What to Expect During a Roof Replacement: A Homeowner's Checklist

A roof replacement goes in four stages: the inspection and written price, the week before work starts, replacement day itself, and the paperwork and photos afterward. On most homes the hands-on part takes 1 to 2 days. The crew tears the old roof off down to the wood decking, checks that decking, then builds the new roof from the deck up: underlayment, ice and water shield, drip edge, shingles or metal panels, flashing and ventilation, with a dumpster on site and cleanup every day. Here is what happens at each stage on a Patriot Roofing and Restoration job, plus a checklist of what to do on your end.

Before the work starts

1. The replacement inspection

A Roofing Specialist walks the roof, goes into the attic and photographs what they find, then writes it up in our 21-Point Roof Inspection Report. A replacement inspection is free. You see the photos, so you know why a new roof is (or is not) the right call.

2. Four written options

You get a written price for each of our four packages, Armor, Guardian, Defender and Shield, side by side, based on aerial measurements of your roof. You pick the package. Nobody pushes you to the top one. If you are comparing roofers, our post on why roofing quotes vary shows how to line quotes up fairly.

3. Your agreement

The package, price, guarantee terms and financing, if you want it, are confirmed in writing before any work is scheduled. If the roof is part of an insurance claim, a separate construction agreement covers the insurance work plus any upgrades you choose, and the deductible stays your responsibility. We never waive, absorb or pay a deductible; Arkansas HB 1308 (2025) is the law we follow on deductibles.

4. Permits and delivery

Some towns require a permit for a roof replacement. In our area that means Hot Springs, Hot Springs Village, Maumelle, Cabot, Searcy, White Hall and Haskell, and the permit is included in a Patriot replacement in those towns. Materials are delivered to your home before the crew starts, so expect a truck and a drop of shingles or panels, and a dumpster in the driveway.

Your checklist for the week before

• Clear the driveway and garage. Move cars out so the dumpster and the material delivery have room, and park on the street or at a neighbor's.
• Take down wall hangings upstairs. Tear-off and nailing shake the house a little. Take pictures and mirrors off the walls of your top floor.
• Cover what is in the attic. Old shingles and nails come off right above it, so cover anything stored up there that you do not want dust on.
• Plan for pets and children. Keep them inside or away from the work area. The noise startles some pets.
• Tell your neighbors. Let them know the day, especially if you share a driveway or fence line.
• Plan your workday. Tear-off and nailing are loud all through the house. If you work from home or have a baby napping, plan to be out for part of the day.
• Mark what matters in the yard. Point out anything fragile next to the house, such as a garden bed or yard lights, before the crew starts.
• Have your questions ready. Write down anything you want to ask the production manager on the first morning.

Replacement day, step by step

The production manager arrives

A Patriot production manager is on site for the first hours of the job and again at the end of the day (the next morning if the job runs late). That is the person to talk to about anything you want done a certain way.

Tear-off down to the decking

The crew strips the old roof down to the wood deck and throws it straight into the dumpster. We do not lay new shingles over old ones. Tearing off is the only way to see the decking, the valleys and every spot where water has gotten in before. If your house has more than one layer of old shingles, each extra layer costs $30 a square to remove, and it should already be in your written price.

The decking check

With the old roof off, the crew checks every sheet of decking. Rotted or soft wood will not hold nails properly, so it has to be replaced. The first 2 sheets are included in a Patriot replacement. If more is needed, it is photographed, priced at $100 a sheet installed and approved by you before it is replaced. Our post on what happens when rot is found at tear-off explains this step in more detail.

Building the new roof

The new roof goes on in layers, and every Patriot replacement includes all of them:

• Drip edge around the full perimeter of the roof, eaves and rakes
• Synthetic underlayment over the deck
• Ice and water shield in the valleys, with more on the Guardian and Armor packages
• Starter shingles along the eaves and rakes
• The roof covering for your package: Atlas shingles, or Armor steel panels
• New pipe flashings (pipe boots), step flashing where the roof meets a wall, headwall flashing and new flashing on other roof penetrations such as exhaust vents and the electrical mast
• Chimney flashing and a chimney cricket where needed, and flashing kits for skylights
• Ventilation: a ridge vent with intake vents, turbines on Shield, or a metal-compatible system on Armor
• Hip and ridge cap to finish the peaks

To see how these layers change from one package to the next, look at inside a Patriot roof.

Cleanup every day

Debris goes into the dumpster as the crew works, and the site is cleaned up at the end of every day, not just the last one. The dumpster is hauled away when the job is done.

How long it takes

Most replacements take 1 to 2 days. Size, steepness, how many layers come off and how much decking needs replacing all change that, and weather can move the start date. For the full timeline from first call to finished roof, see how long a roof replacement takes in Central Arkansas.

After the roof is finished

• Walkthrough. We walk the finished job with you, so you can ask about anything you see.
• Your photos. On a full replacement we take 250 to 1,000 photographs of the work, from tear-off and decking to flashing and the finished roof. You get a link to every photo, and you can view, download and keep any of them, not just a few pictures in a PDF.
• Warranty paperwork. You get your manufacturer warranty information by email, along with Patriot's written guarantees.
• Insurance jobs. If insurance paid for the roof, we send the adjuster a signed certificate of completion so the insurer can release the remaining funds. What the insurer is told about the work and what you paid always matches what actually happened.
• Call your insurance agent. Tell your agent you have a new roof. An impact-rated shingle may qualify for a homeowners insurance discount, depending on your insurer, and it is a good time to compare policies.

What protects you after the crew leaves

Every Patriot roof replacement comes with four written guarantees. The Patriot Leak Free Guarantee means that if your new roof leaks or has a workmanship problem, we repair it at no charge for your package term: a 15-year Patriot Leak Free Guarantee on Armor, 10 years on Guardian, 5 years on Defender and 2 years on Shield. The No-Blame-Game Guarantee means that if the manufacturer refuses to honor its warranty, we make the repair. The 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and the Apples-to-Apples Guarantee round out the four; see our guarantees page for the full wording. Every job also carries the $30,000 Directorii Guarantee from Contractor Directorii, an independent third party, and we register every job for you.

To keep the roof in shape, the Patriot Care Club includes a yearly 21-Point Roof Checkup with photos you can reach any time.

Ready to start? Our roof replacement page lists the four packages and what each one costs.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be home during a roof replacement?

Not the whole time. It helps to be there the first morning to meet the production manager, and at the end for the walkthrough. Move cars out of the driveway before the crew arrives.

Will a roof replacement damage my yard?

Old shingles and nails come off the roof, so point out anything fragile next to the house before work starts. Debris goes into the dumpster as the crew works, and the site is cleaned up every day.

What if the crew finds rotted decking?

The first 2 sheets are included. Anything more is photographed, priced at $100 a sheet installed and approved by you before it is replaced.

Does a roof replacement include new gutters?

No. Gutters and fascia are separate from the roof package. If they need work, we can price it in writing and do it at the same time as the roof.

How will I know the work was done right?

You get a link to every photo of your job, 250 to 1,000 on a full replacement, plus a walkthrough at the end and the Patriot Leak Free Guarantee for your package term.

Book your replacement inspection

See your own roof in photos and get four written prices before you decide. Book a free storm or replacement inspection or call 501.441.2900.