A roof replacement is the biggest single job most homeowners ever buy for the outside of the house, and it is the one where the details in the quote matter most. Two bids for the same roof can be thousands apart because one includes new decking where it is needed, ice-and-water membrane in the valleys and a proper ridge vent, and the other quietly leaves them out. Arolite Group replaces roofs across Buncombe, Haywood and Henderson counties, and this page lays out what a replacement actually includes so you can compare any quote, ours included, line by line.
We are not the bargain roofer in Asheville, and we are open about that. What the difference buys is a roof installed as a complete system on dry decking, a crew that shows up when it says it will and keeps you updated every day, and a yard that is cleaned up before the trucks leave. Our customers mention those things in their Google reviews more than they mention the shingles, which tells you where the value really sits.
Not sure the roof is actually done? That is the right question, and the free inspection answers it. An exterior consultant gets on the roof, photographs what is there and tells you plainly whether a repair buys it a few more years. We would rather do a repair this year and the replacement in five than talk you into a roof you do not need yet.
Signs a roof is past repairing
Some of these you can see from the yard. The rest show up when we get on the roof or in the attic, which is why the inspection is worth doing even if the shingles look fine from the driveway.
- Curling, cupping or cracked shingles across whole slopes, usually worst on the south and west faces that take the afternoon sun.
- Granules in the gutters and bald patches on the shingles. Once the granules are gone, the asphalt underneath breaks down fast.
- Leaks in more than one place, or a leak that keeps coming back after it has been patched.
- Soft or spongy spots underfoot, which mean the decking has been wet long enough to rot.
- Daylight or water stains in the attic, especially along the eaves on a north-facing slope where ice dams form in a cold snap.
- A roof that is simply old. If it was installed before you bought the house and nobody knows when, and the shingles are showing the signs above, it is time to price a replacement.
Storm damage is its own case. If wind or a tree took part of the roof, read the storm damage and insurance page first, because documenting the damage before anything is touched changes how a claim goes.
What a roof replacement from Arolite includes
Every replacement we do, shingle or metal, follows the same sequence. It is written into the quote so you can hold us to it.
Tear-off and decking check
The old roof comes off down to the wood. We recommend a full tear-off rather than roofing over the old shingles, and the exterior consultant explains why on the inspection. With the deck exposed, the crew walks every sheet and marks anything soft, delaminated or rotten for replacement. On older houses in town with a history of leaks that is often a few sheets around the chimney and the valleys. Decking is shown as its own line on the quote, so what we find under the roof is not a surprise on the bill.
Underlayment, ice-and-water and drip edge
Synthetic underlayment goes over the whole deck as the old roof comes off; the aim on every job is to have the deck dried in before the crew leaves for the day. Self-adhered ice-and-water membrane goes in the valleys and along the eaves, where ice dams and wind-driven rain push water uphill under the shingles. Metal drip edge goes on at the eaves and rakes so water leaves the roof cleanly into the gutter instead of wicking back into the fascia.
Shingles or metal panels
Starter strip, then the field. For shingle roofs we install architectural shingle systems from manufacturers such as CertainTeed, nailed to the manufacturer's pattern. For standing-seam metal the panels run ridge to eave with hidden fasteners.
Flashing, pipe boots and ridge vent
New step and counter flashing at every wall and chimney, new pipe boots, and a continuous ridge vent under the ridge cap so the attic can breathe. These are where roofs actually fail, and reusing old flashing to save a few dollars is the most common shortcut we see on the roofs we tear off.
Cleanup and walkthrough
The old roofing goes into a trailer or dumpster as it comes off, not into your flower beds. At the end of each day the yard and driveway are picked up and swept with a rolling magnet for nails. When the roof is on, we walk it with you and answer anything you want to ask.
Shingle or metal?
Architectural shingle is the right roof for most houses here: it handles the pitch, it suits the neighborhood, and it costs the least to install. Standing-seam metal costs more up front and earns it back on the right house. If you are on a steep, heavily wooded lot where leaves and pine needles sit on the roof, if snow loads are a factor at your elevation, or if you plan to stay in the house long enough that you would otherwise be buying a second shingle roof, metal is worth pricing. We install both, so we will price both on your roof when you ask and let the numbers do the talking. The metal roofing page goes into the details.
How the quote works
After the free inspection, an exterior consultant sits down with you in person, usually at your kitchen table, and goes through the findings with the photos. You get a written, itemized price that lists the decking allowance, the underlayment, the shingle or panel system, the flashing, the vent and the cleanup as separate lines. If you would rather spread the cost, financing is available and the exterior consultant goes through it with you. Read how it works on our financing page.
Why homeowners here choose Arolite for a new roof
- An itemized quote you can compare. Every component is a line on the paper, so you can see exactly what a cheaper bid left out.
- Dried in before the weather turns. The aim on every tear-off is to have underlayment down the same day, which matters when a mountain forecast changes by the hour.
- Daily updates and a clean yard. You hear from us every working day, and the site is cleaned up before the crew leaves.
- Roof, siding and gutters from one crew. If the exterior needs more than the roof, it gets planned and done as one job.