BUILDTEC
Roof Replacement in Minnesota & Wisconsin
Most homeowners do this once or twice in a lifetime. We do it every week. Here is what the work actually involves, what drives the price, and how to tell whether you are there yet.
FREE ROOFING ESTIMATE
Roofing form to fill out so we can get in contact with you.
WHERE TO BEGIN
The Decision Is the Hard Part
Once a crew shows up, a roof replacement is a fairly straightforward job. The difficult stretch happens before that, when you are standing in the driveway trying to figure out whether the roof over your head has five good years left or none. You cannot climb up and check. The house looks the same either way. And whoever you ask has a financial stake in the answer.
That is the position most homeowners are in when they call us. Buildtec is a family-owned company working out of Stillwater, MN, and we would rather have you trust the answer than take the job, so the inspection comes first and costs nothing. We get on the roof, photograph what is there, and tell you plainly where you stand. Sometimes that means you have time. When it does not, the rest of this page covers what a roof replacement actually involves so you know what you are buying.
READING YOUR ROOF
Four Things That Usually Mean Replacement
Any of these alone might still be fixable. Together they point one direction.
The Roof Has Aged Out
Asphalt gives you roughly twenty to thirty years here, and the roof does not announce when it crosses the line. If you know the install year and it is past twenty, that is reason enough to have someone take a look before a storm makes the decision for you.
Trouble in More Than One Spot
A single leak usually traces back to one spot. Flashing, a boot, exposed fasteners, damaged shingles. We fix those all the time. When water shows up in two or three unrelated places, the shingles themselves have stopped doing their job and patching turns into a subscription.
Storm Damage Across the Roof
Widespread hail or wind damage across multiple slopes can make spot repairs impractical. Whether it calls for a replacement depends on the damage itself, whether it can be repaired, and what local code requires. On an insurance claim, your specific policy coverage is what drives it. The inspection sorts all of that out for you.
Somebody Roofed Over the Last One
Layering shingles over an existing roof was a common shortcut. It traps heat, adds weight, and hides whatever the wood underneath has been doing all these years. Roofs like that always come down to the deck, and we are usually glad to see what is under there.
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ROOFING STILLWATER HOMES
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STEP BY STEP
What Actually Happens, in Order
From the first phone call to the last nail swept out of your driveway.
Somebody Gets on the Roof
Not a look from the driveway and not a drone pass. We climb up and go over the shingles, the valleys, the flashing, every penetration, and the attic ventilation. We also check your entire exterior including siding, windows, and gutters. Then you get the photos afterward regardless of what you decide to do next.
You Hear What We Found
We walk you through the pictures and tell you where the roof stands. Plenty of these conversations end with us saying you have time and to call again in a couple years. When replacement is the answer, you will see why on the screen before we say the word.
Pricing and Shingle Selection
A written estimate covering materials, labor, permit, disposal, and schedule. We bring physical samples so you can hold a color against your siding in daylight rather than guessing from a website. Then you take as long as you want with it.
Permit, Order, Calendar
We handle the permit with your city, order the material, and put you on the schedule. You will know your date well ahead of time, and if weather pushes it we call you rather than leaving you wondering.
Covering Up, Then Tearing Off
Tarps over the flower beds, plywood against the garage doors, and a plan for where debris lands before a single shingle moves. Then the old roof comes off completely. Every layer, down to the wood.
The Part Nobody Sees Again
With the shingles off, we check the wood/decking for any issues. If we find something we did not expect, you hear about it before we act on it. Then the whole system goes back on in order. This stage is where a good roof and a bad roof separate, and it disappears under the shingles by the end of the day.
Cleanup and a Walk Around
Magnets over the lawn and driveway, debris hauled off, tarps pulled. We go around the house and answer whatever is still on your mind. The yard should not show that we were here.
ROOF LINGO
Words You Will Hear, Translated
Every estimate you get is going to use these. Nobody explains them, and asking mid-conversation feels awkward. So here they are up front.
Decking
The wood underneath everything. Plywood or board sheathing nailed across the rafters, and the surface the whole roof is built on. You only see it during a tear-off, which is why nobody knows its condition beforehand.
Tear-Off
Stripping the old roof off down to that bare decking so the new one starts on a clean surface. It is also the only point where anyone gets a look at the wood underneath and what shape it is in.
Underlayment
A protective layer rolled across the decking before any shingles go down, and your backup if water ever gets past the surface. Synthetic has largely replaced the old felt paper.
