Roof replacement in Fort Wayne

What goes into a new roof

Shingles are the part you see. Most of what keeps water out goes on before them, in this order:

1. Every old layer comes off down to the wood deck, with tarps over your beds and bushes.
2. We walk the bare deck and mark soft boards, then show you each one before it's replaced at the per-sheet price in your quote.
3. New drip edge goes along the eaves and rakes, so water drops into the gutter instead of wicking behind it. Indiana's code requires it on every shingle roof.
4. Ice and water shield, a sticky waterproof membrane, goes on at the eaves and in the valleys. Indiana requires it in Allen County and every county around it, running at least 24 inches inside the outside wall.
5. Synthetic underlayment covers the rest of the deck.
6. Step flashing at the walls, a boot on every vent pipe and the chimney flashing are all new.
7. Intake vents at the soffits and exhaust at the ridge let the attic breathe.
8. The shingles are nailed to the maker's pattern so the warranty holds.
9. The old roof is hauled away, and a magnet sweeps the yard, driveway and street for nails.

How much a new roof costs in Fort Wayne

Most asphalt shingle roofs cost $8,000 to $16,000, with about $12,000 the national average. Labor is roughly half to 60% of the total, and the shingle you pick sets most of the rest:

Shingle	Installed, per sq ft	Usually lasts
Three-tab	$3 to $5	15 to 20 years
Architectural	$4 to $8	25 to 30 years
Designer (luxury)	$6.50 to $16	30 years or more

Then there are the line items that make two bids hard to compare:

Item	Typical cost
Rotten decking replaced	$150 to $1,000 for most roofs
Tear-off and haul-away, when billed separately	$50 to $150 a square (100 sq ft of roof)
Ice and water shield beyond the code minimum	About $1,000
Permit	$100 to $500, depending on the town

Tear off, or lay new shingles over the old?

Indiana's residential code allows one new layer of shingles over one old layer, but only when the old roof is dry and sound and the shingle maker's instructions allow it. A layover isn't allowed over two or more existing layers, over a wet or rotting roof, or over slate or tile.

We tear off on almost every roof anyway. A layover hides the deck, so nobody sees the rotten boards, and the new ice and water shield can't stick to the wood. It also adds weight and leaves the next roofer two layers to strip.

What Fort Wayne weather does to a roof

Fort Wayne averages about 34 inches of snow a year and around 124 nights at or below freezing. Snow that melts and refreezes at the cold edge of the roof is what builds ice dams, which is why the eaves get ice and water shield. Summer brings the wind: the June 2022 derecho put a 98 mph gust on record at Fort Wayne International Airport, the strongest ever measured there. Shingles nailed off-pattern are the first to go in a gust like that.

Permits

Allen County's residential permit guide, which covers Fort Wayne and New Haven, lists roofing among the jobs that need a permit, and we pull it for you. Some nearby cities don't require one for a shingle replacement: Auburn, Warsaw and Kendallville all say so in writing. A change to the trusses or rafters needs a permit everywhere. Our roof permit guide goes town by town.

New roof questions