Roll-off dumpster in the driveway of a two-story home with a new dark shingle roof

Roof Replacement in Dallas

A new roof is a big decision with a lot of fine print. Learn what a sound Dallas re-roof includes, then call one free number to reach an independent, locally owned roofing company that does replacements.

Call (469) 649-7066 Compare bids line by line

What a roof replacement in Dallas really involves

Replacing a roof is not just new shingles. Done right, it means stripping the old roof to the wood, fixing any rotten decking, laying new underlayment and metal, setting new shingles to the maker's instructions, getting the attic to breathe, and passing a city inspection where one is required.

Two bids that look close in price can describe very different jobs. One might include drip edge, new pipe boots and a ridge vent; the other might reuse old flashing and say nothing about decking. This page lays out each part so you can read a bid the way a building inspector would.

DFW Expert Roofers is a free referral line, not a contractor. You call, an automated assistant hears what you need, and the call goes to an independent, locally owned roofing company in the Dallas area. That company measures the roof, writes the bid, pulls the permit and installs the roof, and you pay it directly.

Roofers laying new plywood decking and underlayment during a re-roof, with old shingles still on part of the roof

Tear-off or overlay?

An overlay (a "recover") lays new shingles over the old ones. A tear-off strips everything to the deck first. The International Residential Code, the model code cities build their house rules from, treats a roof replacement as removal down to the deck and allows a recover only in limited cases.

	Full tear-off	Overlay (recover)
When the code allows it	Always	Not over two or more existing layers, over wet or deteriorated roofing, or over slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile (IRC R908.3.1.1)
Decking	Every sheet is visible, so soft or rotten wood can be found and replaced	The deck stays hidden; damage under the old shingles goes unseen
Flashing and underlayment	Replaced along with the shingles	Often left in place, which is where many new roofs start leaking
Weight	One layer on the framing	Two layers on the framing
Hail performance	New shingles sit on a firm, flat deck	New shingles sit on an uneven layer of old ones
Cost up front	Higher, because of labor and disposal	Lower, but the next replacement must remove both layers

If a bid proposes an overlay, ask how many layers are on the house now and whether the shingle maker's warranty allows installation over an existing roof. Then confirm with your city that the permit covers it.

Layer by layer: what goes on a new roof

Read your bid against this list from the wood up. Anything missing should be explained in writing.

Decking. Plywood or OSB sheets nailed to the rafters. Since no one sees the deck until the old roof is off, a fair bid sets a price per sheet for any that must be replaced and says how the count will be shown to you, for example in photos.
Drip edge. L-shaped metal along the eaves and rakes. Code section R905.2.8.5 makes it mandatory for shingles: its lower lip hangs a minimum of 1/4 inch past the sheathing, nails go in at 12-inch maximum spacing, and the underlayment runs on top of it along eaves but beneath it along rakes.
Underlayment. Felt or synthetic sheet over the whole deck, often with a self-adhering membrane in valleys and around penetrations. The bid should name the product.
Flashing. New step flashing at walls, new valley metal if valleys are open, new chimney and skylight flashing, and new pipe boots. Reusing old metal to save a few dollars is a common shortcut. See where flashing goes on a roof.
Shingles. Named by brand, product line and color, installed with the nail count and pattern the maker requires for its warranty.
Ventilation. Intake at the eaves and exhaust near the ridge. The IRC (R806.2) sets net free vent area at 1/150 of the attic floor area, with a reduced 1/300 ratio only under conditions the code lists. A hot, stuffy attic ages shingles from below, so ask how the roofer calculated yours.
Ridge cap, cleanup and final inspection. Cap shingles over the ridge, a magnet sweep for nails, and the city inspection where your city requires one.

Crew of roofers laying new shingles on a steep roof of a two-story home

The Dallas re-roof permit, step by step

Inside Dallas city limits, the city's Development Services department draws a clear line. Minor repairs to roofing or roof vents need no permit, and temporary tarps are exempt. Replacing large areas of a roof, or the entire roof, requires a re-roof permit.

