FAQ

The first step in determining if you need a new roof is verifying the age of your roof. Most shingles that were installed years ago, under perfect conditions, will have an approximate 15-25 year lifespan depending on the quality of the original roof installation, whether the roof has proper ventilation, weather/wind in your area, and tree coverage/sunlight exposure of your roof. If your home has a two-layer roof, the lifespan for the second layer is much shorter – approximately 10 years under perfect conditions.

Warning signs to look for include:

• Signs of leakage (ceiling stains or discoloration; peeling or cracked drywall or wallpaper)
• Damaged (curling, cracked, cupped or broken) shingles
• Missing shingles
• Loss of asphalt shingle granules (you will notice granules in your gutters and downspouts)
• Rusted or missing flashing

If you are unsure, we do offer free, no-obligation inspections and consultations. Our roof consultant will climb onto your roof for a thorough inspection and will take photos to show you and explain any potential problem areas.

No! We offer free, no obligation roof inspections and replacement estimates. Call to schedule yours today!

Yes, you will need to be home and available to speak with our roof consultant as there are choices and decisions that you will need to discuss in order for us to give you an estimate that meets your needs and expectations. We do offer evening and weekend appointments for your convenience.

The cost of a new roof is calculated on a ‘per square' basis. The size of your roof is first in determining the cost of replacement. The cost per square is determined by factors such as: the shingle installed, the warranty chosen, whether the roof is walkable (pitch), number of skylights and/or chimneys to be flashed, the number of current roofing layers, etc.

It is important for you to solicit at least three estimates from reputable, certified, and insured roofing companies in your area. Always remember if one estimate seems much lower than the others and it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Below market bids that seem attractive, are usually given by contractors that are uninsured, uncertified by the roofing shingle manufacturers and/or may perform substandard work. The lower price could also indicate that you are getting low-quality materials, or corners are being cut in order to give you that sweetheart deal. Be informed and ensure that you are comparing apples to apples when reviewing your estimates.

We will not be able to assess exactly how many sheets of plywood need to be replaced until the existing roof is removed so that the roof deck can be thoroughly inspected. We may be able to see signs that wood replacement will be needed such as holes in the roof; soft, mushy plywood discovered during roof walk inspection; two layers currently on the roof. If any of these conditions are present, then the chances you will need plywood replacement is increased. However, an exact estimate cannot be given until the existing roof is removed.

Be wary of companies that offer free wood replacement. Free wood replacement usually means no wood replacement. If a new roof is installed over bad plywood, that roofing system will fail significantly sooner, and you will have wasted valuable time and money.

Some of the smaller municipalities do require a permit for a roof replacement as well as siding, windows, etc. If you live within the city limits of Wilmington, Newark, New Castle, Delaware City, Elsmere, Hockessin, Newport, Middletown, Odessa, Smyrna, or Townsend we will need to pull a permit to complete the work. MW Roofing will complete all necessary paperwork for all licenses, permits, and inspections needed prior to the start of work.

New Castle County does not require a permit for a roof replacement unless more than 25% of the roof deck wood is being replaced.

For most projects, a down-payment is not required, and payment is due, in full, upon project completion and your complete satisfaction. The exception to this would be window installation projects or special order roofing shingles. In these instances, we would require a down-payment of 50% of total job cost as windows and special order roofing shingles are non-returnable items.

We understand that a new roof is often an unplanned event. We accept all major credit cards. We also offer low-interest financing options and no-interest Same-As-Cash payment plans through our partnership with Enerbank USA. Our office staff or your roof consultant can provide additional information on these programs.

Our roof installations, on average, are completed in 2-3 days. A smaller roof may only take one day to install while a larger roof could exceed the three day mark. Our roof consultant will let you know an approximate timeframe for your roof installation.

