Roof Replacement and Repair in Rockford and the Northwest Metro

Asphalt shingle replacement, often in a day

A full replacement on a typical northwest metro home starts with a tear-off down to the deck. Old shingles, underlayment and flashing come off and go straight into a trailer, and we walk the bare deck looking for soft plywood, which we replace before anything new goes on. Then the layers go back in order: a self-sealing ice and water membrane along the eaves and in the valleys, synthetic underlayment over the rest of the deck, new drip edge at the eaves and rakes, step flashing where the roof meets a wall, and new pipe boots and vents. Shingles go on last, with a starter course at the edges and ridge cap at the peak, and ridge venting where the attic needs it. With a full crew and dry weather, a two-story home with a straightforward roof is often done in a day. One of our reviewers said exactly that. Steeper pitches, dormers and multiple valleys add time, and we tell you the expected day count before we start. We clean the yard with a magnet for nails before we leave.

• Tear-off to the deck, with soft sheathing replaced
• Ice and water membrane at eaves and valleys, synthetic underlayment over the field
• New drip edge, step flashing, pipe boots and vents
• Starter course, field shingles, ridge cap and ridge vent
• Magnet sweep of the yard and driveway for nails

Partial repairs and matching shingles

A lot of roofs do not need to be replaced. A few shingles lifted by wind, a leak at a pipe boot, a valley that was cut wrong, or a peak that was capped badly can all be repaired for a fraction of a replacement. The hard part of a repair is making it disappear. We match the shingle by manufacturer, style and color as closely as the market allows, and we weave the new shingles into the old courses rather than laying a patch on top. Chris N. hired us to paint his exterior and to fix a roof peak that a different roofing company had done incorrectly, and wrote that our roofing crew "matched the shingles perfectly and finished the roof peak correctly." That is the standard for a repair: it should be hard to find from the ground afterward. When a roof is close to the end of its life, we say so, because a repair on brittle shingles can crack more than it fixes.

Ice dams, fascia and the edge of the roof

Minnesota roofs fail at the edges before they fail in the field. Heat leaking into the attic melts snow on the upper roof, the water runs down to the cold eave and freezes, and the dam that forms backs water up under the shingles. Without an ice and water membrane at the eaves, that water finds the deck, the fascia and the wall below. That is why we see so much rotten fascia and stained soffit on homes that have never had a leak anyone noticed. On a replacement we run the membrane well up from the eave, set a proper drip edge over the fascia, and look at attic ventilation and insulation with you, since a warm attic is what starts the dam in the first place. On a repair we often replace the first few courses at the eave along with the fascia behind them. Gutters that were pulling away from soft fascia get reset on solid wood.

Roof, fascia and paint as one project

Here is where being a painter helps. A new roof means new drip edge sitting on the fascia, and if that fascia is rotten, this is the day to replace it. Soffit panels that were stained by ice-dam water come out at the same time. Once the carpentry is done, the fascia, soffit and any trim that got disturbed get primed and painted, and if the rest of the house is due, we paint the whole exterior while the staging is up. Sue V. had a new brown roof and hired us to paint her white trim afterward, and was relieved that we did not spill a drop on it. Doing the roof first and the paint second, with the same company, is how those two jobs are supposed to fit together. One estimate lists the roof, the carpentry and the paint as separate sections, so you can do all three or spread them across seasons.

What you get

• Tear-off to the deck, with soft plywood replaced before the new roof goes on
• Ice and water membrane at the eaves and valleys where Minnesota roofs leak first
• Shingles matched by manufacturer, style and color on partial repairs, woven into the existing courses
• Rotten fascia and soffit replaced under the same license on the same visit
• Full replacements often finished in a day on a typical home, with a magnet sweep before we leave
• Roof, carpentry and exterior paint sequenced as one project when the house needs all three

How it goes

1. Roof inspection and honest read

   We get on the roof, check the shingles, flashing, boots and valleys, and look at the fascia and soffit from below. You hear whether it is a repair or a replacement and why.

2. Written estimate with the edge work included

   Shingle and underlayment choices, flashing, ventilation, fascia and soffit repairs and any painting are itemized so you can see each part of the job.

3. Tear-off, deck repair, dry-in, shingles

   Old roofing comes off, soft deck gets replaced, membrane and underlayment go down, flashing is set and shingles go on. Most homes are done in a day or two.

4. Cleanup, carpentry, paint and walkthrough

   Nails are swept with a magnet, new fascia and soffit are primed and painted, and we walk the property with you and check the attic for daylight before we call it done.

What does a roof replacement cost in the northwest metro?

A roof is priced by the square (one hundred square feet of roof surface), and the number is driven by size, pitch and complexity before it is driven by the shingle you pick. A simple gable roof on a rambler in Buffalo or Monticello goes quickly. A two-story in Maple Grove or Plymouth with dormers, several valleys and a steep pitch takes more labor, more waste and more safety setup. Tear-off adds to the cost when there are two layers of old shingles to remove. Soft plywood found on the deck is priced per sheet and only charged if we find it. Shingle grade moves the material cost, as does upgrading the ventilation. Fascia and soffit repairs are their own line, and so is any painting. Repairs are priced by the hour and the material, and a small repair is usually a half-day visit.

• Roof size in squares and the amount of waste from hips, valleys and dormers
• Pitch and height, which set the staging and the pace
• Number of old layers to tear off
• Soft decking found and replaced, charged per sheet
• Shingle grade and ventilation upgrades
• Fascia, soffit and painting done on the same project