Complete Residential Roof Replacement
At Roof Hub, we pride ourselves on replacing Boston area roofs according to manufacturer guidelines and local building codes. By doing so, we're able to give you a 50-year warranty and complete peace of mind that this will be the last roof replacement you'll ever invest in. Learn more about our step-by-step re-roofing process below.
Phase One: Planning Your Installation
Process isn't just important to us while we're installing your roof, it's a fabric of what we do. The steps we take before installation day helps ensure the roof replacement itself goes smoothly and that we're able to keep our promise after you have your new roof on your house.
Phase Two: Installation Day
Phase two is what happens while your roof is being installed. From the moment we show up at your home, our aim is to install your roof in a way that guarantees it'll last for 50+ years. And our preparation from phase #1 makes accomplishing this much easier!
Phase Three: After Installation
Most roofing companies pack up and leave your property as quickly as possible after the work day is over and your roof is installed. Not us. First, we'll explain the installation to you and walk you around the property for a post-install inspection. After that, we're just a phone call away.
Phase #1: Planning Your Roof Replacement
Exterior Warning Sign Inspection
Chances are, you came across Roof Hub because something on the outside of your roof looks out of place. Common roof problems include black algae and moss growth, curled and missing shingles, and more. Before giving you an estimate, we'll analyze the exterior of your roof to make assumptions about what could be underneath. The worst thing a roofing contractor could do for your home is eyeball the job then simply leave an estimate in your mail box. These are the cases where your roof replacement cost often skyrockets on installation day because of unforeseen circumstances.
Interior Attic Inspection
Looking at your roof from the ground only tells half the story. So to truly give you a roofing estimate you can feel confident in, we're going to hop into your attic or crawl space to inspect your wood decking from the inside. If you have exterior damage, we'll work to connect the dots with how the inside looks. Is moss growth on the outside a sign of water penetration into your home? We'll investigate for you, then report our findings so you know exactly what you're up against, whether you choose us to replace your roof or another roofing company.
Note: though many companies charge for attic inspections, Roof Hub's is free. From experience, we've found that it is the only way to give you a quality quote.
Free Roofing Estimate
Now that we have detailed understanding of your home and your remodeling needs, we're able to give you a roofing estimate that's 100% guaranteed in writing for 12 full months. The estimate is based on the roof's size (number of square) and a variety of other factors.
We'll also leave you with a timetable estimate for when you should replace your roof. This way, you're able to take our (free) advice then choose the best time to replace your roof on your own terms.
Simple Installation Scheduling
You ready for us to install GAF's lifetime shingles and Roof Hub's roofing system?
Great! Now that you're ready to get started, we can coordinate your entire roof replacement in one fell swoop so you always know the next step in the project. This is the most important home remodeling project you can do for your house, so we understand how important communication is to you. We promise: you'll never be left in the dark.
Building Permit Coordination
Common home remodeling complaints from homeowners don't stop at scheduling annoyances. Pulling the correct permits can be a real pain, too. If it your job to pull the permit for your project, or does that responsibility fall on your contractor? When you choose Roof Hub, you won't have to life a finger. No headaches, just leave it to the experts to pull the correct permits so your project us in compliance with local laws and town ordinances.
Complimentary Dumpster Delivery
Much like pulling town permits, coordinating the job's dumpster delivery (and pickup) can oftentimes be a real pain. Because of this, all dumpsters required for your roof replacement are completely complimentary. So whether you have enough shingles to fit in one small, compact dumpster or you need two large dumpsters, you don't need to worry about it. Dumpster are used for shingle and debris removal and generally arrive the day prior to replacement day and are removed the day after your new roof is put on your house. An exciting moment, since this will be the last roof you ever invest in.
Common Pre-Installation Questions
If you're looking for a new roof and want to have a Roof Hub expert out to give you an estimate, you can either:
- Use the simple form at the top of this page
- Use the complete estimate request form here
- Call us directly: (857) 237-7648
Whichever method you choose, we'll be happy to help!
Absolutely!
We know most homeowners are busy with work and other activities during the week, so we make ourselves available for weekend estimates on Saturdays between 9:00am and 3:00pm. Call now to schedule.
