Roof Installation in New Orleans

Building a new home, adding a room or switching to a different roofing material each calls for a roof installed right the first time. TurnKey Roofers provides roof installation in New Orleans, and our own crews handle every layer, from the decking and underlayment to the flashing, ventilation and finished roof.

Call 504-732-0336 or send us a message to talk through your project. We’ll look at the plans or the existing roof and give you a written estimate, with no obligation.

At a Glance

• We install roofs on new homes, additions and existing homes switching to a new material.
• We work with asphalt shingle, metal, tile, slate and flat roofing systems.
• Every installation is backed by a 50-year non-prorated warranty, a 10-year workmanship warranty and a 15-year unlimited wind warranty that holds even for named storms.
• We’re GAF Master Elite and FORTIFIED certified, and licensed and insured in Louisiana.

If you’re replacing a worn-out roof on your current home, our roof replacement in New Orleans page covers that work in detail.

Roof Installation Projects We Handle

• New home construction. For new construction roofing, we work from your plans and coordinate with your builder so the roof goes on at the right point in the schedule.
• Additions and extensions. A new room, a second story or an enclosed porch needs a roof that ties into the existing one without creating a leak point where the two meet.
• Material upgrades. Moving from asphalt shingles to metal, tile or slate means checking that the framing can carry the new weight and that the details suit the new material.
• Garages, porches and outbuildings. Detached garages, carports, sheds and porch roofs, including low-slope sections that need a flat roofing system.

Choosing the Right Roofing Material

The material you pick shapes the cost, the look of your home and how the roof handles New Orleans weather. Here’s how the main options compare:

Tile and slate weigh far more than shingles or metal, so we check that the structure can take the load before recommending either. During your consultation, we’ll show you samples and explain how each option affects the price of your project.

What Goes Into a Properly Installed Roof

The shingles or tiles you see are only the top layer. A roof that lasts depends on everything underneath:

1. Decking. Solid, dry sheathing fastened to the rafters gives every other layer a sound base.
2. Underlayment. A water-resistant layer over the decking is the roof’s backup if wind-driven rain gets under the top layer.
3. Drip edge and flashing. Metal at the edges, valleys, walls, chimneys and vents directs water off the roof. Most leaks start where flashing was skipped or poorly installed.
4. Ventilation. Intake and exhaust vents let heat and moisture out of the attic, which protects the decking and keeps the shingles from aging early. Read more on our roof ventilation page.
5. The roofing material. Installed to the manufacturer’s instructions, with the right fasteners and spacing so it holds in high wind.
6. Roof edge finish. Soffit and fascia close in the eaves and keep out water and pests. See our soffit installation page.

Planning the Roof for an Addition

Roofing for additions is where jobs most often go wrong, because the new section has to meet the old one without leaving a gap for water. When we plan one, we look at:

• Where the two roofs meet. The joint between old and new needs proper flashing and, where a new roof runs into a wall, step flashing tucked behind the siding.
• The pitch of the new section. Shingles need enough slope to shed water. A shallow addition or porch roof may need a flat roofing system instead.
• Matching the existing roof. We match the material and color as closely as we can so the addition looks like it was always there.
• Drainage. A new roof changes where rain lands. Gutters and downspouts need to carry that water away from both roofs and the foundation.

Our Roof Installation Process

You’ll know what’s happening at every stage. Our process has three steps:

1. Free assessment. We review your plans or inspect the existing structure, talk through materials and answer your questions.
2. Your plan and quote. You get a written estimate covering materials, labor, ventilation, flashing and any structural work the new roof needs. No work starts until you approve it.
3. Expert installation. Our own roof installers build the roof, clean up the site and walk the finished roof with you before we call it done.

