A roof replacement is more than new shingles. Done properly, it means stripping the roof to the wood deck, fixing what the old roof was hiding, and building a complete system of matched layers from the deck to the ridge. That system is what keeps water out of the eaves, valleys and flashing, where most leaks start. It's also what GAF and Owens Corning require before they'll stand behind the roof with their strongest warranties.
What's included in a full replacement
Every roof Jersey Roofing replaces goes through the same sequence. The details change with the house, but the order doesn't.
- Permit and protection. Jersey Roofing files the building permit with your village, town or city, and the crew protects landscaping, siding, windows and the driveway before tear-off.
- Tear-off to the deck. All existing layers come off. New York's residential code doesn't allow a new roof over two or more existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a deteriorated roof, and a full tear-off is the only way to see the deck.
- Deck inspection and repair. The crew walks the sheathing and replaces boards or panels that are soft, rotted or delaminated. This is the step an overlay skips.
- Drip edge and ice and water barrier. Self-adhering leak barrier goes along the eaves and into the valleys. In Westchester the code requires an ice barrier at the eaves because of the area's history of ice damming.
- Synthetic underlayment over the rest of the deck, as a second water-shedding layer.
- New flashing. Step flashing at walls, counterflashing at chimneys, new pipe boots, and valley metal where the design calls for it. Golden Pledge® installations require new metal flashing.
- Starter strip and shingles. Manufacturer starter at the eaves and rakes, then shingles nailed to the high-wind pattern the warranty requires.
- Ventilation. Ridge vent and soffit intake sized and balanced for the attic. Inadequate ventilation is excluded from both manufacturers' warranties, so the crew treats it as part of the roof.
- Ridge cap, cleanup and final inspection. Matched hip and ridge shingles, a magnetic sweep for nails, the building department's final inspection, and warranty registration with the manufacturer.
- 1Ridge vent and ridge capLets hot, moist attic air out at the peak, under a cap shingle made for the ridge.
- 2Architectural shinglesGAF Timberline® or Owens Corning Duration®, nailed to the manufacturer's high-wind pattern.
- 3Starter stripSeals the first course at the eaves and rakes, where wind uplift starts.
- 4Synthetic underlaymentA second water-shedding layer over the whole deck.
- 5Ice and water leak barrierSelf-adhering membrane at the eaves and valleys. NY code requires it here because of ice damming.
- 6Roof deckInspected board by board once the old roof is off. Soft or rotted sheathing is replaced.
Choosing a shingle
Jersey Roofing installs both manufacturers' lines, and both are excellent. Most homeowners decide on looks first, then on the wind, impact and algae ratings that fit the house.
GAF
- Timberline HDZ® is GAF's best-selling architectural shingle. Its LayerLock® technology qualifies it for GAF's WindProven™ limited wind warranty, which has no maximum wind speed when installed with qualifying GAF accessories.
- Timberline UHDZ® is a thicker premium shingle with a dual shadow line and a UL 2218 Class 4 impact rating, plus 30-year StainGuard Plus PRO™ algae protection.
- Timberline® AS II is GAF's impact-resistant architectural shingle, also Class 4, which some insurers recognize with a premium discount.
- Designer lines such as Camelot® II and Slateline® give a slate look, and Grand Sequoia® gives a wood-shake look. These are useful on Tudors and older homes where the original roof was slate or cedar, or where a review board wants a period appearance.
Owens Corning
- TruDefinition® Duration® uses SureNail® technology, a reinforced nailing zone. It carries a 130 mph wind warranty as standard and 160 mph when installed with Owens Corning starter shingles at the eaves and rakes and qualifying hip and ridge shingles.
- Duration FLEX® is a polymer-modified shingle and Duration STORM® has a reinforcing mesh on the back. Both carry a UL 2218 Class 4 impact rating.
- Oakridge® is the value-priced architectural line, rated to 130 mph with six nails and Owens Corning starter.
- Woodcrest® is a thick designer shingle with a wood-shake look.
We bring full-size samples of both brands to the inspection. Colors look different on a roof in daylight than on a screen, so we suggest viewing them against your siding and trim.
Permits, licensing and your contract
New York's Uniform Code doesn't list reroofing among the work exempt from permits, and most Westchester municipalities require a building permit for a full replacement. Villages such as Ossining, Briarcliff Manor and Scarsdale run their own building departments. Hamlets such as Cortlandt Manor, Yorktown Heights and Chappaqua are permitted by their towns. Rules differ: Scarsdale, for example, lets shingles be replaced without a permit but requires one for other roof work. Our town pages list the office for each community, and Jersey Roofing files the permit for you.
Westchester County requires home improvement contractors to hold a county license. Before you sign with any roofer, check these:
- The contractor appears on the Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection's list of licensed home improvement contractors, and the license number is printed on the contract.
- You have a certificate of insurance showing liability and New York workers' compensation coverage.
- The contract is in writing, with start and completion dates, and lets you cancel until midnight of the third business day after you sign.
- Any deposit is placed in an escrow account or bonded, as New York's General Business Law requires, and progress payments track the work completed.
- The contract states which manufacturer warranty will be registered, and who registers it.
Jersey Roofing's license is Westchester County Home Improvement License #WC-37461-H24.
Warranties Jersey Roofing can register
When Westchester Roof Pros books your roof, it's installed by Jersey Roofing, a GAF Master Elite® contractor and an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, so it can register the top warranty from each manufacturer: GAF's Golden Pledge® and Owens Corning's Platinum Protection. Both cover materials and workmanship, including tear-off and disposal when a covered repair requires it.
| Warranty | Who can register it | Non-prorated materials coverage | Workmanship coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAF Shingle & Accessory Limited Warranty | Any installer | 10 years | Not covered |
| GAF Golden Pledge® Limited Warranty | GAF Master Elite® only | 50 years | Lifetime, non-prorated for 25 years (Timberline HDZ®) or 30 years (Timberline UHDZ®, AS II) |
| Owens Corning Standard Product Limited Warranty | Any installer | 10 years | Not covered |
| Owens Corning Platinum Protection | Platinum Preferred contractors only | 50 years | Lifetime, with the first 25 years non-prorated |
Simplified from GAF and Owens Corning warranty documents current as of October 2026, for a single-family home with qualifying shingles and accessories. Materials coverage on lifetime shingles runs as long as you own the home; the column shows the period when it isn't prorated. Visit gaf.com/warranties for complete coverage and restrictions, and see Owens Corning's warranty page for its terms. The written warranty controls.