Roof Repair & Replacement Pros in Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia Roof Installation

Whether you are building a new home or replacing existing roofing, in Philadelphia, roof installation is a key factor in how well your house will function. Due to the dramatic variations in temperature and weather that happens annually in southeastern Pennsylvania, it is important to make sure the roof you choose will work well under both below freezing temperatures as well as the occasional and triple digit summer heat. You also want to make sure that your roof will be built to last. Each roofing material on the market has its pros and cons. Finding the right material, as well as the right contractor to install it, are the two most essential parts of any successful roof installation.

Roof Installation by Material
Asphalt shingles are the most common roofing material in Philadelphia and around the country in general. Though asphalt provides insulation from the cold and is easy to work with, most people choose it because it is far less expensive than most other materials. The downside to asphalt roofs is that their life span is significantly shorter than that of other materials, which forces the homeowner to repair and replace their roofing more often. In fact, environmental concerns are popping up around the use of asphalt shingles because so many of them are shipped to landfills every year. Despite these drawbacks, asphalt covers the roofs of over 80% of American homes, and, especially important in the north, it does a good job keeping heat in during the winter and holds up well under snow.

Due to the example set by old barns in rural Pennsylvania, metal roofing has gained an unwarrantedly poor reputation. The technology used in today's metal roofs has brought them well beyond the performance of these antiquated structures. Modern versions are quiet in the rain, resistant to rust, and can easily last over 50 years. Though metal roofing itself doesn't provide very good insulation, its lightweight construction makes it easy to install directly on top of the existing roof, keeping the original roof's insulation intact. For winter time in Philly, residents will be happy to see that snow and ice often slide right off of metal roofs, relieving any issues that that extra weight could cause.

Last, but not least, come slate and tile roofs. Each is incredibly durable (often 100+ years) and each is incredibly expensive both to install and to repair. Both are very attractive and will easily raise the market value of your home. If you have the funds to afford a slate or tile roof, you will not be disappointed with the performance.

Prices for Roof Installation
For asphalt roof installation, Philadelphia residents should be prepared for a bill in the low to mid thousands closer to the city (where roofs are generally smaller) and up to $10,000 in the suburbs and surrounding areas. Slate and tile roofing installation starts at around $10,000 and gets increasingly expensive the bigger the job gets. Cedar roofing and metal roofing prices lie somewhere in the middle, but also vary depending on the size of the job. No two roofing contractors are going to charge the exact same amount for a particular project; there's a good chance that getting 4 or 5 quotes instead of 1 or 2 will lead you to the best company with the best price.

Finding Roofing Contractors
In and around Philadelphia, roofing companies are not difficult to come by. Unfortunately, because there are so many companies to choose from when it comes to roofing contractors, Philadelphia residents are likely to have a difficult time deciding which one is right for the job. You can of course turn to the phone book, but this technique gives you very little information about the companies you'll find, and absolutely no assurance of their reputation for good service!

Instead of turning to the phone book to find a local roofing company, Philadelphians have much to gain by going through HomeAdvisor. First off, every roofing contractor you'll find through us has already passed a rigorous ten-step screening process, making our standards higher than those of the yellow pages from the start. Additionally, we encourage every homeowner who uses one of our contractors to rate and give feedback about the service they received; these ratings and reviews are posted for anyone to see, and will give you a far better idea of how a particular company is likely to perform than any ad in the phone book!

Philadelphia Roof Repair

In some areas of the country, a leaky roof might require little more than a well-placed bucket once every few months (Southern California, we're looking at you). In Philadelphia, roof repair is a very real, very important issue for every household. Far from a simple wet spot on the floor, a poorly functioning roof in Pennsylvania can lead to huge problems down the line if it is not dealt with.

Situations Requiring Roof Repair in Philadelphia
Basically, any properties in the northeast where a problem can be seen with the naked eye will most likely need to be remedied ASAP. Water marks on the ceiling should always be investigated; a roof that is blatantly leaking should be attended to immediately. The reason why roof repair (as well as the repair of roofs in other northeastern areas) is so important has to do with both the stability of the structure and the possibility of dangerous mold growth, as well.

With the presence of large amounts of moisture many times a year, roof repairs need to be done quickly to decrease the likelihood of further property damage. The longer the wood in your home is exposed to excess moisture, the weaker the wood will become. If what seems to be a small problem is ignored, whole sections of the roof may be damaged enough to require replacement. All that moisture is also a breeding ground for mildew and mold that can affect the health of the people living in the house. While the air in other parts of the country may be dry enough to retard some fungal growth, these are definitely not the circumstances in Philadelphia.

Preventing Roof Problems
Lack of maintenance is considered the biggest cause of roof problems. Most roof repairs, and indeed most roof repairs in the country, have to deal with mending a problem that, if caught early on, would require very little money, time, and labor to fix. Making sure that a roof is thoroughly inspected before buying a home is an excellent choice; having a roof inspected periodically while you're living under it is just as important.

Roof repairs can cost between $400 and $2,000, depending on what needs to be done and how much of the roof is affected. Your best bet to keep your bill as low as possible is to get your roof inspected regularly, so $2,000 worth of major repairs doesn't spring out of a $400 repair that could've been done in an afternoon.

Roofing materials other than asphalt shingles (metal, tile, slate, etc.) are more expensive to install, and, in many cases, to repair, as well. These materials, however, show their benefits over the long haul. Many metal roofs have lasted well over 50 years, and a slate roof (though too brittle to walk on) can last over 100. When compared to the life expectancy of many asphalt products (25 years or less in some cases), alternate roofing materials might just be worth some looking into.