Shavano Park roof replacement

Complexity is the risk, not size

The homes out here are large, but square footage is not what makes a roof difficult. What makes it difficult is the shape. Custom builds come with multiple intersecting rooflines, dormers, turrets, long valleys, and a lot of transitions between one plane and another.

Every one of those transitions is a detail somebody has to get right. Valleys carry a large volume of water off several slopes at once, and a valley that was flashed poorly will leak long before any shingle on the roof has worn out. The same goes for the junction where a roof meets a wall, which is where we find a large share of the leaks on houses like these.

Materials and what they ask for

Concrete and clay tile are common on this side of town, and so is standing seam metal on newer custom builds. Both last a long time and both punish a careless install. Tile needs the underlayment right because the tile itself is a rain screen, not a waterproof layer. Metal needs room to expand or it will oil can and work its fasteners loose.

There is usually more equipment on these roofs too. Multiple HVAC units, solar arrays on some, skylights, and a lot of plumbing penetrations. Each one is a hole in the roof that depends entirely on its flashing. When we inspect, that is where we spend our time.

Because the roofs are larger and more cut up, an honest quote takes longer here. We would rather spend an extra half hour on your roof than hand you a number we have to revise.