☎ Call 612-255-9605 | speak to a real person
St. Anthony & NE Minneapolis | local, licensed & insured · MN # BC630708
☎ Call 612-255-9605 | speak to a real person
St. Anthony & NE Minneapolis | local, licensed & insured · MN # BC630708
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Answers, not sales pitches
Real answers about roofing, siding, storms, and insurance in the Twin Cities — from a crew with three decades on local roofs. Search below, or browse by topic.
The most common type of roofing in Minnesota is an asphalt shingle. From the ground these roofs look flat, made up of many little rectangles covered with granules of sand, and the color of that sand is the color of your roof.
Your shingles are layers of fiberglass or organic matting and asphalt, with granules on top for color and sun protection. If there are vertical slots running straight up the roof, they’re probably 3-tab shingles. If the pattern is rectangles and trapezoids in a random layout, they’re dimensional (architectural) shingles.
It’s a high-quality roofing membrane (a modified-bitumen product), like a cross between rubber and shingle, used as underlayment in the spots most likely to leak. Minnesota code requires it along the eaves (extending at least 3 feet inside the exterior walls) and up the valleys; we also use it around chimneys, wall flashings, vents, and pipes. It defends the high-risk areas against leaks. Note it does not, by itself, stop ice dams from forming.
Asphalt roofs don’t strictly require maintenance, but they last longer when they’re inspected periodically and repaired as needed and a bead of high-grade sealant around vents and any exposed fasteners helps. Premium roofs like tile, wood shake, and slate should definitely be inspected and maintained, but only by a professional.
Yes. Traditional skylights look like a window and cost more, since a light shaft has to be framed through the attic. Tubular (reflective) skylights are far less expensive and intrusive, a small rooftop dome pipes daylight down through a reflective tube to a ceiling fixture. We can install either during your roofing project or on its own.
Honestly: 3-tab, 15–20 years; architectural, 20–30; designer lines longer on paper, all minus whatever hail takes. The bigger variable is installation and ventilation, which is why identical shingles age so differently across one neighborhood.
It usually comes down to age, appearance, and leaks. Asphalt roofs in Minnesota typically last 18-25+ years. Watch for missing or curling shingles, lots of granules in the gutters, rusted or missing vents and flashing, or any active leak. The surest way to know is a professional evaluation; we’ll tell you honestly whether you need a replacement or just a repair.
Every few years while it’s young, annually past about 15 years, and after any major hailstorm regardless of age. Minnesota’s freeze–thaw cycle and hail seasons age roofs on their own schedule, not the warranty’s.
Most full-home roof replacements in the Twin Cities run between $10,000 and $45,000, depending on size, pitch, the number of existing layers, decking condition, and the shingles you choose. Mid-market pricing lands around $750–$1,100 per square. You’ll get a firm, itemized price after a free evaluation. No surprises.
Most homes are done in 2-3 days, weather permitting. You don’t need to be home; we protect your property throughout and sweep for nails when we finish.
We remove it. A Right Away roof replacement is a full tear-off down to the deck so we can inspect the wood and rebuild the entire system correctly. We don’t do layovers.
We replace it to code. If your roof and home are older, expect some decking work. We’ll show you what we find and explain it before we proceed. No hidden change orders.
Absolutely, from bold to natural. We’ll help you choose based on what looks right on your home, and can superimpose colors so you can see it first.
A standard workmanship warranty, which covers installation, plus manufacturer warranty options that cover the materials. We often build in protection beyond the minimum. (Exact term: 2 years or more and stated in your proposal.)
For homeowners they’re effectively the same, “installation” is usually a new-construction term, while replacing an existing roof is a re-roof or roof replacement. Either way, we install a complete roofing system.
It comes down to how much good life your roof has left versus the cost to fix it. If the roof is largely sound, a correct repair is the smartest money you can spend; if aging is widespread or the deck is compromised, replacement is the better investment. We’ll walk the numbers with you in a way you understand.