Typical warning signs on the outside of your roof include but are not limited to:
- Moss growth (a big negative for the structural integrity of your roof, according to the Washington State University)
- Algae growth
- Black streaking (another sign of water retention)
- Curled shingles
- Waved shingles
- Missing shingles
- Lack of ventilation
- Deteriorating chimney flashing
If you have some of these issues now, there's no need to worry that your roof will cave in tomorrow but it would be wise to have them checked out. How serious the issues are vary on a home-to-home basis and all factors (roof age, home age, roof type, home type, warning sign severity) should be taken into account before you have any need to worry.
Out of all the warning signs that point to you needing a new roof, green moss growth is the most obvious. Because when you have moss growing on your roof, it's almost impossible to ignore...
Depending on the severity and other roof problems that may be present, moss growth may mean you need a new roof. But as is the case with any roofing issues, it's best to consult an expert and have us out for an estimate and quick inspection.
During our walk around outside your house, we'll point out any warning signs (like the moss growth) that may signal you have leaks inside. Then when we get into your attic space, we'll investigate the outside issues with inside ones. Many times, this alone will help us find leaks if you have them. Other times however, it won't.
While we're in your attic, we'll also do a brief inspection of common weakpoints when leaks are generally found. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Around your chimney, pipes, and exhaust vents
- Along roof-wall intersections
- In valleys
- Around dormers
- Near skylights
- Along the eaves of your roof
Phase 2: Installing Your New Roof
Clean Up
You may be wondering why clean up is our first task on the day we install your roof. No, this isn't a typo. Far from it! Part of the Roof Hub promise is to treat your property like a family home, not just some random house that happens to need a new roof. So to keep this promise, we make sure your house, shrubs, and flowers are properly covered when we start removing your old shingles. A big tarp will run across your gutter line to catch any falling debris. And to add to our cleanliness promise, we'll have 1-2 members of our crew cleaning up throughout the installation. You can forget what you've heard about those nightmare roofing jobs that don't get cleaned up for weeks!
Old Shingle Removal
Before any new shingles or roofing materials are installed, we need to remove the old shingles. And though this step may seem obvious to some homeowners, it's one that's important to be aware of. Do not hire a roofing company who suggests you do a "layover," which means putting one layer of shingles over another. Legally, you can have two layers of shingles, but it will actually do more harm than good for your roof! All you're doing is covering up the existing problems with new shingles. Aesthetically, it will help. But underneath, your old roof shingles will fester and make the problems worse.
Rotted Wood Deck Replacement
Before you hired Roof Hub, we gave you complimentary wood deck inspection in your attic space. During that inspection, we may or may not have made some suggestions about what wood needed to be replaced, based on our experience seeing the backside of it from the inside. Now that we've removed all your shingles, more damage may present itself because wood rots from the outside in. In order to give your new shingles a proper foundation that'll last 50 years, we'll replace any rooted wood decking with new plywood.
Drip Edge
If you have gutters, they're hung just below your roof line. They're meant to catch rain and melting snow that's sliding off your eaves so the water doesn't continually erode your siding and foundation. Gutters, however, can't do the job alone because of the gap between your roofing eave line and gutters. This space leaves your fascia board exposed to the elements, especially if it isn't capped with water-resistant vinyl. So to protect this vulnerable area of your house, we install drip edge, often referred to as flashing, all along your roof's edge. The installation of metal drip edge flashing helps funnel precipitation into your gutters so your fascia boards receive as little beating as possible.
Ice and Water Shield
Many Boston roofers harp on ice and water shield as the most important part of their roof, but for us, it's just another part of the Roof Hub system. Other contractors get away with this because they tell homeowners that the ice and water shield is a completely waterproof barrier. And while this is true, waterproofing comes with a cost. You don't want to install ice/water shield over your whole roof because then your house won't be able to breathe. At Roof Hub, we only install ice/water shield over the most vulnerable areas of your roof, like along the rakes, eaves, alongside dormers and in valleys. Elsewhere, we'll protect your house from water infiltration with synthetic underlayment.
Synthetic Underlayment
You could argue that synthetic underlayment is the most important part of our roofing system. If you're familiar with common roofing materials, then you've likely heard of tar paper, also known as felt paper. Our synthetic underlayment, which some contractors refer to as a vapor barrier, is a state-of-the-art waterproof barrier that's nailed in under your shingles. It takes the place of traditional tar paper, which is now an out-dated roofing material that's been proven unhealthy for your home. Though felt paper does keep water from coming in, it doesn't let water out. This lack of permeability results in moisture stagnation in your attic and eventually, mildew. Whoever you hire for your roof's replacement, make sure they use a breathable underlayment that lets water in and out.
