The Honest Homeowner's Guide to Getting a New Roof

Most roofs last 20–30 years depending on the material and how they were installed. If your home was built before 2000, it's worth taking a closer look, even if there are no obvious leaks.

Here's what to look for:

• Shingles that are curling, cracking, or missing
• Granules collecting in your gutters (looks like coarse sand)
• Dark streaks or moss growing on the roof surface
• Water stains on your ceiling or in your attic
• Sagging areas anywhere on the roof
• Your roof is 20+ years old and has never been replaced

One or two of those items might mean a repair. Several of them together usually means replacement. The only way to know for sure is a proper inspection.

“The inspection is where we earn trust or lose it. If the roof is fine, we tell you that. If it needs a repair, we say repair. We're not going to quote you a full replacement on a 10-year-old roof with one bad flashing. That's not how we want to do business.”

A roofing estimate should tell you exactly what you're getting, not just a total price. If you can't tell what materials are being used, what the labor covers, or what's excluded, you don't have a real estimate.

A complete estimate should include:

• The specific product name and brand of shingles or metal
• Total square footage of your roof
• What's being removed and disposed of
• What underlayment and flashing are included
• Whether ridge cap, starter strips, and pipe boots are covered
• Warranty information: both the product warranty and the workmanship warranty
• Timeline for start and completion
• Payment terms and deposit amount

If you get two estimates with very different prices, the first question to ask is: are they the same scope of work? Cheaper estimates often leave things out.

Roofing warranties can be confusing because there are usually two separate ones: the product warranty (from the manufacturer) and the workmanship warranty (from the contractor).

The product warranty covers the shingles or metal if they fail due to manufacturing defects. TAMKO Heritage shingles carry a limited lifetime warranty. TAMKO Titan XT shingles carry a lifetime warranty with additional wind and algae coverage. Our Snap Lock metal carries a 40-year paint warranty and is built to outlast most shingle products by decades.

The workmanship warranty is just as important. It covers problems that result from how the roof was installed: improper flashing, missed nails, poor sealing around penetrations. This is where a lot of roofing problems come from, and it's fully in the contractor's control.

Manufacturer warranties can also be voided by improper installation, so the contractor's quality of work directly affects the coverage you get from the product itself.

Most Huntsville homeowners will choose between architectural shingles and metal roofing. Both are good options. The right one depends on your budget, how long you plan to stay in the home, and what you want from a roof.

Here's how BayCo's lineup maps to the decision:

Shingles are the right call if you want a quality roof at a reasonable price point, plan to stay in the home for the next 15–20 years, or are working within a tighter budget. Metal is the right call if you want the last roof you'll ever put on this house, are planning long-term and want minimal maintenance, or are drawn to the energy efficiency and durability that steel provides.

Neither choice is wrong. It comes down to what fits your situation.

We built our process the way we wish every contractor worked: transparent, fast, and fully digital if you want it to be.

Roof replacement costs in Huntsville and Madison vary by material, roof size, and complexity. Here's what BayCo charges, broken down by tier:

• Essential Roof: architectural shingles starting at $385/sq (20–25 year lifespan, 10-year workmanship warranty)
• Signature Roof: premium impact-resistant shingles starting at $425/sq (25–30 year lifespan, 20-year workmanship warranty)
• Forever Roof: snap-lock metal starting at $840/sq (40–70 year lifespan, 40-year warranty)
• Specialty Metals (KasselWood, Rustic Shake, GrandeTile): custom quote required

For an average Huntsville home of 1,500–2,500 sq ft (roughly 15–25 roofing squares), total project costs typically run:

• Standard shingles: $5,775 – $9,625
• Premium shingles: $6,375 – $10,625
• Snap-lock metal: $12,600 – $21,000

Financing is available for all tiers. Most homeowners can check their options in under 60 seconds without affecting their credit score.

It depends on the cause. Homeowner's insurance typically covers roof damage caused by sudden events (hail, wind, falling trees, and other storm damage). It generally does not cover damage from age, wear, or lack of maintenance.

North Alabama gets its share of severe weather. If your roof has been through a significant hail or windstorm, it's worth having it inspected before assuming everything is fine.

Here's how the insurance process typically works:

• Get a professional inspection to document the damage with photos
• File a claim with your insurance company
• An adjuster will come out to assess the damage
• If approved, you'll receive an estimate based on either Actual Cash Value (ACV) or Replacement Cost Value (RCV). RCV is the better policy type.
• You pay your deductible; insurance covers the rest

One thing to watch for: some contractors offer to cover your deductible. In Alabama, this is illegal under the Alabama Residential Contractor Act and is a major red flag.

Most residential roof replacements in Huntsville take one to two days from start to finish. Larger homes, steeper pitches, or roofs with a lot of penetrations (chimneys, skylights, vents) can take an additional day.

What affects the timeline:

• Roof size: a 1,500 sq ft home installs faster than a 3,000 sq ft home
• Pitch: steeper roofs require more safety setup and slower movement
• Tear-off condition: if decking (the wooden base layer) needs replacing, that adds time
• Material type: metal installation takes slightly longer than shingles
• Weather: BayCo won't install in rain; we reschedule if conditions aren't right

Here's what a typical installation day looks like: crew arrives early, tear-off is done first, new underlayment goes down, then the primary roofing material, then flashing and trim details, then cleanup. BayCo does a final walkthrough with you before leaving.