What to Expect During a Roof Replacement in Albuquerque
Nobody enjoys a surprise on a roofing job. Here is the sequence, in order, and where the unknowns actually sit.
What happens before the crew arrives?
A roof replacement in Albuquerque starts on the ground, not on the roof. Somebody measures the house, reads the existing system, and writes down a scope that says what comes off and what goes back on.
Three things get settled in that stage, and they are the three that decide how the rest of the job goes.
- The measurement. Roofing is estimated by the square, which is 100 square feet of roof surface. Slope and complexity move the labor as much as area does.
- The existing system. How many layers are already up there matters, because Albuquerque code requires all layers to come off down to the decking once there are two or more. The city may take a core sample to settle the count.
- The permit. A permit is required for reroofing in Albuquerque, and city guidance says a licensed New Mexico contractor obtains it when hired for the job. The roof permit requirements guide covers that in detail.
The written scope is the part worth reading twice. What separates two estimates on the same house is usually not the shingle. It is what each one says about tear-off, decking and flashing, which the cost guide goes into.
What does tear-off day look like?
Loud, dusty and faster than you expect. Material and a dumpster show up first, the old covering comes off in sections, and everything underneath finally becomes visible.
The part nobody can price in advance
The deck is the unknown on every roofing job, because it is hidden until the old system is off. Code requires the structural roof components to be capable of supporting the material and equipment loads encountered during installation, so soft or rotted sheathing gets replaced rather than covered. A good estimate says in advance what deck replacement costs per sheet and how it will be documented. A vague one leaves that conversation for the day the crew finds it.
Flashing and the details
Once the deck is sound, the sequence is underlayment, then flashing and edge metal, then the covering itself. The flashing at walls, chimneys, vents and valleys is where a high desert roof usually fails, so it is worth asking whether flashing is being replaced or reused before the work starts.
What does the city inspection add to the schedule?
A day of notice, at a point in the middle of the job. City guidance says the inspection is requested when the new roof is at least halfway complete, that one day of notice is required, and that access to the roof will be required.
That timing is deliberate. An inspector who arrives after the last shingle is nailed down cannot see the underlayment or the flashing laps. Booking it late, or starting the job without a permit at all, is where schedules go wrong. City guidance warns that failing to obtain a permit before starting may result in a stop work notice and a double fee.
How should you prepare the house and the yard?
Very little of a roof replacement happens indoors, but the vibration and the debris reach further than people expect. A short round of preparation saves most of the annoyance.
- Move vehicles well clear. The dumpster and the material drop both need room, and debris travels.
- Clear the perimeter. Patio furniture, planters and grills are better off away from the drip line for the duration.
- Take things off the walls. Nailing shakes a house more than you would think, so anything fragile or hanging is worth moving.
- Plan for pets and the attic. Noise bothers animals, and dust falls through an open deck into whatever is stored below.
- Ask about the magnet sweep. Nails end up in the yard on every job. Ask how the cleanup is handled before the crew arrives rather than after.
When it is done, ask for the permit record and any manufacturer documentation for the material that went on. If you are still deciding whether you are at this stage at all, the repair or replace guide and the signs you need a new roof guide are the place to start, and the roof replacement page covers the service itself.
What do Albuquerque homeowners ask about the replacement process?
How long does a roof replacement take?
It depends on the size of the roof, the slope, how many layers come off and the weather. A straightforward house is commonly a matter of days rather than weeks, and the city inspection at the halfway point sits inside that window rather than after it.
Do I need to be home during the roof replacement?
Not usually, though somebody should be reachable by phone. The one moment where a decision may be needed is when the tear-off exposes the deck, because that is when any rotted sheathing is found and the scope can change.
What happens if the crew finds rotted decking?
It gets replaced. Code requires the structural roof components to be capable of carrying the loads encountered during installation, so bad sheathing cannot simply be covered over. Ask before the job starts what the per sheet price is and how the replacement will be documented.
Will the roof be left open overnight?
Good practice is to tear off only as much as the crew can dry in before they leave. Ask how the crew handles a partial day and what the plan is if a monsoon storm builds, because that answer tells you a lot about how the company works.
Does the old roof have to come off completely?
It does when two or more coverings are already in place. Albuquerque code requires all layers to be removed down to the roof decking before a new covering goes on, and the city may take a core sample to determine how many roofs have been applied.
What should the written scope include?
Tear-off and disposal, deck inspection and a stated allowance for replacing bad sheathing, underlayment, flashing and edge metal, the covering itself, the permit, and cleanup. The differences between two estimates almost always live in those lines rather than in the shingle.
How much noise and mess should I expect?
More noise than mess, and both are temporary. Tear-off and nailing are loud enough to be felt inside the house, dust falls through an open deck into the attic, and debris lands in the yard, which is why the cleanup method is worth asking about up front.
Is my landscaping at risk during the work?
Anything directly under the eaves is exposed to falling material. Moving pots and furniture away from the drip line, and agreeing in advance where the dumpster and the material drop go, prevents most of the damage that happens on roofing jobs.
When does the city inspector come out?
Once the new roof is at least halfway complete. City guidance asks for one day of notice on the request and says access to the roof will be required, so the inspection is scheduled into the middle of the job rather than tacked on at the end.
What should I get at the end of the job?
The permit record for the address, documentation for the material that was installed, and a clear statement of the manufacturer coverage terms and of what the installer stands behind. Keep them together, because the next owner of the house will ask for them.
Ready to get the roof measured?
Call and we will get someone out to walk it and put the scope in writing.