Before you call anyone
The questions worth asking any roofer.
Including the ones with answers we would rather not give — what an inspection costs, when a repair beats a replacement, and where we stop being useful on an insurance claim. A contractor who only has good answers has not been asked enough questions.
Working with us
The questions that are about the business rather than about a roof.- Who actually does the work — your crew, or a subcontractor?
- Our crew. The people who quote the job are the people who build it, which is why we can tell you what happened on the roof rather than relaying it. In a market that fills with out-of-state crews after every hailstorm, that is worth asking every contractor you speak to.
- What if I only need a repair, not a whole new roof?
- Then that is what we will tell you. A roof at year twelve with one failed flashing detail is a repair, and selling a replacement into it is how this trade earned its reputation. We will also tell you when something can wait until next season — that answer costs us the job today and is the reason people call back.
- Do you charge for an inspection?
- No, the inspection is free. What makes it different from the storm-chaser kind is what happens after it: you get the honest finding, including when it is a repair, when it can wait, or when there is no claim.
- How long does a roof take?
- One to four weeks for most projects, depending on the system and the size of the roof. A straightforward residential replacement sits at the short end; a commercial membrane over an occupied building, or a metal roof cut to the run, sits at the long one. You get the range in writing with the estimate rather than discovering it mid-job.
- How does the estimate work?
- One written number, with the materials, the scope and the timeline attached to it. No hidden fees and nothing that appears halfway through — if we find rotten decking under the shingles we will show you before we replace it, because that is the one honest reason a roofing number moves.
- Will you handle my insurance claim?
- We document it; you file it. After a storm you get photographs, slope-by-slope findings and the storm date they are consistent with — the file an adjuster works from, and yours whether or not we do the work. What we will not do is negotiate the claim on your behalf. That is a public adjuster's job, not a roofer's, and any contractor offering to do it is offering something they should not.
- What does 'GAF Certified' actually mean?
- GAF is the largest roofing manufacturer in North America, and its certification is a credential GAF grants after verifying a contractor's licensing and insurance and auditing their track record. It is not a sticker you buy. It matters to you because manufacturer coverage on their systems depends on the installer being in that program.
- You are an 'authorized Brava representative'. Why does that matter?
- Because Brava's coverage rests on how the tile is installed, not on who ordered it. Any roofer can buy the product; an authorized representative is who the manufacturer holds to their installation standard. If you are considering synthetic slate or shake, that distinction is the whole reason to care who does it.
- Which towns do you serve?
- All of Tennessee, working out of Nashville and Murfreesboro. Murfreesboro, Franklin, Clarksville, Hendersonville, Gallatin and Columbia each have a page of their own, because each has a roofing story the others do not. Smyrna, Spring Hill, Lebanon, Mount Juliet and Dickson have no page and are served just the same. If your town is not named anywhere on this site, call and ask — the answer is almost always yes.
- How fast can you get here if my roof is leaking right now?
- Call and we will tell you honestly — including when the honest answer is tomorrow morning. During a widespread storm every roofer in Middle Tennessee is triaging, and a company promising same-hour service to everyone is promising it to nobody. In the meantime there are a few simple things worth doing before anyone arrives — we will walk you through them when you call.
- What warranty comes with the roof?
- It depends on the system and on the deck under it, and both manufacturers we are certified with publish coverage tiers that turn on how the roof is installed. We will tell you which tier your job qualifies for when we quote it. We do not publish a number here, because a warranty printed on a website is not the one written on your contract.
Metal roofing
Standing seam · exposed fastener- Is a metal roof loud in the rain?
- Not over a solid deck and underlayment, which is how a residential metal roof is installed. The noise people remember comes from panels screwed straight to open purlins on a barn — no deck, no underlayment, nothing to absorb it.
- Will it make the house hotter?
- The opposite. Metal reflects rather than absorbs, and a light-colored or coated panel sheds radiant heat a dark shingle holds. It matters most in July, which is when it matters.
- Can metal go over the existing shingles?
- Sometimes, and we will tell you when it should not. A recover hides the decking, and if the decking is what failed you have paid to install a new roof over the problem.
- What happens in a hailstorm?
- You may get cosmetic denting. What you do not get is the granule loss and mat fracture that ends a shingle roof — the panel is still watertight after the storm that would have started your claim.
Cedar shake roofing
Natural split cedar- How much maintenance are we really talking about?
