Your Lansdale roofer for repairs and new roofs

Two Lansdales: the railroad-town core and the newer neighborhoods around it

Lansdale grew up around the railroad, and you can still see it. The blocks around Main Street, Broad Street and the station are packed with brick and frame twins, older singles and houses with front porches, most built before the 1950s. Many are on their third or fourth roof, and some still have an old layer or two of shingles underneath the current one.

Further out, and in the townships that share the 19446 Lansdale address, you get post-war ranchers and Capes, then split-levels, then the developments of the '90s and 2000s off Valley Forge Road and Forty Foot Road. Those newer houses have simpler decking but bigger roofs, and many still have the builder's original shingles.

So when you call a Lansdale roofer, the first question is which Lansdale you live in. The problems, and the price, are different.

Re-roofing half of a twin, and the porch roof nobody looks at

A twin is one roof shared by two owners. You can replace your half without your neighbor replacing theirs; it's done all the time. The care goes into the seam down the middle. The new shingles have to be woven or flashed into the old ones along the party line so water from the neighbor's side can't get under yours. We also talk to you about letting your neighbor know before we start, since we'll be working right up to their side.

• Ask your neighbor how old their half is. If both halves are worn out, doing them together is usually cheaper for both of you and gives a cleaner result.
• Expect old layers. Many downtown twins have two or three layers of shingles. All of it comes off so we can check the boards underneath.
• Check the porch roof too. Front porch roofs on these houses are often nearly flat and roofed differently from the main roof. If the main roof is being redone, it's the time to deal with the porch. See flat roofing.

Look at your porch ceiling: Peeling paint, brown rings or soft spots on the porch ceiling usually mean the low porch roof above is leaking, often where it meets the front wall of the house. It's one of the easiest leaks to miss because nobody lives on the porch.

Is my 20-year-old Lansdale roof worth fixing?

Most homes from the '90s and 2000s around Lansdale went up with basic shingles. Twenty-some years later we tend to see the same things: the south-facing slope losing its granules and going chalky, curled edges, and cracked rubber boots around the plumbing vents dripping into a bathroom ceiling.

1. If the leak is at a vent pipe and the shingles still lie flat, it's a repair. A new vent boot is one of the cheapest fixes there is.
2. If the sunny side is bald or curling but the shady side looks fine, you've probably got a few years. Plan and budget now so you're not replacing it in an emergency.
3. If shingles are curling everywhere and leaks keep showing up in new spots, it's time for roof replacement. Our rule of thumb: once a repair costs more than about 30% of a new roof, put the money toward replacement.

Not sure which one you are? A free inspection gets you photos of every slope and a straight answer.

After a storm in Lansdale

When a summer storm comes through, it hits a lot of roofs at once in a town this built-up, and the door-knockers follow. Check from the ground first: shingles in the yard, gaps along the ridge, dented gutters. Don't climb a ladder in wind or on wet shingles.

If water is coming in, call us any time at (215) 824-6932. We tarp it to stop the water, usually the same day, photograph the damage, and can meet your insurance adjuster at the house. More on storm damage repair.

A family-owned roofer for Lansdale homes

Armstrong Roofing is family-owned and based in Horsham. Owner Jim Armstrong personally oversees every job, and the team has 50+ years of combined roofing experience. We're licensed in Pennsylvania (#PA164826), insured, BBB A+ rated, and rated 5.0 across 172+ reviews on Google. You can see a nearby job on our Hatfield roof replacement page.

• Free inspection with photos of what we find
• Written, line-item estimate before any work starts
• Honest repair-or-replace advice, even when the answer is a small repair
• Financing available through Hearth

What it usually costs

A downtown twin is a small roof, but tearing off two or three old layers and replacing soft boards adds labor. A bigger newer home usually has one layer over good plywood, so the size of the roof drives the price instead.

• Roof Repair: $350 – $2,500
• Roof Replacement: $6,500 – $18,000
• Flat Roof Repair: $350 – $1,800
• Emergency Roof Repair: $550 – $3,250
• Gutter Installation: $1,200 – $7,500

Questions we get asked

Do you work in all of Lansdale?

Yes. We work throughout Lansdale borough, from Main Street, Broad Street and the station out to Pennbrook and Whites Road, and in the surrounding neighborhoods with a Lansdale address off Valley Forge Road and Forty Foot Road. We also cover North Wales, Hatfield and Montgomeryville.

Can I replace my half of a twin if my neighbor is not replacing theirs?

Yes. We replace your side and carefully tie the new shingles into the neighbor's roof along the center line so water can't get under either side. If both halves are worn, doing them together is usually cheaper and looks better.

How much does a new roof cost in Lansdale?

Most roof replacements we do run between $6,500 and $18,000. A downtown twin or small rancher sits toward the lower end; big colonials with lots of valleys, and older houses with several layers to tear off or soft boards to replace, cost more. The estimate is free and in writing.

Can you put new shingles over my old roof?

We'd rather not, and on many older Lansdale houses there are already two layers. Tearing off lets us check and replace any rotted boards, put down a proper underlayment and ice barrier, and nail into solid wood. Another layer hides problems and adds weight.

My porch roof leaks but the main roof is fine. Can you fix just the porch?

Yes. Porch roofs on older Lansdale houses are often low-slope and leak where they meet the front wall. Most of those are repairs in the $350 to $1,800 range for flat roof work, depending on how much of the surface and flashing has failed.

Do you handle storm damage and insurance in Lansdale?

Yes. We tarp active leaks, photograph and document the damage, write the scope and can meet your adjuster at the house. We can't promise a claim will be paid; your insurer makes that call.

Are you licensed and insured?

Yes. PA license #PA164826, with general liability and workers' compensation insurance. We'll show you proof before any work starts.

Related pages

• Roof Repair: Leaks, missing shingles, flashing and vents. We fix the problem and tell you honestly how much life the roof has left.
• Roof Replacement: Full tear-off and new roof when repairs stop making sense. Written, line-item estimate before anything starts.
• Roof Inspection: A free, top-to-bottom look at your roof with photos, so you know what you actually need before you spend anything.
• Flat Roofing: Low-slope roofs over porches, additions and row homes, where ponding water is the enemy.
• Storm Damage Repair: Wind, hail and fallen limbs. We document the damage with photos and work with your insurance adjuster.
• Emergency Roof Repair: Active leak or storm damage? Call any time, day or night. We tarp it to stop the water, then make the permanent fix.
• North Wales: Borough homes and newer developments around it.
• Chalfont: Borough and surrounding townships in central Bucks.
• Montgomery County: Where we do most of our work, from Horsham out across the county.
• Roof Replacement in Hatfield, PA: Full tear-off and new architectural shingle roof.
• Blue Bell: Larger homes with complex rooflines and lots of valleys.
• Horsham: Home base. Our shop is here.
• Ambler: Older borough homes with steep roofs and plenty of flashing.
• Maple Glen: Established neighborhoods minutes from our shop.