Roof Installation on a Bare Deck, From Drip Edge to Ridge
Installing a roof on new framing is a different job from tearing one off. There is no old roof to show us what went wrong, so the details get planned instead of discovered, and the hardest one is usually the tie-in where new meets old.
Veteran BuiltCypress, Texas
Roof installation means putting a complete roof on a structure that has none yet: a new house, a room addition, a garage, a detached shop, or a covered patio framed to carry roofing. We start at the deck. New sheathing should be the right thickness for the rafter spacing, gapped at the seams and nailed on schedule, and we check it before anything covers it. A deck that sat in the rain for two weeks during framing gets a close look, because swollen sheet edges telegraph through shingles later.
Additions are where most new roofs go wrong. The new section has to meet the existing roof at a valley, a wall or a continuous ridge, and the pitch, shingle exposure and color all need to line up. We cut the new valley into the old field, step-flash where the addition roof runs along a wall, and set kickout flashing at the bottom of each wall run so water lands in the gutter instead of behind the siding. If the existing roof is near the end of its life, you hear that from us before you pay to match a new section to it.
Ventilation is easiest to get right on new work, so we design it instead of inheriting it. Soffit intake and ridge or box exhaust get sized to the attic, and we keep exhaust types from fighting each other. Houston attics run hot enough to shorten shingle life when they cannot breathe. Structures in unincorporated areas permit through the county, homes inside city limits go through that city’s permit office, and HOA color rules apply to an addition the same as the main house.
On the Gulf Coast the weather writes most of the work orders. Hail in March and April, tropical storms later in the year, and a long hot summer that bakes a poorly vented attic. We check decking, ventilation and every penetration, because the roof surface is only one part of whether a roof is still doing its job.
The straight answer on roof installation
Leland’s rule applies here too: if it is not the right job, you hear that first.
- The structure is new and the deck is bare, from a full house down to a detached garage or workshop.
- You are adding a room or a second-story section and the new roof has to tie into the one you already have.
- A patio cover or porch has been framed to take shingles or metal and needs a roof that belongs with the house.
- If your existing roof is old and failing, adding a new section beside it leaves you with two ages of roof, and a full replacement may be the smarter first step.
- If the framing is unfinished or the deck has open questions from the builder, we wait, because roofing over a framing problem only buries it.
- A small patio cover with a very low slope is a poor fit for shingles, and we would point you to metal instead.
How we run it
- I
Plan and coordinate
We review the plans or framing, confirm pitch and ventilation, work out how the roof meets any existing structure, and lock material and color, including HOA approval.
- II
Deck inspection
Before anything goes down we check sheathing thickness, seam gaps and nailing, and flag anything the framer needs to fix.
- III
Dry-in and flashing
Drip edge, underlayment, valley protection and wall flashing go on, so the structure is dry even before the finished roof is complete.
- IV
Roofing and finish
Shingles or metal, ridge, vents and trim go on, then we clean the site and walk the finished roof with you or your builder.
What we ask before we price it
- When did you first notice the problem, and has it changed since?
- Can we get into the attic, and is there a clear path to the access?
- Does the HOA need to approve materials or colors before work starts?
- Has anyone else inspected it, and what did they tell you?
- Is anyone in the house bothered by noise, dust or early starts?
Can you match a new addition roof to my existing shingles?
We can usually get close by finding the same product line and color, but shingles fade with the weather, so new and old will not be identical on day one. Placing the seam where it is least visible helps. If the old roof is near the end of its life, we will say so before you spend money matching it.
Do you work with my builder, or directly with me?
Either. On a new home we fit into the builder’s schedule behind the framing crew. On an addition you are managing yourself, we work directly with you and tell you exactly what has to be finished before we show up.
What happens if it rains after the deck is on but before roofing?
Wet OSB swells at the edges and can leave ridges under shingles. We check the sheets when we arrive and replace any that swelled. Once we start, the structure gets dried in the same day.
Shingles or metal on a new structure?
It depends on the pitch, the look you want and what else is on the property. Shingles suit most homes and additions at a normal pitch. Metal suits shops, lower-slope patio covers and buildings where the owner wants a longer service life.
Who pulls the permit?
Unincorporated parts of the Houston area permit through the county, while homes inside city limits go through that city. On new construction the builder usually holds the permit. On an addition, we tell you what is needed and when.
How do you handle ventilation on a new roof?
We match intake at the soffits to exhaust at the ridge or roof vents, sized to the attic floor area, and we avoid mixing exhaust types that pull air from each other. A balanced attic runs cooler, which keeps shingles from cooking from below in a Houston summer.
Who you are hiring
Leland Cannon spent 21 years in the Army and retired as a First Sergeant. Geoff Schardien served in Air Force Security Forces and has more than twenty years in residential construction. One of them walks every job before it starts, and you keep one phone number from the first visit to the last day.
We are a service-disabled veteran-owned company based in Cypress, verified by the Texas Veterans Commission. The person who writes your scope is the person you call if something is not right.
Google reviewers have given us 5.0 across 19 reviews, and the word that keeps coming up is honest. We would rather talk you out of a job than sell you one you do not need.