The framers are done, the trusses are set and the sheathing is getting rained on while the schedule slips. Metal Roofing in Bucks connects Berkeley builders and homeowners with independent local roofers who handle Roof Installation on new framing, additions, garages and sunrooms. One call gets you routed to a licensed and insured contractor who can work with your build schedule.
There is nothing to tear off on a new build, but there is a lot more to coordinate. The sheathing has to pass a nailing inspection in many jurisdictions before anything covers it, the windows and siding crews are waiting on a dry box, and the electrician wants the attic closed in. When dry-in drags, exposed OSB swells at the seams and those edges can telegraph through finished shingles.
Additions bring a different headache. The new roof has to meet an old one, and the seam where they meet is where most addition leaks start. A garage roof that dies into a second-story wall needs step flashing woven behind the siding, a kickout flashing at the bottom and sometimes a cricket. Sunrooms and porches built at a low pitch sometimes fall below what shingles are rated for.
That is why the independent contractor you are routed to will ask for plans, pitch and the framing schedule before quoting. Roof Installation done right starts with the material matching the slope, the underlayment matched to the climate and a tie-in plan for any existing roof. The goal is a roof that gets installed once and is registered with the shingle maker properly from day one.
With a new build, a roofer who shows up on schedule and follows the install specs is worth more than a low number.
Builders and lenders often require proof of coverage before a roofer sets foot on the job. The contractors we route you to are licensed and insured independent businesses. Request the certificate, confirm the license with your local office and check who is listed on the roofing permit or if it rides on the building permit.
Every rain on bare decking costs something. Once you are on the line, the dispatcher connects you with a nearby contractor who does new-construction work, often for a site visit within days, depending on contractor availability. If the trusses are already set and weather is coming, the dispatcher will flag it so a quick underlayment dry-in can be discussed.
A good new-build quote is tied to the plans: squares from the roof plan, pitch, valley lengths, underlayment type, ice barrier, drip edge, starter, ridge vent and every penetration. For additions, the tie-in is priced as its own line, since it includes cutting back and reworking part of the existing roof.
New-construction roofers bring roof jacks and planks for steep pitches, fall-protection anchors nailed into fresh trusses, coil nailers set for the shingle maker's nailing zone and a material lift or boom delivery to land bundles on the roof. For tie-ins, they also carry flat bars, hook blades and shears to open up the old roof cleanly.
These are the install details worth asking any contractor about before work starts.
Before underlayment goes on, the roofer should check the deck the framers left. Panels should be staggered, gapped about an eighth of an inch for expansion, supported with H-clips between trusses where required and nailed on the schedule the inspector expects. Missed nails and blowouts at the truss tops get fixed now, not after the shingles are down.
Shingles are rated down to 2:12, but between 2:12 and 4:12 the underlayment has to be doubled. Below 2:12, the roofer will usually point you toward a membrane such as modified bitumen or TPO, or a metal system rated for low slope. Getting this wrong on a porch or sunroom roof is a common source of slow leaks.
A proper tie-in means peeling back the old courses, lapping new underlayment beneath them and sealing the seam with ice barrier. Where the new roof meets a wall, step flashing goes in course by course with a kickout at the bottom. Matching shingle color on an older roof is rarely perfect, so ask to see samples.
The order matters: drip edge at the eaves sits under the underlayment, while at the rakes it goes over. A factory starter strip with its sealant line along the eave keeps the first course from lifting, and running starter up the rakes helps in wind. These are small parts, but missing them is something the shingle maker can point to later.
Open metal, closed-cut and woven valleys are the three main options, and the manufacturer instructions say which ones they accept. Closed-cut is the most common look on new homes. Open metal valleys move the most water and suit roofs where a big upper slope dumps into a smaller one. Woven valleys do not work with many thick laminated shingles.
Skylights go in with their own flashing kits or site-built curbs before shingling, not after. Plumbing vents, bath fan hoods and the furnace flue all need boots or flashing that match the pitch. The roofer should coordinate with the plumber and HVAC crew so nobody cuts a fresh hole through a finished roof.
This is the normal path from your call to a dried-in, finished Roof Installation.
Tell the dispatcher whether it is a new home, an addition, a garage or a sunroom, plus the pitch if you know it and where framing stands. That routes the call to a contractor who works new builds and tie-ins.
An independent roofer books a site visit, often within a few days, or reviews plans first if the framing is not up yet. They look at truss layout, sheathing, wall intersections and where the new roof meets the old.
The written quote lists squares, pitch, underlayment, edge metal, valleys, penetrations and tie-in work separately. The roofer also gives a target dry-in date that fits the sheathing inspection.
Once the roof is on, review the flashing at walls and tie-ins, confirm the inspection sign-off and ask for the shingle registration paperwork. The contractor explains their workmanship terms and the manufacturer's coverage in writing.
These composite examples show what new-construction and addition calls tend to look like.
A builder had a custom home framed and sheathed, but the original roofer backed out a week before dry-in. With storms in the forecast, the whole build was stuck waiting on the roof. The independent contractor routed through the line got synthetic underlayment and drip edge down within days, then came back to shingle after the sheathing inspection passed.
A homeowner added an attached garage, and water kept showing up on the drywall where the garage roof met the two-story wall. Once the siding came off, the contractor found one long bent flashing strip and no kickout, so water was running behind the siding. The fix was individual step flashing, a kickout and a reinstalled siding course.
A sunroom addition had been framed at about a 1.5:12 pitch, and the plans called for shingles to match the house. The roofer pointed out that pitch was below the shingle rating and quoted a low-slope membrane instead. The homeowner chose the membrane, and the roof has stayed dry where shingles would likely have failed.
These are composite examples of the kinds of calls we route, written to show how the process works. They are not individual customer reviews.
Usually right after the sheathing is nailed off and, where required, has passed its framing or nailing inspection. The sooner underlayment goes on after that, the better, because rain swells OSB edges. Many builders book the roofer when trusses are ordered so dry-in follows sheathing by a few days.
The contractor cuts back the existing shingles a few courses, laps new underlayment under the old, adds ice and water shield across the seam and weaves new shingles into the old field. Where the addition meets a wall, step flashing goes in with a kickout at the bottom. Ask how they plan to handle color match on older shingles.
Shingles generally need at least 2:12, with extra underlayment up to 4:12. Shallower roofs need a membrane system or low-slope metal. If the porch or sunroom is still on paper, ask the designer to raise the pitch so it can match the house.
Yes. Each manufacturer publishes install instructions covering nailing zone, nail count, underlayment, starter, ventilation and approved valley methods. Many also offer extended coverage only when their matching accessory components are used. Ask the contractor which product line they install and whether they will handle the registration paperwork.
That is part of the job on new construction. Tell the dispatcher your builder's timeline so you are routed to a contractor who does new-build work. The roofer will need the sheathing done, a clear path for material delivery and coordination with the plumber and HVAC crew for vent and flue openings.
Weathered shingles rarely match brand-new ones. Bring the contractor any leftover bundles or labels from the original roof. On a separate garage or a rear addition, a close match is often fine. If it bothers you, ask about matching the roof plane that is most visible from the street.
Builders and homeowners in and around Berkeley can call any time and be routed to local contractors who handle new roofs. Who can take the job and when comes down to local contractor schedules, and you will hear that plainly on the call.
The calls range from full new homes to a single bump-out, garage or covered porch. If you are a builder with several lots, call about each one so timing can be planned around your framing schedule.
One call connects you with a local independent contractor who can walk the framing, plan the tie-in and set a dry-in date.
