Your first re-roof, in the right order
A lot of West Windsor homeowners are replacing a roof for the first time, on a house built during the township's growth from the late 1970s into the 2000s. The original roof is often builder-grade, and it's reaching the end of its run. Because these roofs are bigger and more complicated than older homes, a few decisions need to be made in the right order, before anything is ordered.
- Check your HOA. Many West Windsor developments have associations with approved shingle colors and styles, and some lists have changed since the homes were built. We'll give you product names, colors and spec sheets for the association's review.
- Decide on each skylight. Every skylight gets new flashing no matter what. The real question is whether the unit itself should be replaced or removed while the roof is open.
- Settle the ventilation plan. Larger homes often have several separate attic spaces. Each one needs its own path for air in and out.
- Then pick the shingle. With the constraints known, choosing a color is the easy part.
We order materials only after all four are settled, so there are no surprises on installation day.
Pricing a roof with a lot of edges
Two West Windsor houses with the same square footage can have very different roofs. A simple gable roof is mostly open field. A colonial with hips, several gables, a front porch roof, dormers and a two-story wall above a garage roof has much more detail work, and detail work is where time and material go.
That's why we measure and inspect in person before giving a final number. Our written estimate accounts for:
- Valleys, each lined with ice and water barrier.
- Roof-to-wall joints, each with new step flashing and a kick-out flashing at the bottom, so water goes into the gutter rather than behind the siding. On many homes of this era, kick-outs were never installed.
- Skylights, with a flashing kit or a new unit.
- Ventilation, including soffit intake and ridge exhaust for each attic section.
- Decking, with any soft or delaminated sheathing replaced.
For a ballpark before we visit, try the Instant Roof Quote. It's a useful starting point, and we confirm the real number on site.
Wind, permits and timing in West Windsor
Much of the township is flat and open, with wide fields and big parks like Mercer County Park. Wind has a long run before it reaches a roof. Aging builder shingles that have lost their seal strips are the first to lift. New architectural shingles, correctly nailed and sealed at the starter course and edges, stand up much better. Summer thunderstorms and nor'easters still bring damage, and our storm damage repair crew can document it and meet your adjuster.
On permits: New Jersey has treated re-roofing a detached one- or two-family house as ordinary maintenance since March 2018, so most single-family replacements need no permit. Townhouses and condos generally do. Cutting a new skylight opening changes the framing and generally needs one too, while replacing a skylight in the same opening is a different question. We'll tell you which applies, and when a permit is needed, we pull it through the Division of Code Enforcement & Construction and its online SDL portal.
Spring and fall fill up quickly when whole streets reach the same age, so book early. Every new roof carries a lifetime manufacturer's warranty and a 10-year workmanship warranty. If your roof still has good years left, a targeted roof repair might be enough. Learn more about our roof replacement service and skylights.
More detail on how we handle this work anywhere we serve: Roof Replacement. Everything we do in West Windsor: roofing in West Windsor, NJ.
