Roof Repair & Replacement Pros in Boston, MA

Boston Roof Installation

What Causes Roofing to Fail in Beantown?
In a climate like Boston's, any number of factors can combine to do your roof in. If you're close to the harbor or other coastal areas, often it's the salt spray in the air that delivers the deciding blow, specifically by corroding the nails that hold your shingles in place (word to the wise—use stainless steel nails if your home sits by the sea. Even galvanized steel nails will corrode over time). Further inland, moisture is probably the biggest culprit.

Boston's high humidity, heavy precipitation rates, and high number of overcast and foggy days all take their toll and can cause shingles to curl, buckle, mildew, and rot. Poor attic ventilation can add to the problem as well, allowing for moisture to build up under the decking and shingles, and making the aforementioned issues even worse. Finally, factor into that the natural expansion and contraction that comes with freeze and thaw cycles, as well as high winds and heavy snows, and it's easy to see how shingles of any sort have limited life spans in The City on a Hill.

Roof Installation Costs
We'll get more into the factors that affect the costs of roof installation in Boston here in a moment. For now, however, let's get straight to the nitty gritty. Contractors working within HomeAdvisor's referral system have performed thousands of jobs in the Boston area over the years, and HomeAdvisor follows up on each of those projects by asking the homeowner a few basic questions, including how much the job ended up costing, how long the job took to complete, and whether they have any advice to share with others who are staring down the barrel of a possible roof installation in Boston. Based on that information, you should expect an average Boston roof installation to run about $7,500. Small homes using lower grade materials can get a new roof for as little as $2,500, while larger homes top out on our list at $12,000. Fair warning, however. The majority of our figures are for asphalt shingle installations. If you're restoring a historic home using traditional materials like copper shingles, or are outfitting your newer home with high end roofing products such as concrete roofing tiles, you ought to expect to pay out even more.

Why Roof Installation Costs Vary
How much you'll actually have to shell out for a new roof installation in Boston will vary a lot on the size of your home, its architecture, the circumstances surrounding your roof failure, and the roofing materials you settle on. For example, steeply pitched roofs and roofs with multiple gables, neither of which are uncommon in Boston's many Victorian, Federalist, and Colonial style homes, simply present more challenges to roofers and thus cost more, and take longer to complete, than a simple ranch home out in the burbs. It's the same with materials. Asphalt shingles come in a variety of styles and grades, though even the best of them is going to be cheaper than concrete tiles, metal roofing, or cedar shingles. And, finally, the cause of your roof failure can also be a factor. If hurricane force winds or a violent offshore storm do your roof in before its time, your insurance company is likely to pick up the majority of the bill. On the other hand, if father time is to blame, or if a non-environmental factor like poor attic ventilation causes your roofing to fail, you're probably going to have to drum up the entire cost of your roof installation yourself.

What to Expect Timewise from a Roof Installation
While $7,500 is nothing to laugh at when it comes to a roof installation in Boston, the time it will take for you new roof to be installed is sure to make you smile. Believe it or not, the average time to completion for a roof installation in Boston is only one to two days, and the longest we've recorded lasted less than a week. That's child's play compared to the months it takes to finish other large projects like major additions or kitchen remodels. Why the high turnover rate when it comes to a roof installation? Roofing season in Boston, where once the cold sets in it stays in, is relatively short compared to other climates that experience Indian summers or even year-round warm temperatures. That being the case, roofing companies want to get your job done and move on to the next one as soon as possible. You might have to wait a week or two from when you put in your initial call to when the crew shows up at your home, but once they get started you'll be amazed at how quickly they hammer out (literally!) your new roof.

Some Parting Advice About Roof Installation
If you thought Sam Malone had a bad reputation, wait until you begin to delve into the world of roofing contractors. More than just about any other profession in the contracting world, the roofing community has compiled a pretty dubious track record. All that being said, there are good, trustworthy roofing contractors in and around Boston for you to hire, and the best way to find them is by doing your homework. Get at least three bids on any roofing job so you can compare prices and promises, and always ask for, and check, references. And, of course, don't forget the benefits of using a contractor referral company to compile your list. HomeAdvisor, for example, pre-screens its contractors and provides customer ratings for your perusal, giving you yet another way to ensure your roof installation in Boston goes off without a hitch.

Boston Roof Repair

There are few climates rougher on roofing than what you'll find in Boston. The combination of high humidity, harsh winters, salt air, and the possibility for some major storms all combine to make the need for roof repair in Boston as commonplace as a Patriots run at the Super Bowl. That being the case, the key to successful roof repair in Boston isn't so much prevention as it is diligence. Inspect your roof often for signs of problems, and when you spot the tell tale signs of damage or roofing failure, hire a contractor to address it immediately. Replacing an odd shingle or two is a piece of cake. Having to hire multiple contractors to replace rotting roof decking, ruined insulation, damaged ceilings, and to perform mold removal, all because you chose to ignore problems rather than deal with them in a timely manner, is more aptly described as a homeowner nightmare.

Roof Repair Costs
One of the main reasons Bostonians put off roof repairs is that they're afraid to find out how much it's going to cost to get their roof back into tip top shape. That's understandable, especially considering that new roof installations in the Greater Boston area can easily cost $10,000 or more. Homeadvisor is always happy to be the bearer of good news, however, and reporting roofing costs is one instance where we get to put a smile on most homeowner's faces. As part of our follow up process on all the jobs done for homeowners who use our referral system, we're able to compile a hefty list of roof repair costs, among other things. From that data we've determined that an average roof repair job in Boston comes in at right under $700. It's not pocket change, but it's a lot less than the price of ignoring the problem or installing a new roof. And when you take into account the fact that around half of the roof repairs in Boston end up costing less than $300, things start sounding even better.

Roof Repair Timelines
The other common roof repair question Bostonians ask is how long a roof repair is going to take. It's an understandable concern since Bostonians used up all their patience waiting nearly a century for the Red Sox to finally win the World Series again. Fortunately, Bostonians have nothing to worry about. Drawing from the same follow up surveys where we collected information on costs, the data shows that very few roofing repairs take more than a day, though some can stretch out to a week or more. Why the discrepancy in project duration?

Reasons You Should Never Put Off Roof Repair
While missing or failing shingles can be an eyesore on any Boston home, the motivation for attacking roof damage as soon as it's noticed has a lot more to do with preventing more serious damage than improving curb appeal. Always remember that your roofing works as an overall system, not as individual parts. Any chink in that armor is going to get larger over time, and, if left long enough, will result in the complete failure of your home's first line of defense from the elements. Take a simple broken or missing shingle, for example. That gap in your roofing makes all the other shingles around it more susceptible to damage from wind and ice, as well. Bring a typical Nor'easter into the equation, with the pre-requisite high winds, precipitation, and freezing temperatures, and suddenly that missing shingle has become a gap in your roofing five or six shingles wide, making further roof damage and costly leaks even more likely. That's precisely why addressing your roof repair needs as quickly as possible is an absolute must in Beantown.