L1Substrate
Roof deck
Everything above depends on what is underneath. We pull the old roof to bare wood, replace any sheathing that is soft or delaminated, and re-nail the entire deck to current code at 8d ring-shank, six inches on edges and in the field. On most re-roofs this step alone is what earns the wind mitigation credit on your insurance.
Material7/16″ OSB
Fastening8d ring-shank 6/6
ReplacedAs needed, itemized
RecordPhotographed
L2Waterproofing
Secondary water barrier
The layer that actually saves your house. A self-adhered membrane bonds directly to the deck and seals around every nail driven through it. If a storm strips the surface off, this is what stands between the weather and your ceiling. Florida requires it on re-roofs. Plenty of bids quietly leave it out because you will never see it.
TypeSelf-adhered
Coverage100% of deck
Nail sealSelf-healing
CodeFBC R905.1.1
L3Separation
Underlayment
A synthetic sheet gives the surface a stable, dry plane to sit on and keeps the assembly watertight between tear-off and dry-in. Under metal we switch to a butyl membrane rated to 250°F, because a dark panel runs far hotter than shingles and ordinary asphalt underlayment will soften and bleed at the laps.
StandardSynthetic, 30 lb eq.
Under metal250°F butyl
Overlap4″ side / 6″ end
Exposure180 days rated
L4Perimeter
Drip edge and flashing
Roofs almost never fail in the middle. They fail at the edges and at every place the roof meets something else: walls, chimneys, skylights, valleys. We form our own flashing, use counterflashing let into the wall rather than surface-sealed caulk, and put 26 gauge metal at the eaves and rakes so water leaves the roof instead of wicking back into the fascia.
Drip edge26 ga galvanized
ValleysMetal lined
Wall detailCounterflashed
SealantBackup, never primary
L5Weathering surface
The layer you choose
This is the only layer that is a matter of taste and budget, and it is the one everybody asks about first. Asphalt, standing seam metal, clay barrel tile, concrete tile, natural slate or a flat membrane. We install all six, and the five layers below stay the same regardless. Pick one in the next section and see it on a roof.
Systems installed6
Range$450 to $3,000 / sq
Service life22 to 100 years
WarrantyManufacturer + ours
L6Ventilation
Ridge vent
An unvented attic in Central Florida cooks the roof from underneath and cuts years off whatever you put on top. A baffled continuous ridge vent pulls hot air out at the peak while soffit intake feeds it from below, balanced one to one. It is the cheapest layer in the assembly and the one most often skipped.
VentContinuous baffled
Net free area18 sq in / ft
IntakeSoffit, balanced 1:1
CapMatched to material