What we fix · Shingle Roof Repair
Shingle Roof Repair and Replacement
Asphalt shingles have the shortest working life of anything common on a South Florida roof. Ultraviolet exposure hardens the asphalt, the sealant strip that bonds one course to the next lets go, and from that point the wind has something to get under.
Photographs and a written scope. If the honest answer is that it can wait another season, you will get that answer.
67
Florida counties we are licensed to build in
HVHZ
Miami-Dade and Broward product approval, done properly
GC
A general contractor, so the structure below is our problem too
25%
The code rule that decides repair vs. replace
The stack
What is actually up there
A roof is a stack of layers, and almost nobody has seen the stack. Knowing which layer keeps the water out changes what you should be paying for.
The problem
Why this goes wrong
The failure order is predictable: edges and corners first, then rakes and ridges, then the field. That is useful, because it means a shingle roof gives you warning if anyone is looking at the right places. It also means a roof that has lost shingles in two separate storms is telling you something about its remaining life rather than about the wind.
Recognise it
What it looks like
Drawn rather than photographed, so each one shows the mechanism instead of one particular roof.
Tabs lifting at the edge
Once the sealant strip lets go, wind gets under the leading edge. This is where a shingle roof begins to fail.
Checking the deck
Soft plywood under a shingle roof means water has been getting through for some time, and the scope grows accordingly.
From the ground
Signs to look for
- Granules collecting in gutters and at downspout outlets.
- Shingles that are cupped, curled at the corners, or brittle to the touch.
- Bare patches where the mat is showing through.
- Lifted or missing tabs, especially along rakes and ridges.
- A roof over fifteen years old that has been through several named storms.
Scope
What we actually do
- 01Identify the shingle type and, where possible, its age.
- 02Check the sealant strip bond across several elevations rather than one.
- 03Inspect starter course, drip edge and rake detail — where failure begins.
- 04Assess the deck for soft spots and previous repairs.
- 05Determine the affected percentage. This is the 25%-rule conversation.
- 06Written scope with photographs and the code path spelled out.
Worth knowing
Colour matching is imperfect on any shingle roof more than a few years old, because the existing shingles have weathered. A repair will be visible. If appearance on a prominent elevation matters to you, say so early — it sometimes changes the recommendation from repair to replacing that slope.
FAQ
Common questions
- Can you match my shingles?
- The product line, often. The weathered colour, rarely. A repair will be visible on a roof that has been in the sun for a decade.
- How long do shingles last in South Florida?
- Less than the packaging suggests. Ultraviolet exposure and heat are harder on asphalt here than in most of the country.
- Can I put a new layer over the old one?
- Code limits this and we generally will not recommend it. A second layer hides the deck, adds weight, and makes the next roof more expensive.
- Is it worth repairing a fifteen-year-old shingle roof?
- Sometimes for a single storm-damaged slope. Often not, and we will tell you the honest remaining life rather than sell you two repairs a year apart.
Areas served
Where we work
HVHZ
Fort Lauderdale
Our home city, and a genuine mix: barrel tile on the mainland, flat and low-slope on the mid-century houses near Victoria Park, and metal appearing steadily on the newer waterfront builds. Broward is HVHZ, so every product on your roof needs a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance.
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HVHZ
Wilton Manors
Compact lots and a large stock of 1950s and 1960s single-storey houses, which in practice means low-slope and shallow-pitch roofs rather than tile. Those roofs rely on membrane and flashing detail, so the failures here look different from the tile failures a mile east.
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HVHZ
Oakland Park
A lot of housing built either side of 1970, now reaching the point where an original underlayment has certainly been replaced once and may be due again. HVHZ rules apply, and Oakland Park permitting is generally straightforward compared with the barrier-island municipalities.
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HVHZ
Pompano Beach
Two different roofing markets in one city: older single-family inland, and a wave of oceanfront towers built in the last decade. The beachfront work is almost entirely low-slope with heavy salt exposure, which shortens the life of fasteners and terminations well before the membrane.
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HVHZ
Lighthouse Point
Canal-front houses with long-tenured owners, which is exactly the profile where a tile roof has looked fine for twenty-five years while the underlayment quietly reached the end of its life. Salt air on the canals is hard on exposed fasteners and metal trim.
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HVHZ
Deerfield Beach
The northern edge of Broward, and the last city before the HVHZ boundary — cross into Palm Beach County a mile north and the product approval rules change entirely. Large stock of 1970s and 1980s condominium with low-slope roofs held in common by the association.
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Next step
Find out what is actually wrong with it.
An inspection, photographs of what we found, and a written scope. If the honest answer is that it can wait another season, that is the answer you will get.