Roof Replacement in Chicago and the Northwest Suburbs

Roof replacement in Chicago and the suburbs, done as a complete system: tear-off, decking repairs, ice and water shield, flashing, ventilation and a new shingle roof installed to spec.

A roof replacement is a full tear-off down to the decking, repairs to any soft or rotted wood, new underlayment and ice and water shield, new flashing and ventilation, and a new shingle system installed to the manufacturer’s specifications.

When a roof has widespread curling, granule loss or repeated leaks on several slopes, repairs stop being good value. A full replacement resets the clock with a new, complete roof system.

Replacing a roof is a once-in-twenty-years decision for most homeowners. The details you can’t see afterward (decking, ice and water shield, flashing and ventilation) decide how long the new roof actually lasts.

Roof Replacement by City

We have a dedicated roof replacement page for every city we serve. Each one covers local housing, permits and neighborhoods. Our home base is Schaumburg:

• Roof replacement in Schaumburg
• Roof replacement in Hoffman Estates
• Roof replacement in Elk Grove Village
• Roof replacement in Roselle
• Roof replacement in Palatine
• Roof replacement in Arlington Heights
• Roof replacement in Rolling Meadows
• Roof replacement in Streamwood
• Roof replacement in Hanover Park
• Roof replacement in Bartlett
• Roof replacement in Itasca
• Roof replacement in Bloomingdale
• Roof replacement in Inverness
• Roof replacement in South Barrington
• Roof replacement in Mount Prospect
• Roof replacement in Wood Dale
• Roof replacement in Des Plaines

Signs You Need Roof Replacement

• Shingles curling, cupping or cracking across several slopes
• Heavy granule loss and bald spots
• Repeated leaks in different areas
• Sagging decking or soft spots underfoot
• The roof is near or past the end of its expected life
• Two layers of shingles already on the roof

Our Roof Replacement Process

1. Inspection and written proposal We measure the roof, check the decking and attic ventilation, and give you a line-item proposal.
2. Permit and material order We pull the village permit where one is required and schedule delivery.
3. Tear-off and deck repair Old layers come off down to the decking, and soft or rotted sheathing is replaced.
4. Underlayment, ice and water shield, flashing Eaves, valleys and penetrations are protected before the first shingle goes on.
5. Shingles, ventilation, cleanup The new system is installed, ridge or box vents are set, magnetic sweeps pick up nails, and the final inspection is scheduled.

Roof Replacement by Type of Home

The northwest suburbs have every kind of house, and each one needs roof replacement handled a little differently:

• Post-war ranches: Long, low ranch rooflines often still sit on their original 1950s or 1960s board decking. We regularly find two layers of shingles, undersized attic ventilation and low-slope additions that were never flashed properly into the main roof.
• Split-levels and raised ranches: Split-levels and raised ranches have roof planes that run into sidewalls. That means step flashing and kick-out flashing, and those wall-to-roof joints are where many of the leaks we trace actually begin.
• Two-story homes: Two-story homes mean tall eaves, long gutter runs and steeper pitches. Safety staging and careful valley work matter more, and wind takes a bigger toll on high, exposed slopes.
• Townhomes and HOA communities: Townhome and condominium associations often control shingle color and style, and attached buildings share roof sections, so the work has to be coordinated with the association and the neighbors.
• Older homes near downtowns: Older homes near downtown often have steeper pitches, chimneys, dormers and original plank decking. Chimney flashing and soft spots in old boards are common findings.
• 1990s and 2000s subdivisions: Subdivisions from the 1990s and 2000s were usually roofed with builder-grade shingles and minimal ventilation, and many of those original roofs are now reaching the end of their life all at once.
• Estate homes: Estate homes have large, complex roofs with many valleys, hips, dormers, skylights and steep pitches. Every additional penetration and valley is a place that needs careful flashing, and the roof has to be planned before work begins.

How We Do Roof Replacement Right

Decking and tear-off

A full tear-off lets us see and walk every sheet of decking. Soft, delaminated or rotted sections are replaced before anything new goes on. Skip that step and new shingles get nailed into wood that won’t hold them.

Ice and water shield and underlayment

Ice and water shield is a self-adhering membrane that seals around nails. It goes at the eaves to protect against ice dams, in the valleys, and around chimneys and other penetrations. Synthetic underlayment covers the rest of the deck as a second line of defense.

Ventilation

Shingles last longest when the attic breathes: intake at the soffits and exhaust at the ridge, in balance. Poor ventilation cooks shingles from below in summer and causes condensation and ice dams in winter. Every replacement proposal we write includes a ventilation check.

Flashing and details

New drip edge, new step flashing at walls, new pipe boots and properly integrated chimney flashing. These are the parts that fail first on a cheap roof, and the parts we don’t reuse.

What to Expect

On the day of the job we protect landscaping and the driveway, set up safety equipment and keep the site organized. At the end we run magnetic sweeps for nails and walk the finished work with you.

We tell you what time the crew arrives, what to move away from the house and how long the work will take. When we’re done, the yard is swept for nails and you get before-and-after photos.

What Affects the Cost of Roof Replacement

• roof size in squares and the number of layers being removed
• pitch, height and the number of valleys, dormers and penetrations
• how much decking needs replacing once the old roof is off
• the shingle line you choose (architectural vs. designer)
• ventilation upgrades and new flashing at chimneys and walls

Repair or Replace?

A roof with damage on one slope and sound shingles everywhere else is a repair. A roof with curling, granule loss or leaks on several slopes, or one that is near the end of its expected life, usually makes more sense to replace. Repeated repairs on a failing roof cost more over time than a new roof. We’ll show you the photos and give you an honest recommendation either way.

For a starting number, try our roof replacement cost calculator. Insurance questions are covered on our roof insurance claims page. Choosing materials? Read our guide to the best roofing shingles for Chicago homes.

Weather in Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois roofs work hard: hail and straight-line winds in spring and summer, heavy snow, and dozens of freeze-thaw cycles every winter. Ice dams at the eaves are one of the most common causes of winter leaks we see.

The freeze-thaw cycle is tough on roofs here. Water gets into small gaps, freezes, expands and opens them wider. Add summer hail and gusty storms, and a roof that looked fine in October can be leaking by March.

Roof Replacement: FAQ