Our job backlog varies depending on the time of year. Your wait time could be anywhere from 2-6 weeks. Delays in job start dates, unfortunately, are a fact of life in the roofing industry. We complete our projects in the order in which a signed contract was received. Once we begin a project we are on-site and working until project completion. Sometimes your job start date could be delayed by the weather and/or circumstances that arise on jobs scheduled prior to yours that cause us to be there longer than expected. Rest assured, we will be in contact with you to alert you to any schedule changes with as much advanced notice as possible so that you can plan accordingly.

We suggest that you remove any valuable wall hangings and cover any valuables that may be stored in your attic during your new roof installation. Also, remove vehicles or other obstructions from your driveway. Our usual start time is between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. We could work as late as 7:00 p.m. during the summer months so if this causes any problems or concerns, please let us know as soon as possible and we will accommodate your schedule and needs. Please be aware that you may experience nail pops in drywall (especially in cathedral ceilings) due to structural movement beyond our control during existing roof tear-off and/or new roof installation.

The existing roof tear-off and new roof installation will be loud at times in your home. If you have animals that are sensitive to noise or suffer from anxieties, it may be in their best interest to have a play date or be boarded during the roof installation.

No, you do not need to be present during a new roof installation process. Some of our clients choose to be, but others don't. The choice is yours. Normally, we will not need access to the inside of your home. If your roof installation necessitates our gaining access to the inside of the home, your roof consultant or our office staff will contact you to arrange that.

How long a roof lasts depends on the material used, local weather conditions, and the quality of the roofing contractor who installed the roof. We offer several shingles with varying life expectancy ratings through Certainteed, GAF, Owens Corning, and Tamko. These range from 25-year shingles to 50-year shingles.

Our roof installations come with Workmanship Warranties – in writing! Depending on the roofing system chosen, our warranties range from 10-years to 25-years and are fully-transferrable one-time to a new homeowner. We also offer enhanced, true lifetime (50 years - Nonprorated) roof warranties that are transferrable one-time from Certainteed called the 3-Star/4-Star/5-Star Sure Start Warranties, GAF called the System Plus Warranty, and Owens Corning called the Preferred Protection Warranty. These upgraded manufacturer warranties cover the entire roofing system (materials, labor, dumpster fees, etc.) so in the event that an issue does arise you are fully covered.

This is important because there are numerous roofing companies in our area that offer the same products with similar warranties. However, they are lacking in the key areas of supervision, customer service, and high-quality installation techniques. Our number one priority is a satisfied customer! We go above and beyond other roofing companies in the following ways:

Company

• MW Roofing is family owned, and hands-on operated
• MW Roofing is a factory trained and certified shingle roofing specialist
• MW Roofing's focus is on producing a superior product (roof and service) at a reasonable price

Workmanship

We go above standard roofing code installation on all roofs by:

• Re-enforcing the perimeter edge with 3 components to create a water tight, high wind system
• Use of ice and water shield to all vulnerable areas - not just eaves
• Replacement of all flashing details
• Use of Ultimate Pipe Collars (Lifetime Warranty) in lieu of standard
• Use of reglet flashing system (not caulk) to all masonry to hold water out of home. This means we cut and flash into mortar joints as opposed to an ‘easy flash' which relies on caulk between the masonry and flashing. Caulk will deteriorate within five (5) years, and you will experience leaking
• Ensure proper attic ventilation to qualify for the manufacturer's Lifetime warranty, prolong shingle life and lower attic temperatures increasing energy efficiency, and lowering utility bills
• We use the hurricane nailing system – Six nails per shingle - not three or four nails per shingles like many others

Service

• MW Roofing has a full time, full service, English-speaking project manager on site for the duration of your roofing project. We do not rely on non-supervised sub-contractors or drive-by project managers
• MW Roofing works as a team from the owners, office staff, production managers, and crew to produce the best overall experience in what is often an unplanned event.
• MW Roofing will have an exit interview normally with Chad, the founder of the company. At the exit interview, Chad will inspect the completed work, answer any questions you may have, deliver and explain your warranty paperwork, and collect final payment – when we are sure that you are completely satisfied with the work performed.