A registered contractor applies. An owner or agent may submit, but the city will not issue the permit unless a registered contractor is on the application. Registered contractors can apply online through the city's permit portal.
Structural work is separate. If rafters, roof joists or wall sections need replacing, that calls for a building permit, not just a re-roof permit.
Doing it yourself has its own form. Owners who do their own work file a Homeowner's Exemption from Contractor Registration rather than registering.
Ask to see the permit. It should be in the roofer's name, posted at the job, and closed out after the final inspection.

The city takes questions at 214-948-4480. Suburbs differ: Plano, for example, requires a permit for every re-roof and does a final inspection. Your town page has the local rule.

Homeowner reading a printed roofing contract at a kitchen table beside a coffee mug

Class 4 shingles, insurance credits and HOA rules

Impact-resistant shingles

Hail resistance is graded by the UL 2218 impact test on a four-step scale, and the top grade, Class 4, survives the largest steel balls. The Texas Department of Insurance says insurers that offer roofing credits give the largest one to Class 4 coverings, but each insurer sets its own amount, decides which test results it accepts, how the product must be labeled and what paperwork it wants. TDI publishes an impact-resistant roofing installation form (PC068) that an installer can fill out, so ask your insurer before work starts whether it wants that form, the product label or both.

Before choosing, call your insurance agent and ask what credit applies, what proof it wants, and whether the credit is worth the higher material price over the years you plan to stay.

What an HOA can and cannot block

A 2011 state law, now section 202.011 of the Property Code, limits HOA covenants here. If your deed restrictions already permit a shingle roof, the association cannot enforce a ban on shingles built for wind and hail protection, energy savings or solar generation. The shingles must resemble the ones used or allowed in the neighborhood, be more durable than and of equal or better quality than those, and match the look of the surrounding homes.

Most HOAs still want a color approval before work starts. Submit the shingle sample and the roofer's product sheet, and wait for the written approval.

How to compare roof replacement bids

Lay two or three bids side by side and check each line. A bid that is missing a line is not cheaper, it is vaguer. Here is what a complete estimate should spell out.

Scope

Full tear-off, with the number of layers removed
Decking price per sheet, and how replacements are documented
Drip edge, underlayment and valley treatment named

Materials

Shingle brand, line, color and impact class
New flashing, pipe boots and ridge vent listed
Ventilation plan, intake and exhaust

Paperwork

Permit pulled in the roofer's name
Workmanship warranty length, in writing
Maker's warranty registration after the job

Money

Deposit amount and when the balance is due
The deductible notice Texas requires on insurance jobs of $1,000 or more
Change orders priced only in writing

Site

Where the dumpster and materials will sit
How landscaping, the pool and the AC unit are protected
Magnet sweep for nails at the end of each day

The company

Liability certificate sent by its insurer
City contractor registration where required
Addresses of nearby roofs it finished

Prices for whole roofs vary widely with size, pitch and material. The roof replacement cost guide for DFW explains the drivers and cites published ranges; the only real number is the written bid for your roof.

When a storm claim is paying for the roof

After hail or wind, your insurer may cover some or all of a replacement, depending on the policy, the damage the adjuster documents and your deductible. The line does not file claims, and a roofer may not negotiate your claim for you; only a licensed public adjuster may do that in Texas. Ask your insurer whether the policy pays replacement cost or actual cash value, what your wind and hail deductible is, and whether part of the payment is held back until the work is finished. The Texas roof insurance claim guide explains each term.

Your deductible is yours to pay. The Texas Department of Insurance warns that a contractor may not waive your deductible, rebate it, or pad the estimate to cover it, and that a contract of $1,000 or more paid with insurance money must include a notice that you owe the deductible. Your insurer may ask for proof you paid it. A contractor also may not act as a public adjuster on a property it works on or may work on. If a roofer offers to "take care of" the deductible, hire someone else.

