Questions and answers

An independent roofing contractor that serves your town, or a call service that connects you with one. This site does not employ roofers or send anyone itself.

Calling is an ordinary phone call. The contractor gives you its own price for the roof, and you decide whether to hire it.

The contractors reached through this number are looking for roof replacements and new roofs. For a single small repair you may be better served by a repair-focused roofer. See repair or replace?

Home improvement contractors, roofers included, must be registered with the Department of Consumer Protection. Search the name or registration number at elicense.ct.gov.

Yes. Norwalk's Building & Code Enforcement office has a roofing, windows and siding permit application that says permits must be obtained before work starts (application). Your contractor normally files it.

No. This site does not help with insurance claims or refer claim work. Speak with your insurer directly.

A typical house often takes a few days on the roof, more for slate, cedar or a cut-up roof with dormers. Permitting, material delivery and weather add time before and after. Ask for the whole schedule, not only the days on the roof.

Sometimes a single existing layer can be covered, but many replacements here are full tear-offs so the deck can be inspected and repaired. Slate, cedar and a roof that already has two layers generally have to come off. Ask the contractor what the code allows for your roof.

Not usually, but stay reachable. Move cars, take fragile things off the walls of upstairs rooms and clear a path to outdoor outlets and the attic.

The addition is normally permitted as one project that includes the roof. In Norwalk, permits come from the city's Building & Code Enforcement office; in the nearby towns, from each town's building department.

Often closely, not always exactly. Shingle colors fade and lines are discontinued, and old slate and cedar weather. Some owners replace the whole roof at the same time so it all matches.

Either works. What matters is that the contractor is registered for the work, carries insurance, and that one company is responsible for the tie-in.

It depends on the shingle, the ventilation, the pitch and how much shade and debris the roof gets. Ask the contractor what they see on your roof and what lifespan the product they propose is designed for.

Most replacements use dimensional shingles. They are heavier and more wind-resistant, and they hide the small waves of an older roof deck better.

Usually algae, which grows on shaded, damp slopes. It is mostly cosmetic. Algae-resistant shingles help keep a new roof clean.

No. A cedar roof is replaced by tearing off the old wood, and the deck or skip sheathing underneath is checked and repaired.

Usually, yes. Some owners move to dimensional shingles or synthetic shakes. In a historic district the commission may need to approve the change.

Moss grows where wood stays damp: shade, debris and poor airflow. It holds water against the wood and shortens its life.

Not necessarily. Slipped slates are often caused by rusted nails, not bad stone. Ask a slate contractor to judge the stone and the flashing separately.

No. Slate is installed on a clean deck, so the old roof comes off first.

Outside historic districts, generally yes. Inside one, the commission may need to approve it. Check before signing.

Installed over a solid deck with underlayment and an insulated attic, most people find it no louder than shingles.

Metal roofs do not attract lightning. If lightning strikes, the metal is not combustible.

Some metal systems are allowed over one layer of shingles, but many contractors prefer to tear off and check the deck first. Ask what they recommend for your house.

Blisters, splits at seams, water that stays for days after rain, and stains on the ceiling below are common signs. A contractor can check whether the insulation under it is wet.

A small puncture can often be patched. Widespread seam failure or wet insulation usually means replacement.

White membranes reflect more sun and run cooler in summer. On a house, ask how it will look from upstairs windows and neighbors' homes.

It depends on the condition more than the age. A sound roof with one damaged spot can be worth repairing. A roof worn out all over usually isn't, because the next leak is never far away.

Often, yes, if the patch is a real repair and not hiding a wider problem. Ask for both a repair price and a replacement price at the same visit so you can compare.

Rules vary by town. Darien, for example, lists new roofing over more than a quarter of the roof area in a year as permit work. Ask the contractor or the building department for your address.