Most roof replacements take one day. On most homes, our crew starts at 7am and is cleaned up by mid afternoon. A complex roof, or a roof with a lot of bad wood under the shingles, can take 1 to 2 days, and weather can move the date.
How long does a new roof take on a normal house?
About one day. That is true for most homes we see in Gaston County. Think of a one or two story house with a simple roof shape and one layer of old shingles.
The crew shows up early and works straight through. By the time most people get home from work, the old roof is gone, the new roof is on, and the yard is clean.
What happens on install day?
Here is the order of the work on a typical one day job.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 7am start | The crew arrives and sets up. |
| Tear-off | The old shingles come off, down to the bare wood. The old shingles go straight into the trailer. |
| Wood check | The roofer walks the bare wood. If any boards are soft or rotten, we send you a photo before we replace them. |
| Dry-in | New underlayment goes over the whole roof. Now the house is covered. |
| Shingles | New shingles go on from the bottom up. The ridge caps go on last, along the top. |
| Clean-up | The crew cleans up and runs a big magnet over the yard and driveway to catch nails. |
The noisy part is the tear-off. It quiets down once the new roof starts going on.
What can make it take 2 days?
Most of the time, a second day comes from one of these:
- Bad wood. Every soft or rotten board has to come out and be replaced. A lot of bad wood adds time. We show you photos first, so you know why.
- A complex roof. Lots of valleys, hips, dormers, and different slopes take more cutting and fitting.
- A steep roof. Steep roofs are slower and need more safety gear.
- Two layers of old shingles. There is twice as much to tear off and haul away. Read more about tear-off vs roof-over.
- A very big roof. More squares means more hours.
We will tell you before the job if your roof looks like a 2 day job. No one wants a surprise.
What if it rains?
We watch the weather close. We only open up as much roof as we can cover that same day, so your house stays dry. If rain is coming, we do not start. The date moves instead.
Fall and spring are easy months to plan around. Summer storms and cold winter mornings take a little more planning. Our post on the best time of year to replace a roof has more on that.
How do I get my home ready?
A little prep makes the day go smooth.
- Move your cars. Pull them out of the driveway and garage that morning.
- Take down wall pictures and mirrors on the top floor. Hammering on the roof shakes the house.
- Keep pets inside in a quiet room, or with a friend for the day. The noise scares a lot of pets.
- Cover things in the attic with an old sheet. A little dust can fall when the old roof comes off.
- Tell us about anything special in the yard, like a garden bed or a koi pond. We will take extra care.
How long does the whole thing take, start to finish?
The roof itself is one day for most homes. Before that, there are a few quick steps:
- Fast estimate. Use our instant roof quote to see a price range from satellite images in seconds.
- Free roof check. A roofer gets on your roof, takes photos and video, and texts them to you.
- Exact price. You get an exact price for your roof, in writing.
- Install day. We pick a date that works for you and the weather.
You can also pay over time. Financing is available, subject to approval. See how roof financing works.
The short version
Most roofs: one day. Complex roofs or a lot of bad wood: 1 to 2 days. Rain: we wait. Nails: we sweep with a magnet before we leave.
Want to know what your roof needs? Book a free roof inspection, or read more about our roof replacement process. You can also text us at (980) 888-8431. We are open 7 days, 8 to 6.
Common questions
Do most roofs really get done in one day?
Yes, for most homes. On a simple roof the crew starts at 7am and is cleaned up by mid afternoon. Complex roofs, or roofs with a lot of bad wood, can take 1 to 2 days.
Will my house be open to the rain overnight?
No. We only open up as much roof as we can cover that same day. If rain is coming, we move the date instead of starting.
What happens if you find rotten wood under the shingles?
The roofer takes a photo and we send it to you before we replace any boards. That way you see exactly what was bad and why.
Will there be nails left in my yard?
We clean up before we leave and run a big magnet over the yard and driveway to catch nails.
