Architectural residential exteriors
The roofs people notice are the ones detailed by hand.
Composite and natural slate, standing seam, cedar, and formed copper — plus the siding, windows, and trim that finish the elevation. Installed to the manufacturer’s detail drawings, on a schedule set by the work rather than the calendar.
- Materials
- Composite slate, natural slate, metal, cedar
- Metalwork
- 16 oz copper, formed on site
- Also
- Siding, windows, trim & stucco remediation
- Warranty
- CertainTeed 4-Star coverage available
Materials
What we install, and when each one is the right answer
Roof pitch, structural capacity, architectural period, exposure, and how long you plan to own the house all narrow the list. We’ll bring samples and walk you through the trade-offs before pricing anything.
Composite · DaVinci authorized installer
DaVinci composite slate & shake
The look of quarried slate or hand-split cedar at roughly a quarter of the weight, with a Class 4 impact rating and no structural reinforcement required. Multi-width layouts and custom color blends let us match a historic roof without the framing conversation. Our most-specified premium material.
Natural stone · 75–150 yr
Natural slate & clay tile
For period-correct restoration where nothing else will do, and for owners taking a century-long view. Requires verified structural capacity, copper flashings throughout, and a crew that has done it before. We also repair and re-point existing slate rather than pushing replacement.
Metal · 24–22 ga
Standing seam & copper
Concealed-fastener standing seam in painted steel or aluminum for full roofs, porches, dormers, and bays — and 16 oz copper where the detail deserves it. Panels roll-formed to length so runs have no lap seams. Snow retention engineered where the roof discharges over an entry or walkway.
Wood · Cedar Shake Installation Specialist
Cedar shake & shingle
Western red cedar over a ventilated underlayment so the shakes dry from both sides — the detail most cedar failures trace back to. Fire-treated grades available where code or insurance requires them.
Asphalt · CertainTeed ShingleMaster
Designer asphalt shingle
When the budget calls for asphalt, we install the heavyweight designer profiles with the full accessory system — starter, ice-and-water, ridge ventilation, and matching hip and ridge — because that’s what the enhanced warranty actually requires. As a CertainTeed ShingleMaster we can register 4-Star SureStart PLUS coverage — a lifetime non-prorated product warranty with up to 25 years of labor and material protection, rather than the materials-only warranty most roofs carry.
Envelope · James Hardie & Ascend certified
Siding, gutters & fascia
Fiber cement, engineered wood, cedar, and composite siding; oversized and half-round gutters in aluminum or copper; PVC and composite trim, fascia, and soffit. Roof and elevation detailed together so the transitions actually shed water.
Fenestration · Full-frame & AZEK trim
Windows & doors
Wood-clad, fiberglass, and composite units in the profiles a period house actually calls for — true or simulated divided lite, or clean modern sightlines. We prefer full-frame replacement over insert pockets wherever the opening allows it, because that’s the only way to correct the flashing and sill pan underneath. Every unit is integrated with the water-resistive barrier so the window sheds into the wall assembly rather than behind it.
Remediation · Certified
Stucco remediation
Thousands of homes built through the 1990s and 2000s across Chester and Montgomery County were clad in stucco applied without a drainage plane behind it. Water gets in at windows, roof-wall transitions and penetrations, and has nowhere to go — so it rots the sheathing and framing invisibly for years. We are certified to diagnose it, open it up, and rebuild the wall correctly: proper water-resistive barrier, flashings, and either a drainable stucco assembly or a cladding replacement.
Metalwork · 16 oz
Copper flashing & valleys
Valleys, chimney counter-flashing, dormer pans, bay roofs, and conductor heads formed on site to fit the actual condition. Copper outlives the roof around it and is the reason a good roof stops leaking at the transitions.
Compare
Weight, service life, and what it costs relative to asphalt
The two numbers that actually narrow the list are weight — because it decides whether your framing needs work — and how long you intend to own the house. Figures are typical industry ranges, not a quote.
| Material | Weight (lb / square) longer bar = heavier |
Service life (years) longer bar = lasts longer |
Cost index longer bar = costs more |
Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designer asphaltHeavyweight profile | Class 3–4 | |||
| Composite slateDaVinci & similar | Class 4 | |||
| Cedar shakeWestern red, ventilated | Class 4 treated | |||
| Standing seam metal24–22 ga, concealed fastener | Class 4 | |||
| Natural slateQuarried | Class 3 | |||
| Clay tileBarrel or flat profile | Class 3–4 | |||
| Copper16 oz, standing seam or flat lock | Class 4 |
Ranges vary by manufacturer, profile, and installation. Impact classification is UL 2218; a Class 4 roof qualifies for an insurance premium reduction with many carriers — worth asking yours before you choose.