Ice and Water Shield
A sticky membrane that seals around nails, used along the eaves, valleys, and roof penetrations. In Minnesota and Wisconsin this is the piece standing between an ice dam and your ceiling.
Pitch
How steep it is, written like 6/12, meaning it rises six inches for every twelve it runs. Steeper roofs are slower and riskier to work on, which shows up in the price.
Square
A hundred square feet of roof surface, and the unit roofing gets measured in. Not the footprint of your house, since an angled roof covers more than the ground it sits on.
WHAT GOES ON TOP
Choosing Your Shingle
Four manufacturers, several tiers within each. We help you land in the right one.
Architectural Shingles
What ends up on most homes, and for good reason. The differences worth knowing are how the granules hold up as the roof ages, whether it resists the dark streaking that shows up on shaded sides, and what the manufacturer requires before their full warranty applies. We sort out which one fits your house.
Class 4
Rated to take hail better than standard shingles, and a number of Minnesota and Wisconsin carriers offer Class 4 discounts, though it varies by insurer and policy. If you are already replacing, it is worth having your agent quote both ways before you commit.
Designer Profiles
Thicker and heavier than a standard architectural, cut with deeper shadow lines so the roof reads with real texture instead of flat color. On a house where the roof is a big part of what you see from the street, the difference is hard to miss. On a low-slope home you barely notice from the driveway, it is harder to justify.
Metal
Long life, sheds snow well, and often the smart answer on porches and shallow sections where shingles struggle. Some homeowners do the whole house in it. Others run metal on the low areas and shingles everywhere else.
MATERIALS WE INSTALL
Quality Materials.
Trusted Brands.
We believe a roof is only as good as the materials behind it, so we install products from top manufacturers known for proven performance and lasting durability.
IN THE PRICE
Everything a Replacement Can Include
Shingles are the visible part. This is the rest of what you are paying for.
Complete tear-off
Down to bare wood. We do not roof over what is already up there.
Decking repair as needed
Ice and water shield
Synthetic underlayment
Fresh flashing
Drip edge and starter
Balanced ventilation
Permit and haul-away
Manufacturer coverage
Lifetime Workmanship Warranty
CITIES WE COVER
Roofs We Replace Around the Area
Our shop sits off Highway 36 in Stillwater, which puts most of the east metro inside a short drive and Wisconsin about ten minutes across the river. We run north up through the Chisago Lakes area, south into Woodbury and Cottage Grove, west toward Roseville and Shoreview, and east into St. Croix County. Find your city below, or call and we will tell you whether you are in range.
WORTH ASKING ABOUT
Since the Crew Is Already There
A few things line up naturally with a replacement. Bring them up at your inspection.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Roofing FAQs
Square footage, pitch, how cut up the roof is, and which shingle you land on. A simple rambler and a two-story with five gables are not close to the same job. Our instant quote tool reads your roof from aerial imagery and gives you a ballpark in about thirty seconds, and the inspection turns that into a real number.
Usually one, sometimes two. Bigger or more complicated roofs run longer and weather can stretch things out. Your estimate spells out the expected timeline before you sign anything.
No. Nobody needs to get inside, and most people go about their normal day. It is loud during tear-off and things on shelves may rattle, so plan around anyone who naps and consider sending the dog somewhere.
We stop and show you. Decking gets priced by the sheet up front, so you know the rate before we ever start, and it only lands on your invoice if we actually replaced any. Nothing gets added quietly.
It can, with some care. Shingles need warmth to seal down on their own, so late spring through early fall is the easy window. But a roof leaking in the middle of winter is not going to wait until June, and there are ways to do cold weather installs correctly.
Only if a storm caused it. Carriers cover hail and wind damage, not a roof that simply got old. If we think you have a claim, we document it, meet the adjuster at your house, and push back when the scope comes up short. Our storm damage page walks through how that goes.
Not at all. We handle the detach and the reset, and we schedule it so the whole thing lines up without any gaps. One project, one point of contact, nothing for you to coordinate.
Yes. We have financing options available, with different terms depending on what fits your situation. Everything is laid out on our financing page.
Our Lifetime Workmanship Warranty covers how the roof went on. If something ever fails because of the installation, we come back and take care of it. The shingles carry their own manufacturer warranty on top of that, so the product and the labor are both covered.
Find Out Where Your Roof Stands.
Free inspection. Honest assessment. Calls answered. Promises kept. That's how Buildtec does business.