Pro-Start Shingle Starter Strip
The most exciting part of getting your roof replaced is GAF's pro start starter strip!
Just kidding... This starter shingle isn't very exciting, but it does help prevent your first layer of shingles from flapping up and down in the wind. When the first layer of shingles aren't nailed down properly, eventually they'll get loose enough and either letting water sneak behind your shingles and into your wood decking or worse, blow off your house all together. Think of the prostart starter shingle as a foundational roofing material that helps prevent these "blowoffs" and provides a solid base for the rest of your roofing system.
GAF Timberline HD Architectural Shingles
What's the best roofing shingle for homes in Massachusetts? You're looking at it! Why is GAF's Timberline HD architectural shingle the one we install on all Roof Hub homes? Because it's the only one that can be trusted to protect against the uncertain weather in New England. As a Boston area homeowner, you need a shingle that can withstand 2 feet of snow sitting on top of it for months, but also 100+ degree heat in the summer. When we come out to your neighborhood for your roofing estimate, you can hold these timberline shingles with your own hands. And when you do, you'll instantly feel comfortable knowing your house will be protected under them. Structurally strong is what your home deserves!
Ridge Vent Installation (Ventilation)
If you read the section about synthetic underlayment above, then you understand the importance of a properly ventilated attic space. Because if your house can't breathe, all the moisture from your day-to-day activities will stagnate in the attic and lead to not only mildew, but also higher energy bills. It's true, your attic's irregular temperatures mean your heating system will have to work harder in the winter and cooling system harder in the summer. This is especially true for Charlotte roofing systems. Coupled with an underlayment that can breathe, ridge vent installation completes your needs for attic ventilation. In many areas, you'll also need a ridge vent to be "up to code."
Ridge Cap Shingles
Installing a ridge vent is great, but now what? Since ridge vents are between four and six inches in width, you certainly can't just leave the opening exposed to New England weather.
To cap off your ridge vent, many roofing contractors simply take a regular shingle, bend it over the ridge vent as best as possible, then nail it in. But because normal architectural shingles aren't manufactured with bend-ability in mind, they'll crack under this pressure. When we install your roof, we'll use GAF-approved ridge cap shingles that were created for the purpose of covering ridge vents. In addition to protection, their 3D look will add some nice curb appeal to your home!
Chimney Counter-Flashing
Our roof replacement experts have climbed into the attics of hundreds of homes over the past few years. Doing allows us to make this claim: leaky chimneys are one of the most frequent offenders for causing roofs to leak. Water starts coming in at the chimney and spreads from there, many times running down walls and causing expensive drywall damage...
Chimneys in Massachusetts leak so much because many contractors fail to correctly install chimney flashing because installing flashing on a chimney the right way is incredibly labor-intensive. Instead of slapping a shingle up against the chimney and sealing with unsighly (and ineffective) tar, the metal flashing is etched into the chimney itself and run underneath the shingle. So when snow is sitting up against your chimney for months next winter, you won't have to sweat it!
Pipe Collars
In roofing as is the case in life, it's the little things that can really make a big difference. Something that wasn't even on your mind can become something you could never do without. Don't get too excited, but our process for pipe collars is kind of like that. Many roofers skip this roof replacement step to save costs and because most homeowners would never know to look for it, but much like chimneys, the areas around pipes are common sources for leaks. We'll seal them up for you with a custom-fitted pipe collar made from galvanized steel. Like your chimney, your exhaust pipes are now impenetrable. Stay out, water! And as a finishing touch to the roof, we'll paint the your pipes to match your shingle color of choice. It all fits together, a complete roofing system.
Trim Capping
Earlier in the day, we installed drip edge along your eaves to help mitigate water from seeping behind your fascia board. Drip edge is helpful, but unfortunately it's not enough in climates that get as much precipitation as we do in Massachusetts. Vinyl soffit and fascia board capping is an optional part of the Roof Hub replacement system, but one that we highly recommend. Because you can have the most weather-resistant roof in the world, but if water can simply sneak around and enter through your unprotected roofing trim, then you're not fully protected from leaks. Plus, fascia capping and soffit capping both add a fresh look to your home. An added bonus on top of the beautiful new roof!