- Keeping it clear of debris and moss, and an inspection on a regular cycle. It is closer to gutter cleaning than to painting a house — but it is not zero, and any roofer who tells you it is has not maintained one.
- Is cedar a fire risk?
- Untreated cedar is combustible. Pressure-treated fire-retardant shake carries a Class A or B rating depending on the assembly, and we will tell you which one your build needs before you choose the material.
- Can I get the cedar look without the maintenance?
- Yes — Brava synthetic shake is molded from real shake and carries a Class 4 impact rating with none of the upkeep. We are an authorized Brava representative, so this is a real recommendation rather than a redirect.
Brava synthetic tile
Authorized Brava representative- Does it actually look like slate from the ground?
- It is molded from natural slate, so the surface texture is a casting of the real material rather than a printed pattern. From the street the tell is uniformity — real slate varies more, which some people prefer and some do not.
- What does Class 4 impact rating mean for me?
- It is the highest of the four UL impact classes. Some insurers discount premiums for a Class 4 roof; whether yours does is worth a phone call to them before you decide.
- Why go to you rather than any roofer who can order it?
- Because the authorization is about installation, not purchasing. Manufacturer coverage on a composite system depends on it being installed the way the manufacturer specifies, and an authorized representative is who they hold to that.
TPO roofing
Commercial · single-ply membrane- TPO or EPDM — which one do I want?
- TPO if the cooling load and foot traffic matter, EPDM if the deck moves and long, simple service life matters more. We will tell you which your building is rather than which we would rather install.
- Can you install over the existing roof?
- Sometimes, and code limits how many layers a deck may carry. If the insulation below is wet, a recover traps it — and you have bought a new roof over a problem that keeps working.
- How disruptive is this to the business below?
- TPO is mechanically fastened or adhered without a torch, so there is no open flame and no hot kettle. That is often the difference between doing the work on a live building and doing it after hours.
EPDM roofing
Commercial · rubber membrane- Is EPDM outdated compared with TPO?
- No — they solve different problems. EPDM has the longer real-world track record and handles movement better; TPO reflects heat and welds rather than bonds. Anyone selling one as simply newer is selling, not specifying.
- Does the black membrane raise cooling costs?
- It absorbs more heat than a reflective membrane, yes. On a well-insulated deck the difference is smaller than people expect, and light-colored EPDM exists — but if cooling load is your main concern, TPO is the honest answer.
- How are leaks repaired?
- Cleaned, primed and patched in place, usually in a single visit. That straightforwardness twenty years in is a large part of why the system is still specified.
Emergency roof repair
Roof leak or storm damage- How fast can you actually get here?
- Call and we will tell you honestly, including when the honest answer is tomorrow morning. During a widespread storm every roofer in Tennessee is triaging, and a company promising same-hour service to everyone is promising it to nobody.
- Will you tarp it tonight?
- Where it is safe to. An emergency tarp is a stopgap, not a repair — it keeps water out of the structure until the roof can be assessed and fixed properly in daylight.
- Is an emergency call more expensive?
- The visit is priced for what it is. What it usually saves is larger: drywall, insulation and framing cost more than roofing does, and they are what waiting ends up costing you.
- Should I call my insurer first, or you?
- Us, if water is actively coming in — stopping the damage comes before documenting it, and most policies require you to mitigate. Photograph first, then call, then we contain it.
Hail damage inspection
Storm claims- How do I know if we even got hail?
- Check the things at eye level: dimpled window screens, flattened AC fins, dents on the grill lid or the mailbox. If those took it, the roof took the same storm.
- Is the inspection free?
- Yes, the inspection is free. It is a real look at the roof, not a sales visit with a foregone conclusion — and if there is no claim, we tell you so.
- The storm was over a year ago. Too late?
- Possibly not, and it is worth checking. Insurers work from recorded hail events at your address rather than from your recollection — and the damage frequently traces to an earlier storm than the one people remember, which cuts both ways on the filing deadline.
- Someone knocked on my door offering a free inspection. Should I use them?
- Ask for the Tennessee license number and who is doing the work, not who is selling it. Middle Tennessee fills with out-of-state crews after a hailstorm; the ones still here in three years are the ones who were here before it.
Not answered here
Ask it on the phone.
The number rings a person, and the honest answer to a question about your roof usually needs to know something about your roof.