The person who answers will ask a few questions to connect you with a contractor who covers your town and does the kind of roof you have. Having the answers ready keeps the call short and gets a visit on the calendar.
Have these ready
- That you own the home and decide on the roof. The line is for homeowners. A tenant, or the board of a condominium or HOA deciding on a shared building's roof, is not who this line serves.
- The address, or at least the ZIP code. The town decides the permit, and some rules (ice barrier in New Jersey's Sussex County, Broward's HVHZ in Florida) depend on the county.
- The type of house: detached, twin or rowhouse, and how many stories.
- What is on the roof now: asphalt shingles, rubber or another flat membrane, metal, slate or tile.
- Roughly how old it is, and how you know (paperwork, a permit, the seller).
- How many layers, if you know. Two layers means a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1).
- That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done.
- Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA with rules on materials.
Depending on the house
Rowhouse or twin. Say so. The roof meets the neighbor's at the party wall; mention how you get onto the roof (hatch, deck, ladder) and anything up there, such as air-conditioning units or a deck.
Solar panels. Say whether you own them or lease them, and who installed them. Taking them off and putting them back is part of planning the job (replacing a roof before solar).
Manufactured home. Say so at the start. Florida's reroof upgrades for older houses apply to site-built single-family homes (Fla. Stat. § 553.844(3)), and the job is different.
Florida. Have the year the house was built and the year the roof was last fully replaced. Both decide what the replacement has to include (replacing a roof in Florida).
What the line is not for
This number connects homeowners who are planning a new roof or a full roof replacement with independent local roofing contractors. It is not for leak repairs or patch jobs. It is also not for questions about an existing contractor's job, billing or warranty, or for insurance questions.
Calls may be recorded.
Questions
What information should I have ready before calling about a new roof?
Have the address or ZIP code, the type of house and number of stories, what is on the roof now, roughly how old it is and how many layers it has, and when you want the work done. Also mention a historic district or an HOA with rules on materials, and confirm that you own the home and decide on the roof.
Can a tenant or condo board call about replacing a roof?
The line is for homeowners who decide on their own roof. A tenant, or the board of a condominium or HOA deciding on a shared building’s roof, is not who it serves.
What should I know about my Florida house before asking about a new roof?
Have the year the house was built and the year the roof was last fully replaced, since both decide what a Florida replacement has to include. If it is a manufactured home, say so at the start: Florida’s reroof upgrades for older houses apply to site-built single-family homes (Fla. Stat. § 553.844(3)).