the hook for their damage to your property. For anything with legal and financial implications, be sure that it’s written on paper somewhere.
Permits: Typically the contractor will put in a permit request at least a week before the project starts, if not a month depending on your timeline. Ask anyway. If they don’t say they will do it, then you need to file it or face a fine for work without a permit.
Material Choices: Often roofing companies will make suggestions for certain material choices, usually because they are familiar with the product or have a great discount on the product. You do not have to take their suggestion, but you should listen to their advice. Ask about several types of roof coverings (metal, tile, shingles) and what makes sense for your roof.
You might be limited in material choices by your homeowner’s association (HOA). Consult with your HOA rep and the rule book, then pass along that information to the contractor.
Financing or Warranty: Even if you use the suggested financing solution the roofer recommends, you would still have to complete the paperwork yourself. However, the warranty information might be completed by you or the roofer. Typically the roofer would complete the warranty information for a whole roof replacement. In any case you need to ask which party is responsible for these options.
For insurance information, the roofer is not going provide much service here beyond issuing a quote and inspection report after the roof is completed. You will need to handle the interaction with your insurance company.
Protect Your Property: Ask who will cover the outdoor furniture and landscaping. Roofing is a messy business during the tear-up phase and some material might slip onto the yard below. Help yourself by moving as much out of the way as you possibly can. Then make sure either you or the roofing company covers the rest.
Roofing License: It seems like such a simple thing, but not all roofing contractors are licensed though they must be legally. Ask your roofer if they are licensed and insured. In Florida, you can check their status online at the Florida DBPR Licensee Search page. If you do not feel comfortable with a particular company, use your best judgement and consider other companies.
[Sidenote: McAuley Roofing is a licensed Certified Roofing Contractor in Florida and insured.]
About The Company: Ask about the size of the company, number and size of the roofing crews, and how long they have been in business. Also, ask for a list of their reviews and references. These questions help you make a judgement call about the expertise they provide. Remember, though some companies are young they can provide quality service. In this case, lean a bit more on the reviews and references.
At the end of the day, the roofing contractor is only responsible for what they put on paper. Anything not discussed will ultimately fall back on you. Protect yourself against unforeseen damages, financial pitfalls, and legal woes by asking as much as you can think of. If you are not comfortable yet with the contractor or the service they would provide, don’t sign anything yet.
Who put this here? Did you?
Unexpected Problems
Additional Damages Uncovered: Unfortunately, due to the layered nature of roofs, you might not see all the damage until the roof comes off. Quotes can only give you an estimate based on the expertise and visual inspection by the contractor. Be prepared for a change order or a new, second quote if the damage is beyond the scope of the first quote.
Insured: Be sure the roofing company is insured against accidents and roof installation mistakes. This blog post is not the space for legal advice, especially when the costs can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Protect yourself by asking the liability and financial questions. If you need, ask for an insurance certificate. If they cannot or will not provide one, protect yourself by assuming they aren’t insured.
Damage To Property: As for insurance, sometimes the company will only be covered for injuries and roof-related damages. Ask about property damage as well. It’s in your best interest to move anything that might get in the roofing crew’s way. Though sometimes things get damaged. Be sure to document the situation and have a calm discussion with the contractor.
Exposed Roof: Ask about the procedures in the event of sudden weather changes. As we know on the Florida west coast, heavy rains come and go as they please. After the old roof has been ripped off, your house is at the mercy of nature. Check the weather reports and ask the crew what they will do if they need to quickly cover the roof.
Pets On The Loose: For those with pets, it’s best to keep them inside as much as possible on roofing days, but they’ll have to go out eventually. If you put your pets outside at anytime, make it clear with the roofers that there are pets underneath and remind them about closing the gate, or not using the gate at all for a little bit.
Waterproofing Challenges: Some issues might not be apparent until the old roof is stripped away. Some waterproofing challenges include dips and odd corners. These are areas where water can pool up or not drain away fast enough, which need to be remedied before the new roofing material goes on. Sometimes these challenges can only be solved with a little structural work.
Permitting Challenges: While the roofer would likely apply for a permit, there might be reasons it would be delayed or denied. It is not always up to the roofer to solve these challenges. Any time you spend to resolve these issues will add delay to your project.
Supply Chain Challenges: In this modern world where the delivery of goods has been streamlined, we’ve learned that any hiccup in the supply chain causes problems up and down the line. You might be asked if you can accept a delay or a substitution in your project. However, don’t let your roofer use this as a chance to upgrade your roofing contract. Don’t agree to anything without a new contract or amendment to the contact with new signatures.
The Roofing Process
Things You Should Do
Before the roofing crew arrives, there’s a few things you should do to help out. Some of these might not apply to you, use it as a common sense checklist to help things move along smoothly.
- Make arrangements for kids and pets. Perhaps they can spend the day(s) elsewhere. If you do keep them at home, tell the kids to stay inside and not let the pets out without notifying you.
- Protect your property by moving furniture, covering plants and landscaping, and covering your pool (if possible). If you made arrangements for the roofer to provide coverings, give it a once-over before they begin.
- Move your cars out of the driveway. Even if you don’t expect a dumpster to be delivered, it’s best to allow the roofer access to your driveway for a work area.
- Make room for dumpsters and materials. If the dumpster is going on the street or driveway, make space for it before the truck comes so you are not wasting time. Roofing materials for small projects might come on a few pickups, which is easy enough, but a whole house replacement might mean several pallets of material need to be staged close to the house.
