Three generations of Philadelphia roofers — residential only 24/7 Emergency Blog (215) 303-0319

How we work

No surprises.
That is the whole method.

Six steps from the first phone call to the magnet sweep, and you see every one of them. Photographs of your own roof, an itemised estimate, and a crew that leaves your property the way it found it.

Six steps

Call, to clean-up.

STEP 01

You call, or you ask for the inspection

One phone number, and it is answered by someone who works on roofs. Emergencies get handled the same day — around the clock, not just business hours.

STEP 02

We get on your roof, free

Not a look from the driveway. We walk the roof, check the flashing, the penetrations, the ventilation and the gutters, and go into the attic where we can.

STEP 03

You get photos and a straight answer

Pictures of your own roof and a plain-English read on what shape it is in — including the times the answer is that it is fine and you should call us in four years.

STEP 04

A written estimate, itemised

The whole system in writing: tear-off, decking allowance, membrane, underlayment, shingle, flashing, ventilation, cleanup. Nothing vague, nothing to argue about later.

STEP 05

Scheduled, and your property protected

A real date, and a crew that tarps the landscaping, protects the driveway and keeps the site tight. Your house is never left open overnight.

STEP 06

Final walk and a magnet sweep

We walk it with you, hand over the paperwork and warranty registration, and run a magnet over the whole perimeter until it stops picking up nails.

The roof system

Seven layers.
All seven, every time.

This is what “a new roof” means when we say it. Leave any one of these out and the roof still looks finished from the street — for about three years.

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01

Roof deck

Every sheet gets checked once the old roof is off. Soft, spongy or delaminated plywood is replaced before anything new goes down — you cannot fix a bad deck from on top of it.

Replaced where needed
02

Ice & water shield

Self-adhering rubberised membrane at every eave, in every valley and around every penetration. It seals around the nails driven through it. This is what stops ice dams and wind-driven rain.

Eaves · valleys · penetrations
03

Synthetic underlayment

Across the whole deck, not just the first few feet. Lighter, far stronger and far more tear-resistant than old felt paper, and it will not wrinkle if it catches a shower before the shingles go on.

Full deck coverage
04

Drip edge & starter

New aluminum drip edge on eaves and rakes so water leaves the roof instead of curling back into the fascia — then factory starter strip with a sealant bead to lock the first course down.

Eaves & rakes
05

Architectural shingles

GAF laminated shingles, nailed in the manufacturer's nail zone at the specified count. Nails high, low or overdriven are what void a warranty and lift a roof in a nor'easter.

Nailed to spec
06

Flashing

New step flashing woven into the courses at every wall, new valley metal, new pipe boots and a proper chimney counter-flashing. Old flashing does not get re-used, and caulk is not flashing.

All new metal
07

Ridge vent & cap

The deck is cut back at the ridge and vented, then capped with matching shingles. With intake at the soffit, that pulls heat and moisture out of the attic and stops the roof cooking itself from underneath.

Balanced ventilation

Pricing

What actually changes
the number.

Nobody can price a roof off a phone call, and anybody who does is guessing high enough to be safe. Here is what we are looking at when we walk it.

Size, pitch and access

Square footage is the obvious one. Pitch matters more than people expect — a steep roof is slower, needs staging and is simply harder to work. On a city row, so is getting material up there at all.

How many layers are coming off

A single layer of shingle is one thing. Two or three layers, or a layer over old cedar shake, is a great deal more tear-off, more dumpster and more labour.

How much flashing there is

Chimneys, dormers, skylights, wall tie-ins and valleys are where the labour and the leaks both live. A plain rectangle of roof and a cut-up roof of the same square footage are not the same job.

What is under the shingles

We carry a decking allowance and we show it to you as a line. Once the old roof is off we know exactly how many sheets are bad, and you get charged for the ones we actually replace.

Ventilation and code work

Ridge vent, intake at the soffit and the ice & water shield the code requires at the eaves. Some estimates leave these off to look cheaper. Ours do not.

Disposal and protection

Dumpster, haul-off, tarping the landscaping, protecting the driveway and the magnet sweep at the end. It is real cost and it is on the estimate, not a surprise.

Warranties

Three different things,
and the gap between them.

Almost every roofing dispute lives in the space between these. Ask any contractor to put in writing which ones you are getting.

  • Manufacturer warranty — covers the shingle itself against defects. It does not cover installation.
  • Workmanship warranty — covers the install, and it is only as good as the company standing behind it.
  • System warranty — the stronger manufacturer coverage available when the whole system is theirs, installed to their spec.

We will tell you exactly which applies to your job, in writing, before you sign anything.

Get your free estimate

No obligation. Tell us what you are looking at and we will come and look at it.

Demo form — it validates and redirects, but sends nothing. Point it at the client's CRM to go live.

Free estimate

Free inspection. Written estimate. No pressure.

Tell us what you are looking at and we will come and look at it — and we will tell you honestly what it needs, including the times the answer is nothing yet.

(215) 303-0319