Details
Roofs don’t leak in the field. They leak at the edges.
Almost every callback in this trade traces to a transition — a valley, a chimney, a sidewall, a low-slope porch tying into a steep roof. Those are the line items that get cut from a low bid, and they are the ones we won’t leave out.
- Formed metal, not caulkStep flashing at every sidewall course, counter-flashing cut into the masonry at chimneys, and pans formed on site to fit the actual condition.
- Ice and water membrane where winter demands itEaves, valleys, rakes on exposed elevations, and every penetration — not a single course at the gutter line.
- Copper valleysOpen or closed as the material and the architecture call for, in 16 oz copper that outlives the roof around it.
- Balanced ventilationIntake at the soffit sized to the exhaust at the ridge. Adding exhaust without intake shortens the roof and voids most warranties.
- Snow retentionEngineered to the roof’s slope and material anywhere a slide would land on an entry, a walkway, a driveway, or a lower roof.
- Deck repair, not deck cover-upSheathing is inspected once the old roof is off, and anything soft gets replaced. Priced as a unit rate up front so there is no surprise line on the invoice.
Working with us
What the process looks like on a house
Most of our residential work comes from architects, builders, and previous clients. The pace reflects that.
- 1 · Consultation on siteWe walk the roof and the elevations, photograph the conditions, and talk through materials with samples in hand. No price discussion on the first visit.
- 2 · Written specificationMaterial, color, underlayment, flashing metal and gauge, ventilation plan, and warranty term — itemized, with alternates priced separately.
- 3 · Scheduling & protectionPlant and hardscape protection, dumpster and material staging placed with you, and a firm start window rather than a vague one.
- 4 · InstallationOur crews. Tear-off only as far as we can dry in that day. Magnetic sweep of the property every evening, not just at the end.
- 5 · Walkthrough & warrantyWe walk it with you, close the punch list, register the manufacturer warranty in your name, and leave you the photo record and the material documentation.
Common questions
Residential roofing, answered plainly
How long does a roof replacement take on a house?
Most asphalt roofs are a two to three day job. Composite slate, cedar and standing seam take longer because the detailing takes longer — typically a week or more depending on the roof’s complexity, the number of valleys and dormers, and how much hand-formed metalwork is involved. We only tear off what we can dry in the same day, whatever the material.
Is composite slate worth it compared with natural slate?
For most homes, yes. Composite slate gives the appearance of quarried slate at roughly a quarter of the weight, carries a Class 4 impact rating, and needs no structural reinforcement. Natural slate lasts far longer — 75 to 150 years — but requires verified structural capacity, copper flashings throughout, and a crew experienced in it. If the framing will not carry stone, composite is the answer rather than a compromise.
Will my house carry a natural slate roof?
Natural slate runs roughly 800 to 1,500 pounds per roofing square, against about 380 for heavyweight asphalt and 250 for composite. Whether your framing carries that has to be verified rather than assumed — on a home originally built with slate the answer is usually yes; on one built for asphalt it usually is not without reinforcement.
What is the difference between a manufacturer warranty and workmanship coverage?
A materials-only warranty covers the shingle if it fails as manufactured. It does not cover labor and it does not cover installation. Enhanced coverage such as CertainTeed’s 4-Star SureStart PLUS adds labor and material protection, but it can only be registered by a certified contractor and it has to be filed shortly after installation. Most roofs never get registered at all, which is why most homeowners find out too late that they have no workmanship coverage.
Do you handle storm damage and insurance claims?
Yes. We document the damage with photographs and a written scope your adjuster can work from, and we dry the roof in immediately whether or not the claim has settled. We will tell you honestly when we think a claim is unlikely to be approved rather than encouraging you to file one.
How do I know if my stucco needs remediation?
The warning signs are staining or dark streaking below windows and roof-wall junctions, soft or spongy areas, cracking at corners, and interior damp with no obvious source. Homes built through the 1990s and 2000s across Chester and Montgomery County were frequently clad without a drainage plane behind the stucco, so water that gets in has nowhere to go and rots the sheathing invisibly. Moisture testing confirms it before anything is opened up.
Residential inquiries
Start with a conversation about the roof, not the price.
Full replacements, historic restoration, storm and insurance work, and architect- or builder-specified projects across the Greater Philadelphia region.
Request a quote
Replacements, re-covers, specified bids, and residential projects. Every inquiry is read by an estimator, not a call center — you’ll hear back within one business day.
Report a leak & request repair
Active water coming into a building is triaged ahead of everything else. Existing clients get same-day response.
Water entering the building right now? Don’t fill in a form — call us.
(610) 906-9828