What to Expect When Getting Your Roof Replaced

Getting your roof replaced is one of the larger expenses homeowners face — typically somewhere between $8,000 and $22,000 depending on the size and complexity of the roof, the materials selected, and the region of New England you're in. It's understandable to feel uncertain about the process if you haven't been through it before. What happens on day one? Do you need to be home? What if they find rot under the old shingles?

Here's the full picture, from start to finish.

1. The Estimate: Before Anyone Sets Foot on Your Property

The traditional roofing estimate process requires a sales representative to schedule a visit, climb your roof, take measurements by hand, and then return later with a quote — often after a "let me check with my manager" delay. It's time-consuming and puts unnecessary pressure on homeowners to make decisions on the spot.

Nova's process is different. When you enter your address into the estimator, our system uses satellite imagery to measure your roof remotely — capturing square footage, pitch, number of facets, and wall area with a high degree of accuracy. The result is a real, data-driven price range delivered in under two minutes. No sales visit. No one standing in your driveway.

This initial estimate is a baseline, not a final contract. It's designed to give you a genuine sense of cost before you've committed to anything. After you decide you'd like to move forward, we schedule a free on-site inspection to confirm measurements and identify any underlying issues — like decking rot or ventilation problems — that would affect the final scope. There is no obligation at any stage.

2. The On-Site Inspection

The inspection serves two purposes: confirming the satellite measurements are accurate (they almost always are, within a small margin) and identifying hidden issues that can't be seen from imagery alone. Your project manager will assess the condition of the existing decking, check flashing at all penetrations (chimneys, vents, skylights, valleys), evaluate your attic ventilation, and document anything that needs to be addressed in the scope of work.

Common discoveries during inspections in New England homes include rotted decking from long-term ice dam damage, failed flashing around chimneys, and inadequate soffit or ridge ventilation. None of these are surprises that should come up on installation day — they should be part of the written quote before you sign anything.

At the end of the inspection, you receive a detailed, itemized contract with no line items that appear later. What's in the contract is what you pay.

3. Installation Day: What Actually Happens

Most residential roof replacements in New England take one to two days. Here's the sequence:

Early morning: The crew arrives with materials already staged on-site from the previous day (or delivered same morning). Tarps go down on the driveway and around the perimeter to catch debris. You don't need to be home — as long as we have power access and the driveway is clear, the crew operates independently under your project manager's supervision.

Tear-off: The existing shingles, underlayment, and flashing are removed completely. Nova does full tear-offs on every project — no layering new shingles over old ones. This is non-negotiable: nailing through two layers of old shingles is a code violation in most of ME, NH, and VT, and it prevents proper inspection of the decking beneath.

Decking inspection and repair: With the deck exposed, the project manager walks every section. Any soft, rotted, or delaminated plywood gets replaced before any new material goes on. This is the step that can add to the original quote — and it's also why the on-site inspection matters. Known decking issues are priced in advance.

Ice and water shield: Applied at the eaves and all vulnerable penetrations first. In New England, this step is done more aggressively than the minimum code requires, because it's the primary defense against ice dam water infiltration.

Underlayment, drip edge, flashing, and shingles: Installed in sequence, from the eaves up. High-wind nailing patterns (typically 6 nails per shingle rather than 4) are used throughout. New flashing goes in at every penetration.

Cleanup: Magnetic rollers go through the yard and driveway to pick up nails. All debris is loaded and hauled. The site is left clean.

4. After the Job: Warranty and Follow-Up

A properly installed roof from a factory-certified contractor comes with two layers of warranty: the manufacturer's material warranty (typically 30 to 50 years depending on the shingle line selected) and the contractor's workmanship warranty. The manufacturer's warranty is only valid through certified installers — which is why certification matters and why the cheapest bid often isn't.

After installation, you receive documentation of both warranties and a completion report from your project manager. If anything comes up in the first year — any question about an installation detail, a concern about how the ridge cap looks, anything — your project manager is your contact. Not a call center, not a warranty claims department. The same person who oversaw your job.

That's the process. It's straightforward when it's run by people who know what they're doing. The satellite estimate is where it starts — two minutes, no pressure, real numbers.