Why remembering your roofer could matter years after the job is finished
Quick Answer
Most homeowners don’t think much about their roofer once the project is finished—and that’s understandable. But years later, if a leak, repair or warranty question comes up, knowing who installed your roof can suddenly become very important.
Choosing an established local roofing contractor and keeping your roofing records can save you a lot of detective work down the road.
“Who Put Your Roof On?”
It’s a question Joe Burkhart asks homeowners all the time:
“Who put your roof on?”
And you’d be surprised how often the answer is:
“I have no idea.”
Sometimes the roof is only five or seven years old.
The homeowner remembers replacing it. They may remember the storm that led to the project. They might even remember standing in the driveway trying to decide between two shingle colors.
But the name of the company that actually installed the roof?
Gone.
It’s what Joe jokingly calls “roofing short-term memory loss.”
Most of the time, forgetting the contractor’s name doesn’t seem very important. The roof looks good. It’s keeping the house dry. Life moves on.
But when a ceiling stain suddenly appears several years later, that forgotten name can become pretty important.
Why Does It Matter Who Installed Your Roof?
One of the biggest misconceptions about roofing problems is that if a roof leaks, something must be wrong with the shingles.
That’s not always the case.
Roof leaks can develop around:
- Flashing
- Pipe boots
- Roof penetrations
- Exposed fasteners
- Ridge caps
- Ventilation components
- Other installation details
A small installation problem may not result in an immediate leak.
In fact, based on Joe’s experience inspecting roofs throughout Central Iowa, especially recently, approximately 98% of the roofs he is called to inspect for active leaks are only five to seven years old.
That’s surprising because the roofing materials themselves should have many years of useful life remaining.
So why does the leak show up years later?
A Roofing Problem May Take Years to Show Up Inside Your Home
Water doesn’t always travel straight down from the point where it enters a roofing system.
A small amount of moisture can work its way beneath roofing materials and gradually establish a path through the roof system.
Joe has found that it can take years for that water to finally reach a drywall seam or another area where it becomes visible inside the home.
That’s when the homeowner notices the ceiling stain.
Unfortunately, by then five, six or seven years may have passed.
Joe asks:
“Who installed your roof?”
And that’s when the roofing short-term memory loss kicks in.
Even more frustrating, sometimes the homeowner eventually remembers the company, only to discover the original roofer is no longer in business or the roofing company was a storm chaser that used a vanity number that is no longer live and they have been chasing storms in other states for the past several years.
Your Roof Has a History. Keep It.
When you have a roof replaced, you’re probably not thinking about what information you’ll need seven or ten years later.
But keeping a few simple records can make things considerably easier if you ever need a repair or have a warranty question.
Create a paper or digital Home Exterior folder and keep:
- Roofing contractor’s name and contact information
- Date the roof was installed
- Original contract and invoice
- Shingle manufacturer
- Shingle product or style
- Shingle color
- Workmanship warranty
- Manufacturer warranty information
- Photos of the completed roof
- Records of future inspections or repairs
You may not look at that information again for years.
That’s exactly why it’s worth keeping.
What If You Bought the House and Didn’t Install the Roof?
This is another common situation.
You may know that your home has a relatively new roof without knowing who installed it.
Start by checking any documents provided when you purchased the home. The previous homeowner may have included roofing invoices, warranties or contractor information.
Depending on the circumstances, you may also find information in seller disclosures, closing documents or permit records.
If you still can’t determine who installed the roof, don’t panic. An experienced roofing contractor can inspect the existing roof, evaluate its condition and help identify maintenance or repair issues.
It’s also a good opportunity to begin your own roofing records for the home.
What If the Original Roofing Company Is Gone?
This is where the company behind a workmanship warranty becomes just as important as the number of years printed on it.
If a roofing company closes, its workmanship warranty will generally disappear with it.
That’s one reason homeowners should consider more than price when selecting a roofing contractor.
Ask:
How long has the company been in business?
How long is the workmanship warranty?
Have they had warranty claims, and how quickly were they resolved?
Who will perform the warranty work?
Can they provide references from customers whose roofs were installed years ago?
A 10-year warranty means a lot more when the contractor has a long history of serving the community.
Related: What Is Your Roofing Contractor’s Warranty Really Worth?
Should I Have My Roof Inspected Even If It Isn’t Leaking?
Yes—and this is another reason knowing a trusted local roofing contractor can be valuable.
A roof doesn’t have to leak before it needs attention.
Worn pipe boots, loose flashing, exposed nail heads, damaged shingles and other maintenance issues can often be identified before water reaches the interior of the home.
Addressing a relatively small roofing issue early may prevent a much larger repair later.
Related: Why Your Roof Doesn’t Have to Leak Before It Needs Attention
Joe’s Tip
When you have a new roof installed, save the contractor’s name, installation date and warranty information somewhere you’ll be able to find it years later. You may not need it for a long time—but when you do, you’ll be glad you kept it.
And maybe add the contractor’s phone number to your contacts while you’re at it.
Then you won’t have to rely on your roofing short-term memory.
Why Choosing Local Matters
When your roof is first installed, you probably hope you won’t need to call your roofing contractor again for a very long time.
That’s exactly how it should be.
But if you do need help five, seven or ten years down the road, there’s real value in knowing the company that installed your roof is still nearby and still answering the phone.
JB Roofing has been serving Ankeny and the Greater Des Moines Area for over 20 years.
We believe installing a roof is only part of the job. Standing behind the work years later matters too.
Because when someone asks:
“Who put your roof on?”
We’d like you to remember.
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Author
Joe Burkhart is the owner of JB Roofing and a lifelong Ankeny resident who has spent years helping homeowners throughout Ankeny and the Des Moines metro with roofing and exterior needs. Joe believes homeowners should know who worked on their home, understand what was installed, and have a local roofing company they can call years down the road when questions come up. At JB Roofing, that long-term relationship is just as important as the roof itself.