Weighing a new roof, or wondering if your old one can hang on? Call and describe it. You are put through to an independent Dallas-area roofing company that measures the roof and puts its bid in writing.

Call (469) 649-7066

From the first call to the final inspection

Dial the lineAn automated assistant picks up (469) 649-7066 any time and asks what you need. The same number also takes air conditioning, heating and pressure washing calls, so say "roof".
Tell it about the roofHail, a drip in the ceiling, shingles in the yard, a tree limb, or an aging roof you want checked, plus your town and how soon you need someone.
Get transferredThe call goes to an independent roofing company that is locally owned and works in Dallas-Fort Worth. It hears a quick summary of your call before it answers.
Work with that companyIt inspects, prices and does the job, and you pay it (or your insurer does, as you arrange). If it cannot pick up, it gets your name, number, town and need so it can call you back.

No state license for roofers. Texas does not license roofing contractors. A 2025 bill that would have had the state license re-roofers (HB 3344) cleared a House committee but never got a floor vote, and it died when the session ended. That puts the checking on you: ask for a certificate of liability insurance sent to you by the roofer's insurance agent or insurer, a written contract that lists the full scope, the permit or contractor registration your city requires, addresses of nearby jobs, and proof the shingle warranty was registered. The line does none of this checking for you. How to check a roofer in Texas.

About this line: DFW Expert Roofers is a free phone line, not a roofing contractor. It answers your call and connects you with an independent local roofing company, which inspects, quotes and does the work, and which you pay directly. Companies may pay a referral fee. Calling the line costs you nothing. See how a call is handled.

More pages that may help

New roofs across the metroplex

Roof replacement questions from Dallas homeowners

Does Dallas make you pull a permit to reroof a house?

Yes, inside the City of Dallas. Development Services says replacing large areas of a roof or the whole roof requires a re-roof permit, and a contractor registered with the city must be on the application. Replacing rafters or joists needs a building permit as well. Minor repairs do not. Other DFW cities run their own permit desks; each town page notes its local rule.

Do roofers work in the winter around Dallas?

Yes. North Texas winters leave plenty of workable days, and many roofers keep crews busy from November through February. What stops work is ice, rain, high wind and hard cold snaps. Asphalt shingles rely on sun-warmed sealant strips to bond, and shingle makers publish cold-weather steps for that, so ask how the roofer handles a job laid on a chilly day.

When is roofing season in North Texas?

There is no closed season, but demand swings. After a big spring hailstorm, every roofer in the affected area fills up for weeks, and storm-chasing crews arrive. Late summer and fall are often calmer for scheduling an aging roof that has not been hit. An old roof that is already curling is a good candidate for a fall booking, ahead of the next hail season.

How often does a roof get replaced in Texas?

There is no set calendar. An asphalt roof here might last its full rated life or need replacing after one severe hailstorm. Material, attic ventilation, color, installation and storm luck all play a part. The guide on how long a roof lasts in North Texas walks through each factor and the warning signs.

How late in the day do roofing crews work?

Most crews work in daylight, since tearing off and nailing on a steep roof in the dark is unsafe. In summer many start early to beat the afternoon heat. Some HOAs set hours for contractor work, so check your rules and ask the roofer for its planned start and finish times, where the dumpster will sit, and how many days the job should take.

Ready to price a new roof? Start with one free call

Say what the roof is doing and which town you are in. The automated assistant passes you to an independent roofing company that is locally owned and works in DFW. That company comes out, looks at the roof and prices the job itself.

Call (469) 649-7066

Picks up day or nightStorms here often hit in the evening. The assistant answers at 2 a.m. the same as at noon.
Costs you nothingThe line sends no bill. Any price you hear comes from the roofer, and you can ask for it on paper.
Check before you hireTexas issues no roofing license, so ask for an insurance certificate, a written contract and the permit your city requires.
Your call to makeListen to what the roofer found, read the estimate, and say yes only when it adds up.