Roof Repair and Replacement in Jamaica Plain, Boston

What do Jamaica Plain's two main roof types need?

The neighborhood has two broad kinds of roof. Triple-deckers in Boston vary: South Boston's were mostly flat-roofed, Roxbury's pitched, and Dorchester had both. Jamaica Plain's older triple-deckers with low-slope roofs usually need membrane work, flashing and parapet repair.

Pitched Victorians, the other type, may carry asphalt, slate or cedar. Each material has its own way of failing: asphalt wears out, slate loses individual pieces and fixings, and cedar needs moss and algae care in a damp climate. The first thing a roofer will do is work out which of the two roofs you have.

Flat roofs are covered in flat roof and EPDM replacement and the longer triple-decker flat roof guide. Pitched roofs follow the usual shingle, slate or cedar pages.

Slate and copper on a Victorian are worth saving where they can be saved, and the slate roof page explains the repair-or-replace question.

Who decides on a roof when a triple-decker has three owners?

A triple-decker is often three households under one roof, and sometimes three condo owners. The roof belongs to all of them, so a repair usually needs agreement before work starts. That is a human problem, not a technical one, and it can take longer than the repair.

Write down who is responsible for the roof and how the cost is shared. Get the roofer to explain the scope in plain terms that everyone can read. The multi-family roofing page covers shared roofs, tight lots and condo associations.

When you call, tell the line how many households share the roof, and whether the problem shows in one unit or several. A leak in the top floor ceiling and a leak in the stairwell are different clues.

Does Jamaica Plain need a Boston roofing permit?

Boston roof work goes through the Inspectional Services Department. A permit is required for a full replacement. One third-party aggregator gives plan review times and fee ranges for Boston; treat them as estimates and ask the contractor for the current numbers.

Massachusetts issues no roofing licence. Contractors doing work on homes register as Home Improvement Contractors with the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, and the building permit is normally pulled by a Construction Supervisor Licence holder. The registration guide explains what to ask a contractor to show.

Boston also has historic districts, though they are in Back Bay, Beacon Hill and the South End, not named here as part of Jamaica Plain. Ask the city if you are unsure about your own address.

What does winter do to a Jamaica Plain roof?

Boston averages about 43.8 inches of snow a year, and the record winter of 2014 to 2015 brought 108.6 inches. On a low-slope roof, snow that sits and melts slowly can find a weak seam or a blocked drain, and the leak often shows up days after the snow was shoveled away.

On a pitched Victorian, the winter problem is the eave. Heat escaping into the attic melts snow on the warm part of the roof, and the water refreezes at the cold edge. A building from the 1860-to-1890 era is likely to have air leaks around old chimneys, hatches and wiring, which are the places to look. The ice dam page covers prevention and repair.

When you call about winter water, say whether it is a drip during a thaw or a stain that keeps growing. That detail tells the roofer where to begin.