Your roof is a system. We build all of it, not just the part you can see.

Most full architectural asphalt roof replacements on a Long Island cape or colonial land between $12,000 and $28,000. The number moves with square footage, roof pitch, how many layers we're tearing off, the number of valleys, chimneys and skylights we have to flash, and how much decking turns out to be rotted. Cedar typically runs two to three times asphalt, and standing-seam metal or slate higher still. We price it after we've been on the roof and in the attic — never over the phone, and never as a range you find out about later.

If the roof is under 15 years old, it's a single layer, and the damage is localized — one valley, a chimney flashing, a dozen shingles blown off in a nor'easter — a repair is usually the right call and we'll say so. Once granule loss is across the whole surface, the shingles are curling at the edges, or you already have two layers on, a repair is just money spent on a roof that's leaving anyway. We show you photos of what we found and tell you which situation you're actually in, even when the repair is the smaller invoice for us.

The New York State Residential Code allows a maximum of two layers of asphalt shingles. If a second layer is already on your roof, the next one has to be a full tear-off to the deck — no legal way around it. Even when you're only on one layer, we still recommend tearing off. A layover hides rotted sheathing, prevents us from installing ice-and-water shield properly, adds several thousand pounds to the framing, and voids most manufacturers' full-system warranties.

Ice dams form when heat leaking into the attic melts snow at the ridge, the water runs down and refreezes at the cold eave, and the resulting dam pushes water backward under the shingles. The fix is two-part: keep the attic cold with balanced intake and exhaust ventilation — soffit vents that aren't stuffed with insulation, plus continuous ridge venting — and install ice-and-water shield membrane from the eave up past the interior wall line, typically two courses on Long Island's low-slope sections. Shingles alone will not stop an ice dam. We check the attic on every estimate for exactly this reason.

Yes, and we do it constantly after nor'easters and coastal wind events. We document the damage with dated photos, write an itemized scope in the format adjusters expect, and meet your adjuster on the roof if you want us there. We'll also be straight with you: if what we're looking at is 22 years of wear rather than storm damage, we'll tell you that instead of coaching you into a claim that gets denied and goes on your record.

The manufacturer warrants the shingles themselves — typically 30 to 50 years depending on the product you choose — against defects in the material. The exact term and what it covers vary by product, so we go through your specific coverage with you before you sign.