Roof Replacement in Tallahassee for Older Homes and Big Trees

Roof replacement

Roof replacement in Tallahassee is rarely just new shingles. A lot of the houses we work on were built with board decking, small attic vents and flashing that has been patched more than once. Many sit under oaks that drop leaves, limbs and acorns on the roof all year. A new roof on a house like that lasts as long as the work underneath it, so that’s where most of our attention goes. We tear off to the deck, show you what we find, fix it at the price on the quote and then build the new roof on solid wood.

What we look at before we price it

The estimate starts on the roof and in the attic, not from a satellite picture. We walk every slope we can safely walk, look at the valleys, the chimney, the vents and the roof edge, and go into the attic to see the underside of the deck and the condition of the rafters. From the yard we look at the trees. A limb that already scrapes the shingles will scrape the new ones too.

You get a set of photos with notes on each one, and a written price that separates the parts of the job so you can see where the money goes.

Older decks, plainly explained

Many older homes around Tallahassee have decking made of individual boards rather than plywood sheets. Board decks can be perfectly sound, but they have gaps, some boards split, and the ones near the eaves, valleys and chimney are the most likely to have rotted from slow leaks over the years.

We can’t know exactly how much wood needs replacing until the old roof is off. So the quote lists a price per board and per sheet of plywood, and on tear-off day we show you each piece before it’s changed. Where a board deck is sound but uneven or gappy, we may recommend sheathing over it with plywood so the new roof has a flat, solid base. That is on the quote as its own line, with the reason written next to it.

Ventilation an older attic may never have had

A hot, damp attic shortens a roof’s life and makes the rooms below harder to cool. Older houses often have a couple of gable vents and little else. During a replacement we can add ridge venting and open or add soffit vents so air moves in low and out high, the way the shingle maker intends. We check the bathroom and kitchen fans too, because a fan that blows into the attic instead of outside puts moisture right under the deck.

Flashing, chimneys and the roof edge

Chimneys on older homes are a common source of leaks. The step and counter flashing is often original or covered in layers of roof cement. On a re-roof we replace the flashing rather than reusing it, and cut the counter flashing into the mortar joints where the chimney allows. We put new drip edge along the eaves and rakes, which keeps water and squirrels out of the fascia board, and replace rotted fascia we find on the way. A skylight gets new flashing too, and the re-roof is the time to decide whether to keep it, swap it or close it up, as our post on replacing an old skylight explains.

Shingle or metal

Architectural shingle suits most of the neighborhoods we work in, comes in colors that fit brick and painted siding, and costs less up front.

Standing seam metal sheds leaves and pine needles more easily, handles wind well and tends to last longer. It costs more and looks different, which is right for some houses and wrong for others. Screw-down metal is common on rural homes, barns and porches and can be a budget option.

We’ll price either, or both side by side, and tell you which we would choose for your roof and why.

How the job runs

1. Permit first. We file it with the building department for your address and don’t start until it’s issued.
2. Protection. Tarps over beds and shrubs, plywood over anything fragile, and the dumpster where you want it.
3. Tear-off and deck repair. The old roof comes off down to the wood. You see the deck, the problem boards are replaced and any loose boards or sheets are nailed down tight.
4. Underlayment and flashing. New underlayment across the deck, ice-and-water-type membrane in the valleys and around penetrations, and new flashing at walls and chimneys.
5. The new roof. Shingle or metal, installed to the manufacturer’s instructions so the warranty holds.
6. Clean-up and final inspection. A magnet sweep of the yard and driveway each day, the final inspection booked and passed, and the closed permit handed to you.

Price, in writing

The price you sign covers tear-off, disposal, underlayment, flashing, ventilation changes, the roof itself, the permit and clean-up. The only part that can change is decking, and that is priced per piece on the quote. If we find something we didn’t expect, like a cracked rafter, we stop, show you, and price it before we go on.

Payment plans are available on approved credit if you’d rather spread the cost.

Signs it may be time

A roof usually needs replacing rather than repairing when leaks keep showing up in new places, the shingles are curling or losing granules across the whole roof, several areas of the deck feel soft underfoot, or your insurer has asked for an inspection because of the roof’s age. If you’re not sure, start with an inspection. If the roof has years left, a roof repair is the better answer and we’ll say so.

Storm damage on an otherwise healthy roof is a different question. See our hurricane damage page for what we do after a storm, and insurance claim paperwork for the records we provide if you file a claim.

Where we replace roofs

We replace roofs across Tallahassee, Quincy and Crawfordville, on ranch homes, two-story houses, farmhouses and the porches and additions that have been built onto them over the years.

Roof replacement by town

• Roof replacement in Tallahassee, FLRanch homes and two-stories under live oaks in the older neighborhoods off the canopy roads, where limbs, leaves and shade are part of every roof.
• Roof replacement in Quincy, FLHistoric houses near the courthouse square and rural homes out toward the county line, many with metal roofs, deep porches and tall pines nearby.
• Roof replacement in Crawfordville, FLWakulla County homes between the national forest and the coast, with pine needles in the valleys and roofs that meet Gulf storms early.

Guides

• Replacing an Old Skylight, or Roofing Over It, in TallahasseeReplacing an old skylight in Tallahassee during a re-roof, or roofing over the opening for good. How to tell which suits your house, and why the timing matters.

Questions about roof replacement

• Can a new roof go on over the old one?

  Florida's building code allows one re-cover layer in some cases, but we don't recommend it on an older house. A second layer hides the deck, adds weight and keeps the new shingles from lying flat. We tear off to the wood so we can see what the roof is sitting on.

• How long does a re-roof take?

  Most single-family homes take a few working days once the permit is issued and the materials are on site. Rain, a lot of rotten decking or a steep, cut-up roof can stretch that, and we'll tell you if we expect any of them.

• Shingle or metal?

  Both do well here. Architectural shingle costs less up front and suits most older neighborhoods. Metal costs more, sheds leaves and pine needles more easily and tends to last longer. We'll price both if you're unsure and talk through how each would look on your house.

• Will you protect the yard and the plants?

  Yes. We tarp beds and shrubs, keep the dumpster where you agree it should go, and run a magnet over the lawn and driveway at the end of every day to pick up nails.