Installing a Roof for New Orleans Weather

New Orleans roofs face heavy rain, high humidity and a hurricane season that the National Hurricane Center lists as running from June 1 to November 30. A new roof here has to be built with that in mind:

• Fastening and edge details that help shingles and panels stay down in high wind
• Underlayment and flashing that hold back wind-driven rain
• Enough attic ventilation to move heat and moisture out through long, humid summers
• Gutters sized and pitched to carry heavy downpours away from the roof edge

We’re FORTIFIED certified, and we’ll explain what a FORTIFIED roof involves if you’d like to build to that standard.

Permits and Historic Districts

Roofing work in New Orleans goes through the City’s Department of Safety and Permits. For work on an existing home, the City requires a separate residential re-roofing permit when the work affects 50 percent or more of the roof.

If your home sits in one of the city’s local historic districts, the Historic District Landmarks Commission also has a say. Its published guidance lists the color of roofing material among the things it regulates, and it offers handouts on roofs and roof details. Talk to us before you pick a material, and we’ll help you find out what applies to your address.

Signs a Roof Was Installed Poorly

Whoever installs your roof, these signs of a poor roofing job are worth checking once the work is done. Any of them can shorten a roof’s life:

• Shingle rows that wander or don’t line up across the roof
• Nail heads showing on the surface of the shingles
• No metal drip edge along the eaves and rakes
• Missing flashing where the roof meets a wall, chimney or vent
• Shingles lifting or flapping after the first strong wind
• Water stains inside within the first year

If you’re seeing these on a roof someone else installed, we can inspect it and tell you what it needs. Our NOLA roof repair page covers the fixes.

Why Homeowners Choose TurnKey Roofers

• Our own crews. The people who plan your roof are part of the team that installs it. No handoffs to subcontractors.
• Warranties built for this climate. A 50-year non-prorated warranty, a 10-year workmanship warranty, and a 15-year unlimited wind warranty that holds even for named storms.
• Credentials you can check. GAF Master Elite and FORTIFIED certified, and licensed and insured in Louisiana.
• More than a roof. We also install siding, soffit and fascia, so the whole exterior can be handled by one team.

Roof Installation Across the New Orleans Area

We install roofs throughout New Orleans and in 13 more communities, including Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, Slidell, Covington and Mandeville. See the full list on our service areas page, or call and we’ll confirm we cover your street.

Roof Installation FAQs

What’s the difference between roof installation and roof replacement?

Replacement means tearing off an old roof and putting a new one in its place. Installation covers any new roof, including new homes and additions that never had one. The layers and the craftsmanship are the same, and our roof replacement page covers tear-off work in more detail.

Can my home support a tile or slate roof?

Not every home can. Tile and slate are much heavier than shingles or metal, so we check the framing before recommending them. If the structure needs reinforcing, we’ll include that in your estimate.

Do I need a permit for a new roof in New Orleans?

Often, yes. For an existing home, the City requires a separate residential re-roofing permit for work affecting 50 percent or more of the roof. New homes and additions go through the City’s building permit process, and homes in local historic districts may also need review by the Historic District Landmarks Commission.

Should I switch from shingles to metal?

It depends on your budget and how long you plan to stay. Metal costs more up front but performs well in wind and lasts a long time, while shingles cost less and suit most homes. We’ll lay out both options side by side in your estimate so you can compare them.

Can a new roof go over my old one?

We recommend removing the old roof in most cases. A tear-off lets us check the decking underneath, replace anything soft or rotted, and install new underlayment and flashing, which a layer-over hides. We’ll explain the options for your home during the inspection.

How long does a roof installation take?

It depends on the size of the roof, the material and the weather. Your written estimate includes the expected schedule, and we’ll keep you updated if rain changes the plan.

What warranties come with a new roof?

We offer a 50-year non-prorated warranty, a 10-year workmanship warranty and a 15-year unlimited wind warranty that applies even when the damage comes from a named storm. We’ll go over the details for your roof when we quote it.

Plan Your New Roof With Us

Call 504-732-0336 or contact us online. We’ll review your plans or your current roof, talk through the materials that suit your home, and give you a written estimate.