- Pre-inspect your house and take photos. It’s best to have them and not need them. Check your windows for cracks, siding for broken pieces, gutters for dents, and et cetera.
- Determine if the roofing crew will be using your electricity, water, and bathrooms. It’s best to agree on a set of rules up front as you’ll be paying for their electrical use, water use, and inviting them into your home. Typically, roofing crews will bring a generator to run their own electrical equipment, but don’t assume.
- Cut your grass a day or two ahead of the project date. This will make it easier for the cleanup to find smaller bits of debris and roofing nails that fell into your yard.
- Cover items in your attic. Not too many houses in Florida have a finished attic, but for those that do, be sure to cover your possessions up there too. Removal of the old roof is likely to shake some dust onto the space below.
Before Roofing Starts
A day or two before the project starts, or even sometimes the morning of, the dumpster and materials might be dropped off. The crew might arrive a bit early to drop of generators and tools and stage the area.
Before any construction begins you will have to pay the deposit. You might do this at the time you sign the contract, but no work will be done before any money is put up as an assurance the project is moving forward. If this project is covered by warranty or insurance, the money paid out from those services would need to be turned over to the roofing company. The deposit is normally in the 10-30% range and should never be paid all up front nor all in cash.
The licensed roofing contractor will do a walk through of the roof and direct the crew. Don’t be surprised if they then leave to check on other projects. Many roofers will stay onsite and help with the construction, though some will split their time between a couple of projects and keeping their own work flows moving.
During The Roofing Project
After the area has been staged with equipment, materials, debris collection (e.g. tarps), ladders, and safety equipment, it’s time to tear off the old roofing material. Normally a roofing crew would tear out from top to bottom, though experience will be their guide.
Once they get down to the decking layer (the plywood sheets) they will repair any structural damage and replace plywood sheets where needed.
Then they can begin with the new. The drip edge along the bottom-most edge of the roof line will be installed new or repaired. This drip edge will point the water from the roof toward your gutter, not allowing it to go back up under the shingles. Then a layer of shielding (usually felt paper, also synthetic and rubberized options) is rolled out in long rows along the roof, starting from the bottom up to create overlap.
Valleys and corners are covered in flashing to channel water down. Because more water accumulates in these areas, the flashing is often large metal sheets.
Next is the largest and most visible part, the roofing material of choice. Whether you’ve opted for asphalt or wood shingles, tiles, metal, or other material, this should be installed from the bottom up to create overlap. Asphalt shingles will get nailed in the upper portion of the shingle and the next layer overlaps those nails. When completed you shouldn’t see any exposed nails.
Finally, additional flashing might be installed at locations where wind and water can get under the shingles. Any roof pieces that were removed for the project, such as vents or chimney covers, are replaced.
Then the crew will cleanup any remaining debris from their work. They should also pick up nails that have fallen into the yard, most professional crews will use a rolling magnet to pick up as much as possible.
Here’s a completed roof by John McAuley and crew from 2023.
After Project Ends
As the cleanup is underway or completed, the licensed contractor will return to the roof to inspect for proper installation and material defects. Now is the time to make any adjustments. Their final inspection will include photos and the entire packet emailed or printed and handed to you.
Do not move forward with a completed project if you think there are areas that need fixed. If you are unsatisfied with any of their work, now is the time to bring it up, politely. Give your roofer an opportunity to go back and fix any installation issues.
If they use a roofing material that comes with a warranty, it is typical they fill out the paperwork that states they installed it according to the proper specifications. Otherwise, check to see who is responsible for the warranty, if any.
Once everyone is in agreement the project is complete, the remainder of the bill is due. Refer to the quote for this amount. If it was covered by warranty or insurance, then the second payment from those sources should be handed over to the roofing company.
To help the company and future customers, it’s best to leave a review online. Here’s your chance to briefly describe what services and skills the roofers brought and how well they completed the job. It’s likely you judged the company online before hiring them using online reviews, so spend a few minutes and help out the next customers with their decisions.
If you would like to be a reference for the company, tell the roofing contractor. Many would like to keep your name and email or phone number in their pocket for when prospective clients have questions.
Lastly, pay attention to the roof the first time it rains after installation. If you had repair work done, go to those locations and check that no new water is getting in. You might want to grab your umbrella and head outside to watch the water runoff in all the ways you’d expect it too. Make sure water is diverted to the gutters and doesn’t appear to be pooling up.
Getting a roof repaired or replaced is no easy task, even if you do none of the construction yourself. Aside from deciding how to finance or involve insurance in the project, choosing the roof material for the top layer, and signing contracts, you will have to put some work into clearing the work site before the work crews arrive, especially to protect your property from further damage.
The roofing process is as multi-layered as the finished roof will be. Understanding the moving pieces before any paperwork is signed will go a long way to protecting yourself from legal, financial, or even medical woes. Always ask about portions that aren’t clear to you. Use your best judgement when selecting a roofing contractor – if they can’t prove insurance certification, get dodgy about their material sources, or lack any prior-customer references, then perhaps select another company.
Remember, the diligence and effort you invest in this process not only protect your property but also bring peace of mind. As your new or repaired roof stands above, rest assured that your careful decisions have fortified your home against the elements and secured its value for years to come.
