Roof replacement in Hatfield, PA

Armstrong Roofing tore off and replaced a 50 square roof on a home in Hatfield, Montgomery County, rebuilding it from the deck up with synthetic underlayment, ice and water shield, GAF Timberline HDZ shingles in Charcoal, matching ridge cap and balanced attic ventilation. The photos below are from the job. If your roof is getting to the same point, start with a free inspection: (215) 824-6932.

An aging roof on a big house

This Hatfield home had an older roof at the end of its life. It's a large house: the roof measured 50 squares. A square is 100 square feet of roof surface, so that's about 5,000 square feet of shingles, roughly double what we see on a typical ranch or Cape around here.

On a roof that size, patching stops paying off quickly. Every repair means ladders, a crew and a day's labor, and once the shingles are worn out all over, the next leak is just waiting for the next storm. Our rule of thumb is simple: once a repair would cost more than about 30% of a new roof, put the money toward a replacement.

Why we took it down to the deck

We removed the old shingles, underlayment and worn flashing all the way down to the roof deck. That's the only way to see the plywood or boards underneath. You can't judge a deck through two layers of asphalt, and you don't want new shingles nailed into soft wood.

With the deck open, every section was checked before anything new went on. Tearing off also meant the new roof could be built as one system instead of new shingles sitting on whatever was left from the last roof.

The roof we built, layer by layer

  1. Tear-off to the deck. Old shingles, underlayment and flashing came off, and the deck was inspected section by section.
  2. Drip edge and ice and water shield. Metal drip edge at the roof edges, and a self-sealing membrane at the eaves and in the valleys, where ice dams and wind-driven rain cause most leaks.
  3. Synthetic underlayment. A synthetic sheet across the rest of the roof as the second line of defense under the shingles.
  4. Starter shingles. A starter course along every eave and rake so the first row of shingles has something to seal to at the edges, where wind gets under a roof first.
  5. GAF Timberline HDZ in Charcoal. Architectural shingles across the field, installed to the manufacturer's instructions.
  6. Ridge cap and ventilation. Matching GAF ridge cap shingles on the ridges and hips, and balanced attic ventilation so hot, damp air can get out of the attic year-round.

Owner Jim Armstrong personally oversees every job, this one included. You can see the stages in the photos: underlayment going down, shingles going on, and the finished ridge and vent detail.

What to ask for if your roof is next

Most of the value in a new roof is in the layers you never see again. When you compare estimates, make sure each one spells these out:

  • Full tear-off, not an overlay. Ask what happens if they find soft decking, and what it costs per sheet.
  • Ice and water shield at the eaves and valleys, at minimum.
  • Drip edge and starter shingles at the edges, not cut-down field shingles.
  • Real ridge cap shingles, not field shingles cut into pieces.
  • Ventilation. Ask how air gets into the attic at the bottom and out at the top. A new roof over a hot, damp attic ages early.

Check your own roof size: Your estimate should list the roof size in squares. If two estimates measure the same house very differently, ask both roofers how they measured. It's the fastest way to tell whether you're comparing the same job.

Hatfield is up the road from Lansdale and North Wales, and we work across Montgomery County. If you're not sure whether you need a roof yet, a free inspection with photos will tell you.

What it usually costs

Size is the biggest driver: a 50 square roof is well above an average house. Pitch, the number of layers coming off, decking repairs and ventilation work move it from there.

  • Roof Replacement: $6,500 – $18,000
  • Shingle Roof Installation: $6,500 – $16,000

Questions we get asked

What does 50 squares mean on a roof estimate?

A roofing square is 100 square feet of roof surface, so 50 squares is about 5,000 square feet. That is a large roof for a single-family home. Roofers order materials and price labor by the square, which is why every estimate should list it.

How long does a roof replacement take?

Most re-roofs on an average house take a day or two, weather permitting. A roof this size is bigger than average, so we give you the schedule for your house with the written estimate.

What is included in a full roof replacement like this one?

On this Hatfield job it meant tear-off to the deck, drip edge, ice and water shield at the eaves and valleys, synthetic underlayment, starter shingles, GAF Timberline HDZ shingles, matching ridge cap and attic ventilation. Your written, line-item estimate should list each of these so you can compare quotes fairly.

Why does attic ventilation matter for a new roof?

An attic that cannot breathe gets very hot in summer and damp in winter. The heat ages shingles from underneath, and the moisture can soak insulation and rot the deck. Balanced ventilation lets air in low at the eaves and out high at the ridge.

Can you put new shingles over my old roof instead?

Sometimes it is allowed, but we usually advise against it. An overlay hides the deck, so you never see soft or rotted wood, and it adds weight. Tearing off lets us check every section and build the new roof properly from the deck up.

Do you work in Hatfield?

Yes. We are based in Horsham and work across Montgomery County, including Hatfield, Lansdale and North Wales. Inspections and written estimates are free; call (215) 824-6932.

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