Verified
I hired Upstate KC Builders to fix my roof about 2.5 weeks ago. I had roof damage and it was leaking into my home. I talked to a couple other companies for estimates. Upstate KC Builders gave me the best deal.
Roof Repair & Replacement
Roof Repair and Replacement Across NY, VT and MA
Leaks, storm damage and full tear-offs on every material we work in. We find where the water is actually getting in, which is rarely above the stain.
In short
Water travels along rafters and decking before it drops, so the leak is almost never directly above the ceiling stain. Finding the real entry point is the difference between a repair that holds and one that has you calling again after the next storm.
Most roof repair calls start with a stain on a ceiling. The instinct is to fix the roof directly above it, and that is usually the wrong spot. Water gets in at a flashing, a nail pop or a lifted shingle, then runs along the underside of the deck or down a rafter until something stops it. By the time it reaches drywall it can be several feet from where it entered. Chasing the stain instead of the source is why a lot of homeowners pay for the same leak twice.
The Northeast is unusually hard on roofs, and mostly not because of the snow itself. It is the freeze and thaw cycle. Meltwater runs down a warm roof, hits the cold overhang, refreezes, and builds a dam that holds standing water against a surface designed to shed it, not to hold it. Ice damming causes more of the roof damage we see than storms do, and it is a ventilation and insulation problem as much as a roofing one.
We repair and replace asphalt, metal and slate, which matters more than it sounds. A company that only does asphalt has one answer to every roof. When we tell you a repair will hold, it is because we are equally happy quoting the replacement.
What we handle
What we take on
Leak diagnosis and repair
Tracing the actual entry point rather than patching under the stain. Flashing, valleys, penetrations, nail pops and wind-lifted courses are the usual culprits.
Storm and wind damage
Missing and lifted shingles, damaged ridge, torn flashing and impact damage. We document the condition properly, which matters if you are putting it through insurance.
Full tear-off and replacement
Old roofing stripped so the deck can be seen and repaired, then underlayment, ice and water shield at the eaves and valleys, and the new roof in your chosen material.
Ice dam damage and prevention
Repairing what the damming caused, then addressing why it happened. Usually ventilation, insulation, or an eave that needs proper protection.
How it runs
How a repair job runs
Find the actual source
On the roof, and in the attic where there is access. Wet decking and stained rafters tell you where water has been travelling, which is how you work back to where it came in.
Repair or replace, honestly
A ten year old roof with a failed valley is a repair. A twenty five year old roof with granule loss across every slope is not, and we will not sell you a patch on it.
Written estimate
Scope, materials and what is included, in writing. If there is a realistic chance of finding rotted deck once we open it up, you hear that up front rather than as a surprise mid-job.
Work and clean-up
Deck repaired where needed, roof made right, site cleared and magnet-swept for nails. Your driveway and lawn should not tell the story of the job for weeks afterwards.
Why us
Why us for a roof problem
We work in every roofing material
Asphalt, metal and slate. A contractor who only installs one of them will always find that one is the answer.
We will tell you it can wait
If your roof has years left and needs a flashing repair, that is what you will be quoted. Not every call has to become a replacement.
We fix the cause, not just the damage
Repeat ice damming is a ventilation and insulation problem. Patching the ceiling every spring is treating the symptom.
Reviews
What customers said about this work
Google reviews from customers we did roof repair & replacement for.
Verified
Great to work with, did a great job finding and repairing leaks in a slate roof around a chimney. Every put in the effort to find the correct size tiles for the roof and add new supports to the chimney.
Verified
Stephen did a great job fixing the leaks on our 30 year old steel roof with a 9/12 pitch!! He was able do what others have tried to fix and failed. He knew the correct way to stop the leaks! I highly recommend him!
Where we work
Roof repair across six counties
We take repair and replacement work throughout our service area. Ice damming is worst in the higher ground, the Rensselaer hill towns, the Bennington County ski corridor and the north Berkshires, while the older village stock across Albany and Schenectady counties tends to need flashing and deck work more than anything else.
We cover Albany County, NY, Rensselaer County, NY, Saratoga County, NY, Schenectady County, NY, Bennington County, VT, Berkshire County, MA.
Questions
Roof repair questions
Age and the spread of the problem. A localised failure on a roof with life left in it is a repair. Granule loss across every slope, curling or cupping shingles, daylight visible through the deck, or a third or more of the roof affected all point to replacement. We will give you the honest answer including when it is the cheaper one.
Water rarely enters directly above where it shows up. It runs along the underside of the decking or down a rafter until an obstruction stops it and it drips. The entry point is often several feet away, commonly at a flashing, a penetration or a valley. This is why we go into the attic where we can, because wet framing traces the path back.
Heat escaping into the attic melts snow on the upper roof. That meltwater runs down to the cold overhang, refreezes, and builds a ridge of ice that traps standing water behind it. Roofs shed water, they do not hold it, so it finds a way in. The permanent fix is usually attic insulation and ventilation rather than roofing, which is why we look at both.
We can document the damage thoroughly and give you a detailed written estimate, which is what an adjuster needs. We do not handle the claim itself or negotiate on your behalf. Be cautious with any contractor who offers to cover your deductible; that is not legal in these states.
A typical residential tear-off and replacement is one to three days on site depending on size, pitch and how cut up the roof is. Weather is the main variable, and we will not open up a roof we cannot get watertight before the next front comes through.
It happens, particularly where a leak has been running for a while. We photograph it, show you, and price the deck repair before carrying on. It should never be a line item that appears on the final bill without a conversation first.
Related
Other work we take on
Metal Roofing
Standing seam and corrugated metal roofs built to shed Northeast snow and last fifty years or more.
Learn more about Metal Roofing
Slate Roofing
Repair, restoration and installation of natural slate, including matching salvaged tile on historic homes.
Learn more about Slate Roofing
Siding & Gutters
Vinyl, fiber cement and wood siding, plus seamless gutters and guards that move water away from the foundation.
Learn more about Siding & Gutters