Getting ready for a new roof comes in two parts. The paperwork comes first, and it’s settled before you sign anything. The house comes second, in the days before the crew arrives. You don’t have to move out for the work, but it helps to know what the day will be like.
Before you sign
Start with the contractor. A Pennsylvania home improvement contractor’s registration number belongs on every estimate, and the Attorney General’s office lets you look it up online. The contract also has to meet the state’s rules, from the price and the deposit to your right to cancel, and that same post goes through it line by line.
With us, a replacement runs in five steps, from your first call to production day. The written estimate comes after we’ve been out to look at the roof. Then, at the pre-production visit, you pay the deposit and we work out the materials together, which makes it the time to raise anything still on your mind. All five steps are on our roof replacement page.
If you haven’t chosen the shingle or the color yet, our guide to choosing asphalt shingles covers both. Ask about a permit too. In Allentown that’s a question for the City, and elsewhere for your own city, borough or township. Where one is required, the permit and its inspection add to the price.
For the weather, see the best time of year to replace a roof. It also lists the questions worth settling while you pick a date, such as how rotten decking will be priced and whether the attic vents need work.
Getting the house ready
A few days before the crew comes:
- Clear the driveway. The new shingles are delivered close to the house, and the old roof needs somewhere to go, usually a dumpster or a trailer, so park the cars on the street.
- Move patio furniture and potted plants away from the walls, and cover anything you can’t move. Bits of the old roof fall around the house as it comes off.
- Take mirrors, pictures and anything fragile off the upstairs walls, above all the walls right under the roofline. Vibration from the hammering can knock them loose.
- If you keep things in the attic, cover them with old sheets or plastic. Dust and small bits of debris can fall through while the old roof is being torn off.
- Tell the neighbors. It’s noisy, and it helps them to know ahead, especially if they work from home or have pets or small children.
Staying home during the work
Plenty of people stay home through a re-roof. While the crew is up there, you’ll hear the hammering, the footsteps and the materials being moved around. Downstairs, or the basement, is quieter, and if you’re working from home that day, it’s worth planning your calls somewhere else. Some families just go out for the day.
Children and pets need the most thought. Dogs may not like the noise or strangers walking past the windows, and debris comes down along whichever side of the house is being stripped. Keep them, and yourself, well away from the work and out of the crew’s way.
When the crew has gone
On our jobs, production day ends with a final inspection of the work and a cleanup of the site. After that, keep the paperwork together: the contract, the estimate and anything that names the shingles that went on. Knowing the exact product helps any later repair use the right materials.
When you’re ready to start, the estimate doesn’t cost anything. Call (484) 553-0213 or book it through the contact page.