A new roof, specified properly
Replacing a roof is the only work that reveals the whole substrate, which makes it the right moment to correct problems that repairs can only work around: soft decking, inadequate ventilation, missing ice barrier at the eaves, and flashing details that were never built correctly in the first place.
We quote replacement as a defined scope: tear-off of the existing covering, inspection and replacement of any damaged sheathing, new underlayment, new flashing at every transition inside the work area, and the new covering itself. Anything excluded is written down as excluded, so there are no assumptions on either side.
Decking is the honest unknown
Nobody can tell you the condition of the sheathing until the old covering is off. That is the single most common source of change orders in roofing, and the fix is not to pretend otherwise — it is to agree a per-sheet rate up front, and to agree who authorises replacement once we can see it. You get a photograph of every sheet we replace.
- Full tear-off to the deck, not an overlay that hides the substrate
- Agreed unit rate for sheathing replacement, authorised as found
- Ice and water barrier at eaves and valleys as the climate requires
- Ridge and intake ventilation checked and balanced, not just replaced
- Labour warranty and manufacturer material warranty stated separately
Overlay or tear-off?
Installing a new layer over the old is cheaper and faster, and it leaves the decking unseen — that is the trade-off in one sentence. Local code also limits how many layers are permitted. Where an overlay is genuinely appropriate we will say so; where it would simply postpone the real work, we will explain why a tear-off is the better spend.
Planning and weather matter on a replacement in a way they do not on a small repair. We agree what happens if conditions turn, and what protection is left in place overnight, before the first shingle comes off.
Serving Erie County
We cover Derby, Hamburg, Lake View, Orchard Park, West Seneca, Buffalo, Eden, Angola, Blasdell, Lackawanna, Evans and Boston. If you are just outside that area, ask — we will tell you honestly whether we are the right people for the job.