Roof Replacement on Cape Cod
Coast Carpentry Home Group replaces roofs on Cape Cod homes, from Bourne to Provincetown. We are a local roofing crew based in Osterville with more than 25 years of experience and hundreds of roofs completed. The old roof comes off down to the deck, the new one is built the right way from the wood up, and our workmanship carries a lifetime warranty.
Who Replaces Roofs on Cape Cod?
Coast Carpentry Home Group is a licensed and insured roofing contractor in Osterville that replaces asphalt shingle, cedar, metal and flat roofs in all 15 towns of Cape Cod. Every job gets a free written estimate, a building permit, and a lifetime workmanship warranty.
Our own crew
The people who look at your roof are the people who replace it. The owner supervises the work under his own Massachusetts Construction Supervisor license.
Built for this coast
A Cape roof takes wind off the Sound, ice on the bay side and salt air everywhere. We build for those three things, because that is what ends a roof early here.
Straight answers
If a repair will do, we say so. If the roof is done, we show you the photos that prove it. You get the same answer we would want on our own house.
Signs a Cape Cod Roof Is Ready to Be Replaced
Most roofs do not fail all at once. They tell you for a few years first. These are the signs we see on Cape houses that are past repair.
- Shingles that curl, crack or have gone bald. When the granules are in the gutters and the mat shows through across a whole slope, the shingle has stopped shedding water.
- Leaks in more than one place. One leak at a chimney is usually flashing. Leaks in different rooms mean the roof itself is letting go.
- Soft or sagging spots. A deck that gives underfoot or dips between rafters has been wet for a long time.
- Shingles in the yard after every storm. A roof that loses tabs in each nor’easter has lost its seal, and the next storm takes more.
- Moss and dark staining on the shaded side. Under the pines and oaks, a north slope stays damp. Moss holds water against the shingles and lifts their edges.
- Daylight or stains in the attic. Dark rings on the underside of the deck, or light at the eaves where there should be none, are worth a look before winter.
Not sure which side of the line your roof is on? Our guide to repairing or replacing a Cape Cod roof walks through it, or we can come look.
What Goes Under a New Roof. This Is Where Roofs Are Won or Lost.
Once the shingles are on, a homeowner cannot check what is underneath. That is exactly where shortcuts hide, so here is what we put there.
A deck we have looked at
With the old roof off, we check the decking and replace anything soft or rotted. We also check the attic ventilation, because a roof that cannot breathe cooks from underneath.
Underlayment over the whole roof
The entire deck is covered before a single shingle goes down. It is the second line of defense when wind drives rain up under the shingles.
Ice and water shield where roofs leak
It goes at the eaves, in the valleys, around chimneys and skylights, and along the rake edges. Those are the places ice dams and wind driven rain find first.
Drip edge
Metal edge is installed as the building code requires, so water leaves the roof into the gutter and not behind the fascia.
A matched system
Starter, shingles, underlayment and ridge from one manufacturer, made to work together. Mixing parts to save a little is a common way warranties get lost.
Flashing done properly
Chimneys, skylights, sidewalls and valleys are where cheap roofs leak, so that is where we spend the time.
Every Kind of Roof on a Cape House
Many homes here carry more than one roof: shingles on the main house, a low slope over the porch, cedar on the front. We replace all of them.
Asphalt shingles
The roof on most Cape homes. We install CertainTeed architectural shingles as a full system, nailed and sealed for the wind this coast gets.
Red cedar
Shakes and shingles for traditional Capes, shingle style homes and historic districts. See cedar roofing on Cape Cod.
Flat and rubber roofs
Rubber membrane and modified bitumen for porches, additions and low slope sections. See flat and rubber roofing.
Metal
Standing seam for whole roofs, porches and low slope additions. Our guide to a standing seam metal roof on Cape Cod covers what to specify near salt water.
Skylights and gutters
The right time to replace a tired skylight or worn gutters is while the roof is open. We do skylights and gutters on the same job.
Historic districts
Along Route 6A and in other review districts, the committee has a say in what goes on a visible roof. We work from what they approve.
How a Roof Replacement Goes
No mystery crews and no surprises. This is the order of the work once you say yes.
We look at the roof
We come out, walk the roof, check the attic where we can, and photograph what we find.
A free written estimate
You get the scope in writing: what comes off, what goes on, and what happens if we find bad decking.
Permit
We pull the building permit with your town before any work starts.
Tear off and deck repair
The old roof comes off down to the wood. Soft decking is replaced, and your landscaping is protected while we work.
The new roof, from the deck up
Drip edge, ice and water shield, underlayment, starter, shingles, flashing and ridge, in that order.
Cleanup and walkthrough
Every scrap and nail is picked up and hauled away. Then we walk the finished roof with you.
After a Storm
A nor’easter can turn an old roof into an urgent one overnight.
If a storm has taken shingles off, opened a leak, or blown part of the roof away, call (508) 360-9658. We take emergency roof calls seven days a week. We will make the roof safe first, then tell you honestly whether it needs a repair or the storm has finished a roof that was already at the end.
Where We Replace Roofs
Coast Carpentry Home Group serves all of Cape Cod, which is every town in Barnstable County. Our shop is in Osterville, in the town of Barnstable, so we are close to the whole Cape.
Read more about roofing in Barnstable, Hyannis, Falmouth, Mashpee, Sandwich and Yarmouth.
Roof Replacement Questions, Answered Straight
How do I know if my roof needs replacing or just a repair?
We look before we answer. A roof that leaks in one spot, with sound decking and shingles that still lie flat, usually needs a repair. A roof with curled or bald shingles across whole slopes, soft spots in the deck, or leaks in more than one place is usually done. We photograph what we find and show you, so the decision is yours and you can see why.
Do you tear off the old roof or go over it?
A roof replacement with us is a full tear off. The old roof comes off down to the deck so we can see the wood, replace anything soft, and build the new roof in the right order from the deck up. A new layer over an old roof hides whatever was wrong underneath.
What goes under the shingles on a Coast roof?
Underlayment covers the whole roof deck. Ice and water shield goes in the places a Cape roof leaks first: the eaves, the valleys, around chimneys and skylights, and the rake edges. Drip edge is installed as the building code requires. Then a matched manufacturer system goes on: starter, shingles and ridge made to work together.
Do you pull the permit?
Yes. Cape towns require a building permit for a reroof and we pull it. The work is supervised under the owner’s Massachusetts Construction Supervisor license.
What kinds of roofs do you replace?
Asphalt shingle roofs, red cedar shake and shingle roofs, metal roofs, and flat or low slope roofs in rubber membrane and modified bitumen. Many Cape houses have more than one, such as a shingle main roof with a low slope porch or addition, and we do both on the same job.
What does a roof replacement cost on Cape Cod?
It depends on the size and pitch of the roof, how many layers come off, the condition of the deck, the material you choose, and details like chimneys, skylights and dormers. We do not guess over the phone. We come out, look at the roof and give you a free written estimate.
What warranty comes with a new roof?
Our workmanship carries a lifetime warranty: if something we installed is not right because of how we installed it, we come back and fix it at no cost. The materials carry the manufacturer’s own warranty.
Planning a New Roof?
Get a straight answer from the crew that will do the work. Free written estimate, no pressure.