Asphalt Shingle Roof Replacement on Older Houses

What does an asphalt roof replacement on a pre-1940 house include?

It includes a full tear-off to the deck, repair or replacement of rotted or gapped deck boards, new underlayment, drip edge, new flashing at chimneys, walls and valleys, ventilation corrections and asphalt shingles. On older houses the deck and flashing work is where most of the variation in price comes from.

What we look for on an older roof

• Board decking. Prewar roofs sit on 1x boards, sometimes with gaps. Asphalt needs a solid nailing surface, so gaps are sheathed over and soft boards are replaced.
• Layers. A second or third covering hides deck damage and adds weight. Philadelphia's EZ re-roofing standard requires a full tear-off where there are two or more coverings.
• Chimneys. Many chimneys here were flashed into mortar joints that have since eroded. New step and counter flashing is part of our scope, and we flag masonry that needs a mason first.
• Built-in gutters. Box gutters hidden in the roof edge are common on houses from this era. We note their condition at the inspection, because a new roof over a leaking box gutter still leaks.
• Ventilation. Attics on old houses were rarely vented for a modern roof. We size intake and exhaust so the new shingles aren't cooked from below.

Does a roof replacement need a permit here?

Yes, in every municipality we serve. Philadelphia issues re-roofing permits through eCLIPSE, Cheltenham and Jenkintown require permits for roofing, and Narberth has a roofing permit form. Properties under historic protection need approval before the permit. We pull the permit as part of the job and list it on the estimate.

The details, fees and sources for each municipality are on our roof rules data page, with a CSV you can download.

Shingles we use

We install architectural asphalt shingles from GAF and other major manufacturers, chosen for the house and the budget. Philadelphia's EZ standard sets the minimum product test ratings and a Class B fire rating, and requires manufacturer installation instructions with the application, so the product sheet goes in with the permit.

For houses coming off slate, darker charcoal and weathered-slate colors are usually the best visual match, and in Philadelphia that match is part of what the Historical Commission staff weigh. See synthetic vs. natural slate for the higher-end options people ask about.