What Actually Happens During a Roof Replacement? A Step-by-Step Walkthrough.

Materials Drop and Site Prep

The day before or morning of, a materials delivery truck drops the shingle bundles, underlayment, drip edge, flashing, and any other supplies directly at your property. Our crew arrives early — typically between 7:00 and 7:30 AM. The first thing we do is set up tarps and protection around your landscaping, siding, and any areas below the roofline where debris will fall during tear-off. We also run a magnetic roller along your driveway and walkways at the end of the job, but protecting your property starts before a single shingle comes off. If you have vehicles in the driveway, we'll ask you to move them. Stray nails and falling debris are part of the process, and we'd rather your car not be part of it.

Stripping the Old Roof Down to the Deck

This is the loud part. The crew works from the top ridge down, removing old shingles, underlayment, flashing, and any deteriorated materials. Everything gets shoveled off the roof into a dumpster positioned below. It's messy, it's noisy, and it usually takes the first half of the day depending on the size of the roof and how many layers are coming off. Here's the important part: this is where we find out what's really going on underneath. Rotted plywood, water damage, improper flashing from a previous job — tear-off is when the truth comes out. If we find decking that needs to be replaced, we'll let you know before we move forward. There are never surprises on the invoice that you didn't approve first.

This stage is also where the quality of your previous roofer becomes obvious. We've seen everything from missing drip edge to starter strips nailed in backwards. The condition of the deck tells the whole story of how well — or how poorly — the last job was done.

Underlayment, Ice Shield, Drip Edge, and Flashing

Once the deck is clean and any damaged plywood is replaced, the real build begins. First, ice and water shield goes down along the eaves, valleys, and around penetrations like pipe boots and skylights — this is your last line of defense against leaks. Then synthetic underlayment covers the entire deck. After that, new drip edge is installed along the eaves and rakes. Finally, step flashing and counter flashing go in wherever the roof meets a wall, chimney, or other vertical surface. This is the stage homeowners never see once the shingles go on, and it's the stage where most roofing shortcuts happen. A roofer who skips ice shield in the valleys or reuses old flashing is saving themselves 30 minutes and costing you thousands down the road. As a GAF Certified Plus contractor, we install every layer to manufacturer spec — that's how you qualify for the Silver Pledge warranty.

Starter Strip, Field Shingles, and Ridge Cap

Now comes the part that actually looks like a new roof going on. Starter strip shingles go along the eaves first — these have an adhesive strip that seals the first course and prevents wind uplift. Then the field shingles are installed from the eaves up to the ridge, with careful attention to alignment, exposure, and nailing pattern. Each shingle has a specific nail zone marked by the manufacturer — hit it too high and the shingle won't seal properly, hit it too low and you risk cracking the shingle below. The ridge cap goes on last, covering the peak where two roof planes meet. This is also where proper ventilation comes into play — ridge vents are installed along the peak to allow hot air to escape from the attic. The whole process is methodical, and on a typical Staten Island home, you're looking at most of the afternoon.

We Don't Leave Until It's Right

When the last ridge cap is nailed down, the work isn't done. The crew sweeps the entire roof, clears all debris from your yard, gutters, and landscaping, and runs a magnetic nail sweep across your driveway, walkways, and lawn — multiple passes. Then Chris or Anthony does a final walkthrough with you. We'll show you the finished roof from the ground, point out the details — the drip edge, the flashing at the chimney, the ridge vent — and answer any questions you have. We also take final photos so you have documentation of what was installed and how it looks. Your property should look better than when we arrived, minus the old roof. That's the standard.