What a full replacement actually involves
Every roof we replace goes the same way, whether it's a bungalow in Waterdown or a two-storey in Oakville. Nothing here is optional and nothing gets skipped to make a number look better.
- Tear-off to the deck. Old shingles, old underlayment, old flashing, all of it comes off. This is the step some quotes leave out by laying new shingles over the old ones. We don't do that — you can't inspect a deck you can't see.
- Deck inspection and repair. With the roof bare, Justin walks it looking for soft or rotted plywood, usually around chimneys, valleys and anywhere a leak has been running. Bad sheets get replaced before anything goes back on.
- Drip edge and ice-and-water shield. Metal drip edge along the eaves and rakes, then a self-adhering ice-and-water membrane at the eaves, in the valleys and around every penetration. In this part of Ontario that membrane is what stops an ice dam from pushing water backwards under the shingles.
- Synthetic underlayment. Across the rest of the deck, mechanically fastened. It sheds water if weather arrives mid-job and it doesn't wrinkle the way old felt does.
- Starter strip, then field shingles. A proper starter course at the eaves and rakes so the first row is sealed and wind can't get a lip under it, then the field shingles up the slope to the manufacturer's nailing pattern.
- Flashing. New step flashing where the roof meets a wall, new counter-flashing at chimneys, new boots on plumbing stacks. Re-using tired flashing is the most common reason a brand-new roof leaks.
- Venting and ridge cap. Intake at the soffit, exhaust at the ridge, then capped off. A roof that can't breathe cooks its own shingles from underneath.
- Cleanup. Tarps down before we start, magnet over the lawn and driveway after, old roof hauled away. You see the finished work before the crew leaves.
When a roof needs replacing rather than repairing
Not every bad-looking roof needs replacing, and Justin will tell you when a repair genuinely buys you a few more years. Broadly: under about 15 years with damage in one spot is a repair; past 18 or 20 years, with granules collecting in the eavestrough, shingles curling at the edges, or leaks showing up in more than one place, you're into a replacement. Two layers already on the house pushes it the same way, because a third layer isn't allowed and the tear-off is coming either way.
There's a fuller breakdown of that decision, side by side, on the repair-or-replace comparison on the home page.
What drives the price of a roof replacement
Two houses on the same street can quote very differently. These are the things that actually move the number, and Justin will walk you through which ones apply to yours:
Size and shape of the roof
Roofing is priced by area, but shape matters as much as square footage. A simple gable is fast. Lots of hips, valleys, dormers and cut-up sections mean more waste, more flashing and more labour per square.
Pitch
A walkable slope goes on quickly. Once a roof is steep enough to need staging and harnesses for the whole job, the same area takes considerably longer.
How many layers come off
One layer is a straightforward tear-off. Two layers is roughly double the removal work and double the disposal weight, and disposal is charged by weight.
Deck condition
Nobody knows this until the old roof is off. Sound plywood costs nothing extra; sheets that have been soaking under a slow leak have to be cut out and replaced. Justin prices deck repair per sheet and shows you the rot before he replaces anything.
Penetrations and detail work
Chimneys, skylights, multiple plumbing stacks and wall intersections all need flashing done properly by hand. They're where roofs leak, so they're where the time goes.
Access
A driveway we can back the trailer into keeps the job efficient. Tight lots, no driveway access, or landscaping that has to be protected all add time.
Venting and upgrades
If the attic is under-vented, fixing it during the replacement is far cheaper than going back later. Same for upgrading to a heavier designer shingle.
Estimates are free and written. Call or text (905) 599-4441, Justin comes out, gets on the roof, and you get the number in writing with what's included spelled out.
What we install
Beaudry Roofing is a BP Certified Roofer under the Weather-Tite program, which means the installation carries the manufacturer's backing and not just the shingle. Day to day that means:
- BP and GAF architectural shingle lines rated for Ontario winters, in the standard and designer weights.
- Ice-and-water membrane at the eaves, valleys and penetrations — the part that matters most in a freeze-thaw climate.
- Synthetic underlayment over the field rather than felt.
- New metal drip edge, step and counter-flashing on every replacement.
- Ridge vent or box vents sized to the attic, with intake checked at the soffit.
- Velux skylights where one is being replaced or added.
