Are you about to begin a roof replacement and wondering what you should expect from the entire process? With the many uncertainties that come along with it, some homeowners feel uneasy about the whole thing. While many different steps are a part of this undertaking, you don’t need to feel troubled.
To help you feel confident about what’s to occur during your roof replacement, we’ve highlighted eight key things to expect from the project: roofing contractor selection, construction material exploration, permit and inspection process, preparation for material delivery & professional arrival, removal of old roofing materials, installation of a new roof, roofing company clean up, and the final meet-up with roofing contractors.
After reading the content below and understanding the average time for roof replacement, you can feel comfortable about the entire process, be ready to tackle the project, and contact a professional roofing service to schedule an appointment.
1. Roofing Contractor Selection
First and foremost, a roof replacement project begins with selecting the best roofing contractor near you. There are a few things that you can do to ensure that you hire the best possible candidate. Considering how many years of business a professional has is a fantastic first step for evaluating the expertise of a company. While it’s not wise to entirely discount a local roofer due to lack of experience, there is a certain level of confidence that a homeowner has if the company has mastered the art of all things roof replacements with lots of experience.
After contemplating the experience levels, studying a roofer’s reference list can also be beneficial. A typical reference list has five to ten customers the company has worked for in the last six months to a year. Once getting your hands on this reference list, you can personally call past customers and ask them questions about their experience with the company, such as quality of work and communication styles.
Lastly, a roofer can provide an estimate after their initial appointment at your home, which can help you determine whose the best fit. In addition to giving an approximation for the average time for roof replacement for their company, the estimation document will contain a breakdown of costs regarding labor. After receiving two or three of these estimations from different companies, you can get a clear idea of which roofer best fits within your budget and meets (or exceeds) your expectations.
2. Construction Material Exploration
After finding the best professionals to complete the roof replacement, you’ll need to explore construction materials to order for the company to install them. While this may initially seem like an easy step, there are some key factors that you should consider before ordering a specific construction material.
One of the most important things to evaluate is the heaviness of certain roofing materials. Materials that weigh a lot, such as slate or clay tiles, may not be suitable for specific homes since the structural integrity is not up to par. With all of this stated, it’s essential to consider your home’s condition and how much weight it can handle while researching constriction materials. Furthermore, it’s paramount to consider your climate. For example, do you live in an area that’s prone to heavy rain or tropical storms? If so, options that can hold up in these conditions, such as asphalt or concrete, might be best. Or, do you live in an area that’s extremely dry with hot temperatures? Terra cotta tiles and ceramic work excellent in an environment like this.
If you need assistance understanding which materials work best in your location, contact a residential roofer who knows the average time for roof replacement and all things construction. Lastly, it’s essential to determine the aesthetics that you’re trying to achieve with the roof replacement. When considering the design, explore the patterns, textures, and colors you find most attractive.
3. Permit & Inspection Process
You’ll need to complete some important technical steps before roof replacements can begin. Two of these things are permits and inspections. In a general sense, a permit is always needed if there is going to be some structural change to your roof. Since specific states and counties have certain requirements in terms of permits, research what the conditions are in your location. If permits are not gotten when needed before the average time for roof replacement is complete, there are some consequences that homeowners should be aware of.
First, a homeowner might run into insurance issues in the form of denied claims and increased premiums. Difficulty in selling the home in the future might also result from failing to get a permit. In addition to permits, some homeowners schedule inspections for their roofs before the project begins. During this step, professionals will evaluate the physical condition of the roof, and see if there are circumstances that need addressing, such as sagging or extensive leaks.
If these issues are present, the professionals will take extra precautions during the reroofing. Because many residential roofing companies have gone through these processes dozens of times, the professionals can help walk you through this process and explain what to do.
4. Preparation for Material Delivery & Professional’s Arrival
About a week before the average time for roof replacement takes place, you should prepare for the materials and crew to arrive on the property. You can expect a dumpster to come to your home. This dumpster, used for old roofing material disposal, will likely be large and placed in an optimal location, like a driveway or front yard, making it easy for professionals to make quick work of the project. More often than not, the dumpster is placed in the driveway.
Additionally, construction materials, such as shingles, will arrive beforehand. Deliverers might store these materials on the roof or in your garage. With this considered, it’s essential to ask the roofers which day the materials will arrive so you can have the space cleared.
Lastly, clearing your yard space from all personal items can ensure they aren’t in the way of the working crew and that they don’t get dirty from the various debris done by the project. Examples of personal belongings to be cautious of includes outdoor furniture, a grill, gardening tools, children’s tools, and planters.
