Roof Replacement in Orlando
Roof replacement in Orlando for shingle, tile and metal roofs, from the permit and tear-off to the dry-in and final inspections.
Roof replacement in Orlando is a bigger project than it looks from the street. A new roof has to stand up to months of daily summer storms, strong sun and the odd tropical system, and in the City of Orlando it has to pass two inspections before the job is closed. We handle every part of it, from the first inspection to the final sign-off, and we explain each step in plain terms so you know what you’re paying for.
When replacement makes sense
Most roofs don’t need replacing just because they’ve reached a certain birthday. We recommend a new roof when the covering itself is worn out or when repairs have stopped holding. The signs we look for include:
- Shingles that have lost most of their granules, curled at the edges or cracked across the tabs
- Tiles that are broken, slipped or sitting on underlayment that has dried out and split
- Metal panels with rusted fasteners, open seams or worn coating
- Soft spots in the deck that you can feel when you walk on the roof
- Leaks that come back in new places after each repair
If a few repairs will give your roof several more good years, we’ll say so. A replacement is a large expense, and it should be the right call for the house, not just the easier sale.
Choosing the new roof
Central Florida homes mostly wear one of three kinds of roof, and each has its place.
Architectural shingles are the most common choice on newer homes in Orlando and Kissimmee. They’re the lowest upfront cost of the three and come in colors that suit almost any house. A shingle roof is also the quickest to install, which matters in a rainy summer.
Tile sits on many Mediterranean and Spanish-style homes, especially in subdivisions built from the 1980s onward. Concrete and clay tiles last a long time, but the underlayment beneath them wears out sooner, so a tile roof often needs its underlayment replaced and the tiles relaid or renewed.
Standing seam metal costs more upfront, lasts longer and sheds water quickly in a downpour. Light-colored metal also reflects a lot of the summer sun.
We’ll talk through the trade-offs for your home, your budget and how long you plan to stay, and give you prices for more than one option if you want to compare.
What the job includes
A roof replacement in Orlando follows the same order on almost every house:
- Permit. We file the reroof permit with the city or county that covers your address. In Orlando and Winter Park, a job over $5,000 also needs a recorded Notice of Commencement, which we prepare for you.
- Tear-off. The old roof comes off down to the deck, along with old underlayment, flashing and vents.
- Deck repair. We check every board and replace anything soft, rotten or delaminated. Replacement decking is priced per sheet in your estimate, so there are no open-ended extras.
- Re-nailing and dry-in. The deck is fastened to current code and covered with the secondary water barrier. The City of Orlando requires a dry-in inspection at this stage on every reroof, before the finished covering goes on.
- New roof. Drip edge, flashing, vents, pipe boots and the roof covering itself are installed to the manufacturer’s instructions and the Florida Building Code.
- Final inspection. We submit the affidavit confirming how the deck was nailed and the water barrier installed, and meet the inspector for the final.
- Cleanup. Debris hauled away, gutters cleared and the yard swept for nails.
The estimate
Our written estimate lists each of those steps on its own line, with quantities. If two quotes look far apart, the difference is usually in what one of them left out, such as decking, new flashing or the permit. An itemized estimate makes that easy to spot. Our guide on how to read a roof estimate walks through each line.
Older roofs and the 25 percent rule
Florida law lets a roof built under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later have only the repaired section brought up to current code, even when more than a quarter of the roof is being redone. Older roofs don’t get that exception, so a large repair on an older roof can mean the whole roof has to meet today’s code. That’s one of the reasons we’ll sometimes suggest replacement over a big repair on an older home.
Insurance and roof age
Many homeowners start thinking about a new roof when their insurer asks about its age. Under Florida law, an insurer can’t refuse to write or renew a policy only because the roof is less than 15 years old, and for an older roof you can have it inspected to show it still has useful life left. We can do that inspection and give you the written findings.
Where we replace roofs
We replace roofs throughout Orlando, Winter Park and Kissimmee. If you’re not sure whether you need a new roof yet, our article on the signs you need a new roof is a good place to start, and a free inspection will tell you for certain.
Where we work
Questions homeowners ask
How long does a roof replacement take?
The work on the roof itself usually takes a few days for a typical shingle home and longer for tile or metal. Weather adds time in summer, because nobody should open a roof with a thunderstorm building to the west. The permit and the inspections set the rest of the schedule, and we keep you posted at each step.
Do I have to be home during the work?
No. We need access to the yard, the driveway and an outdoor power outlet, and it helps to move cars out of the way. If we find something that changes the scope, such as rotten decking, we call you with photos before we go further.
Can you put a new roof over my old one?
We don't recommend it. Covering an old roof hides the deck, so damaged boards stay in place, and the extra weight and layers make the next replacement harder. A full tear-off lets us and the inspector see and nail the deck properly.
What happens to the old roof?
It comes off into a dumpster or trailer and is hauled away. We cover plants and pool areas where we can, and we sweep the lawn and driveway with a magnet for nails at the end of each day and again when the job is done.