Almost always, yes. We repair asphalt shingles, synthetic and modern slate, clay and cement tile, metal panels, and stone-coated steel, as well as flat roofs such as TPO, EPDM, and modified bitumen. Historic, original slate is the one exception because that’s a specialist’s craft, and we’ll honestly refer you to dedicated classic-slate roofers for it. If a repair won’t truly solve the problem, we’ll tell you.
Most repairs fall between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars. A roof vent typically runs $450-$950 plus materials; a valley or flashing repair generally $750 and up; chimney work from about $450 into the thousands. Every job carries a small setup/minimum charge ($250-$500) for travel and materials, and you’ll get a firm, itemized price after we inspect.
Because a roof is built in a specific order. Replacing one part after the fact (without damaging everything around it), is 3 to 10 times less efficient than installing that same part during a full re-roof. The price reflects the real labor of doing one thing correctly, plus the trip and material pickup that every small job requires.
Probably, but not always: flashing, plumbing, and condensation from a starved attic all make similar stains. We trace the water to its actual source before anything gets “fixed.” That diagnosis is the difference between one repair and three.
Contain the water, keep people and power away from it, stay off the roof, take photos, and call <strong>612-255-9605</strong>. Active leaks get priority scheduling, and we’ll tell you honestly when we can be there.
Absolutely. Chimney leaks are among the trickiest because the water can come from the flashing, cap, crown, brick, or tuck-pointing. We use leak detection to find the real source, then repair it — up to and including new flashing and a cricket.
The only way to know is an up-close inspection because hail damage rarely shows from the ground. We’ll get on the roof, document what’s there, and tell you and show you. If there’s no real damage, we’ll say so, so you don’t file a claim you don’t need.
Often, yes. Most homeowner policies cover sudden storm, hail, and wind damage, minus your deductible. Coverage depends on your policy and the damage. We document what happened; your insurer decides the claim.
Yes, ethically. We document storm and hail damage the way carriers require, communicate with your adjuster, and can connect you with public adjusters when needed. We can’t give legal advice or do anything fraudulent, and we never will.
Inspect first. A documented inspection tells you whether you have a legitimate claim before it goes on your insurance record, and gives you the evidence to file cleanly if you do.
No. In Minnesota that’s illegal, and it’s a red flag. We never cover or waive deductibles, and we’d encourage you to be cautious with anyone who does.
Don’t sign anything at the door. Get an honest, documented evaluation first, we’ll tell you whether you truly have a claim before you ever call your insurer, and we’ll put it in writing either way.
Hail season in Minnesota runs spring through early fall and peaks May through August, the same months most severe wind events roll through. If a storm has passed over your neighborhood in that window, a documented inspection is the smart first step.
Yes, deck damage, structural carpentry, and the roof system rebuild. Our carpentry crew handles what the impact broke; our roofing crews make it weather-tight and then whole.
We prefer Owens Corning, GAF, and CertainTeed, with TAMKO as a mid-market option. We also install metal, stone-coated steel, cedar shake, synthetic slate, and newly quarried natural slate; all with modern, up-to-code methods. We’ll recommend the best system for your home and budget.
For almost every owner-occupied home, yes. Seriously better wind and impact performance and better looks for a modest premium. It’s the one upgrade we recommend nearly universally.
In a hail metro, Class 4 impact-rated shingles are worth a real look. Some insurers offer premium credits for them. Ask at your evaluation; we’ll give you the honest cost-benefit for your roof, not a blanket pitch.
Yes, modern synthetic slate and designer architectural shingles carry the period profile with lifetime-class durability. We install and replace modern slate systems; for original historic slate repairs, we’ll honestly refer you to a classic-slate specialist.
On modern slate installations, yes. That means synthetic and newly quarried natural slate, installed, replaced, and repaired with modern, up-to-code methods. Repairs and renovations on original, historic slate are a dedicated specialist’s craft, and we’ll say so. We recommend interviewing local classic-slate roofers and will point you in the right direction. We also perform some types of maintenance on other classic roofs, so it’s always worth a call.