Seamless Gutters & Gutter Guards
Managing how water flows on and away from your home is critical in New England. And as we've mentioned a few times on this page, it's important for all homeowners to know the risks associated with not keeping your home sealed from leaks. Gutters are another optional part of our roofing system but if you don't have them already, we advise you have them installed. Otherwise, water will run down your siding and could slowly eat away at your foundation. It's preventative maintenance you'll be happy you took care of before it became too late.
Common Roof Replacement Day Questions
Without installing our entire roofing system on your house, we won't be able to give you the 50 year warranty.
Because of this, we choose to only install our roofs one way and that's with every step of the Roof Hub process. If you don't care about having a warranty and don't mind risking potential problems down the road, then we suggest checking our numerous DIY options available online.
Because we take care of the entire roof replacement process for you, you don't have to worry about getting rid of your old roofing shingles. Figuring out where to dispose of this roof waste can be a real hassle, so we'll haul all the shingles, nails, and extra wood off with us at the end of the day.
The amount of wood replacement you'll need varies from home to home. Where some homes have completely rotted wood under their old shingles, other houses are being proactive with their roof replacement and don't have any rotted wood at all.
If all your wood is strong, you won't need to replace any of it. However, we do require all suspect wood to be replaced because this is the only way to guaranteed a strong foundation for a roof that's built to last 50 years.
Great question! Changing your shingle color is one of the more fun parts of replacing your roof. Doing so can give the entire exterior of your home a makeover that sets your house apart from other in the neighborhood. We carry all of the colors available in GAF's Timberline HD shingle line, so for more information about these color selections, you can click here to view them on GAF's website.
Many shingle manufacturers, or shingle brands exist, but we're proud installers of GAF products.
Simply put, GAF is the most trusted name in roofing. Their products come with the best quality and warranties on the market, so you can feel comfortable knowing you have reputable roofing materials protecting your home.
If you don't already have a ridge vent installed on your home, we'll install one for you at not additional cost. This service is provided with the Roof Hub roofing system because it's the right way to install a new roof and the only way you'll be able to register your warranty.
No matter who replaces your roof, you won't have a warranty if you don't have a ridge vent installed!
Phase 3: After Your Roof Is Installed
Project Recap & Property Walkthrough
After your roof has been installed, we wont leave the property until we know you're happy! To make sure of this, we'll walk around your property with you to debrief the installation and inspect the job site for any remaining debris. Because we had a cleanup crew working all day while the rest of the crew was roofing, there's rarely any roofing materials on the ground we missed, so this is more of an opportunity for you to ask any remaining questions you have about how everything went.
Your 50 Year Transferrable Warranty
The best part about hiring Roof Hub as your local roofing contractor is that this will be the last roof you'll ever have to put on your home. This is partly because we us GAF's 50 year Timberline HD architectural shingles, but more-so because the Roof Hub process is backed by GAF themselves as well as Good Housekeeping. It's a 50 year, lifetime transferrable warranty that is not pro-rated. Whatever happens after the install*, you're covered.
Complete Peace of Mind
We follow the Roof Hub process on each and every roof replacement for many reasons. But beyond getting the job completed correctly the first time, we value your peace of mind. After the job is over, we want to guarantee what you're really looking for as a homeowner: peace of mind. Peace of mind that you'll never have to worry about another New England snow storm again. Peace of mind that no water will make it's way into your attic for at least 50 years. And peace of mind that you chose a roofing contractor that has your back no matter what. Plus, if you ever choose to build rooftop deck or patio in the Boston area, you know you'll have a firm foundation to build on.
Common Post-Installation Questions
How long it'll take to install your roof depends on both the size and complexity of your roof. If you have a massive roof with lots of valleys and dormers, it'll take longer than a more traditional "up and down" gable roof.
Most roofs we install however, take between one and two days from start to finish.
The day after the project has been paid for in full, we'll submit your warranty paperwork to GAF. Turnaround time for a physical copy of your warranty can run from three to six months, depending on the time of year.
You shouldn't have any problems but if you do, all you'll need to do is call us. Depending on your problem, we'll send a Roof Hub expert out or contact GAF (who also backs your roof) to inspect and/or repair the damage/issue.
Start Your Estimate Today
Are you curious what roof replacement in Boston costs? Do you want to know what the styles and options you see above would look like on your home? Click below and we'll help you get personalized answers to these questions. Because every home is different, we'll schedule a time to come out to your house for a free consultation that includes measurements, an inspection, and a quote that's 100% guaranteed for one full year.