5. Removal of Old Roofing Material
Once all materials are delivered to your home and the property is prepared for the roofing crew to complete the replacement, the project is ready to get underway. The first step of this roofing project is removing the old material. Because this is the loudest and messiest part of the entire project, it’s good to prepare before it begins.
To do this, lock pets in safe places, such as a cage, to prevent scares. If you have children living in the home, it might be wise to make special accommodations for them during this step. While the methods may vary, most professionals use tear-off shovels to remove old roofing materials. In addition to the shovels, expect professional roofers to utilize tools such as a hammer jack, razor knife, roofing hammer, and nail pullers. Once disconnected from the roof’s surface, the old materials will get tossed into the dumpster located on your property.
Next, the professionals will clean up the mess that still might be on the surface, such as a magnetic sweeper to collect any leftover nails and metal debris. The last step to removing the old roofing materials is brushing away any other dust and dirt that might be present on the surface of the roof. After considering the average time for roof replacement, this entire process can take about four to six hours, depending on the size of the home.
6. Installation of New Roof
Installing the new roof is the next thing you should expect. For professionals to do this correctly, they’ll first install the underlayment on the roof’s surface. The underlayment is simply the barrier between your roof and the new construction materials installed onto it. There are primarily three different underlayments, according to Owens Corning.
The local roofers might install a felt underlayment. This material is made out of either paper or an organic mat that will assist with water resistance. If you live in an area with lots of precipitation, this might be your best bet. Secondly, there is the self-adhered underlayment. Made primarily out of rubber polymers and asphalt, this underlayment performs best in areas prone to extreme winter weather elements.
Lastly, synthetic underlayment is made of several polymers and is perfect for deterring the growth of fungi like mold. Once the installation of underlayment is complete, next is installing the new construction material. The hired crew will use roofing nails to secure the material to your roof. After the entire roof is replaced, the professionals will look at any other roofing elements that need to be addressed, like the static or ridge vents. This is an important last step that’s part of the average time for roof replacement because it’ll guarantee that your home is properly ventilated.
7. Roofing Company Clean Up
As stated above, the professionals will be cleaning up any debris from the initial removal of all old materials with a magnetic sweeper and broom. But, there’s also the final company clean-up to prepare for. Any good construction company will ensure they do their part to leave your property looking the same as it was initially before the project even began. So, once the new roof installation is complete, you can expect the company to inspect your property and look for any roofing nails and old debris that’s been left behind during their work.
Additionally, this is the time the dumpster will be removed from your property. Depending on the contractor, this process can go either one or two ways. First, you may be in complete control of the dumpster and need to contact the owners of the rental to take it away from your property. In this situation, you are going to be paying the dumpster company separately from what you’re giving to the roofers.
On the contrary, you may have hired a contractor that’s taken the dumpster rentals into their own hands. If this is your case, payment for the dumpster rental is included in the final bill to the roofer, and you won’t need to worry about contacting the dumpster company because it’s not your responsibility. This type of dilemma will mean that the dumpster will likely be picked up within a day or two after the average time for roof replacement is complete. After these steps are taken care of, you can put all personal belongings back in their original place that you might’ve stored away in your garage before the roofers arrived.
8. Final Meet-Up With Roofing Contractors
Last but not least, you can expect a final meet-up with roofing contractors after your replacement project. More times than not, a representative will contact you via phone call, and set up a time to meet in person to discuss your experience with the company and any other concerns you might have about the workmanship of the roof replacement.
During this time, if you think the work wasn’t sufficient, this is when the professionals will reexamine your roof and come back to your home to do additional work if needed. But if you’re completely satisfied and have felt like the average time for roof replacement was performed, this meeting is when you’ll be registering for any warranties (from contractors or product manufacturers) and possibly filling out a review if it’s requested. Plus, the final meet-up with roofing contractors is where you’ll likely be giving the final payment to the hired company and officially completing the entire process.
To conclude, a roof replacement is a big undertaking that can seem like an overwhelming experience for some homeowners. After reviewing this list above, you can prepare by selecting the perfect roofing contractor, exploring the proper construction material, the process for permits and inspections, and more.
Once the average time for roof replacement has passed, you can feel relaxed and be confident that this project won’t need to be done again for years and years. Especially if the hired roofers have properly installed and ventilated your roof, being worry-free about your roof will give you the peace of mind of safety for yourself and other loved ones living with you.