Meaningfully more up front, typically two to three times an architectural asphalt system depending on the roof, and meaningfully less per year of service. We’ll price your actual roof both ways so the comparison is real, not brochure math.
For most residential low-slope: EPDM for value and cold-weather forgiveness. For visible, heat-exposed, or commercial roofs: TPO’s reflectivity and welded seams earn the difference. We’ll spec it to your actual roof, not a preference.
Yes, that’s the point of hiring roofers instead of a guy with a truck and a bucket of tar. We use safe, shingle-friendly methods matched to conditions, opening drainage without tearing up the eave you’ll need intact in April.
For most homes: fiber cement or engineered wood for looks and longevity, steel where hail is a repeat visitor, quality vinyl where budget leads. The honest answer depends on your exposure and your plans for the house. It’s a ten-minute conversation at the evaluation that is worth your time.
It ranges widely by material and house. Vinyl is at the value end, fiber cement and engineered wood in the premium band, and steel in between. After an evaluation, you get a firm, itemized proposal with material options priced side by side, so the trade-offs are yours to make with real numbers.
Quality guards, correctly installed, yes, they meaningfully cut maintenance, especially under heavy trees. Nothing makes gutters maintenance free, and we’ll say that to your face before you spend a dollar.
Depends on the roof feeding them. Large or steep roof planes and valley-fed corners overwhelm 5″ in a summer downpour; 6″ with matching downspouts is inexpensive insurance there. We spec by water volume, not by upsell.
No. Phasing by wall or by worst-first is common and smart. We’ll help you sequence it so trim, siding, and budgets line up. Buying in a batch does earn better pricing, and we’ll show you that math honestly.
Per-window pricing depends on size, style, material tier, and whether the opening needs insert or full-frame work. After an evaluation you get an itemized, window-by-window proposal, and if some windows only need weather-stripping or a sash fix, we’ll say that instead.
Honestly: it ranges enormously. A modest bump-out and a full second story are different animals. After a design conversation you get an itemized proposal with real allowances, not a teaser number that grows later. If your budget and the idea don’t match, we’ll say so at the kitchen table, not at the framing stage.
Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the Twin Cities metro which means across Hennepin and Ramsey counties from our St. Anthony & Northeast Minneapolis home base, south down the I-35 corridor to Lakeville.
Both: all of Hennepin County, including Edina, Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Bloomington, Plymouth, St. Louis Park, and Golden Valley.
Yes, in every St. Paul historic district. We install roofing that can be approved in those districts, handle Heritage Preservation Commission review when it applies, and match materials and detailing to the period of the home.
Steep and historic roofs, yes. That’s exactly the work many contractors avoid, and we’re comfortable with it, and we match materials and detailing to the home. On slate specifically: we install and repair modern slate (synthetic and newly quarried, installed with today’s methods). Repairs on original, historic slate are a specialist’s craft, we’ll tell you and refer you to dedicated classic-slate roofers.
Yes – licensed and insured in Minnesota (lic. # BC630708), GAF-certified, and bondable for larger projects. We always pull the permit; you should never have to.
Yes – free for homeowners who have a reason to repair or replace their roof. (Inspections for insurance, a home sale, or a commercial building are typically paid.)
An evaluation is free for homeowners with a reason to repair or replace – that’s the honest start of a job. A formal, documented inspection (home sale, insurance, commercial, condition report) is a paid professional service with a photographed written report you can use anywhere. We’ll tell you up front which one fits.
Thirty years of experience, a service-first approach, and the details, including telling you when you don’t need work. Local crews handle your project start to finish, and we never door-knock or chase storms.
Our crews – the same local carpentry crew that backs our roofing and exterior work, led to a master carpenter’s standard. No brokered-out framing packages, no strangers.
Yes. We work with a third-party partner to get you the lowest rate you qualify for, so a premium roof can fit a monthly budget.
Phone calls during business hours reach a person. Form submissions get a callback fast – usually the same business day, and we confirm by text so you’re not stuck waiting by the phone.
Ask a real, local person — we’ll give you a straight answer, even if it’s “you don’t need us yet.”
