Scarsdale was settled in 1701 and named for Sutton Scarsdale in Derbyshire, England. It became a town in 1788 and a village in 1915, and about 18,250 people live there today. The village organizes itself around five elementary-school neighborhoods: Greenacres, Fox Meadow, Heathcote, Quaker Ridge and Edgewood. A preservation survey commissioned by the village called it the quintessential early-twentieth-century American suburban community, and the houses bear that out.
What that survey describes, from a roofer's point of view, is a roofline. Scarsdale homes have steep peaks, cross gables, dormers and tall masonry chimneys, so a typical roof has far more valleys and flashing joints than a simple colonial. The village sits inland at about 217 feet under a dense, mature canopy. Leaves pack into those valleys every fall, hold water, and freeze into ice dams after a heavy snow.
Tudor Revival, English Cottage and the slate that came with them
The village's historic survey found the dominant styles to be Tudor Revival, with steep peaked roofs, half-timbering, patterned brick and slate; English Cottage, with stucco, gables, dormers and casement windows; and Colonial and Mediterranean revivals. Slate is a signature original material on the Tudors, particularly in Greenacres, Fox Meadow, Sherbrooke Park and around Heathcote School.
A century-old slate roof usually fails at its metal before its stone. Nails rust through, copper valleys wear thin, and chimney flashing lets go, while much of the slate itself can still be sound. So the first question on a Scarsdale Tudor is whether the slate has years left in it. If it does, repair and new flashing is often the right call.
What to plan for on a Scarsdale roof
Repair the slate or replace the roof
We check for slates that flake, crumble or sound dull when tapped, count slipped and broken pieces, and look at the condition of the nails and the deck. If the stone is sound, Jersey Roofing's crew replaces broken slates and rebuilds the valleys and flashing. If it's worn through, the roof comes off: New York's code doesn't allow shingles over slate, so switching materials always means a full tear-off and a fresh deck inspection.
Valleys, dormers and chimneys
Steep, multi-gable roofs live or die on their details. On a Tudor, Jersey Roofing's crew installs ice-barrier membrane at the eaves, as the code requires, and carries it up through every valley. Chimneys get step flashing and counterflashing cut into the mortar joints, not just sealant. Where the original valleys were copper, replacing them in copper keeps both the look and the service life.
Keeping the period look without wood
The village prohibits wood shingles, so a cedar roof isn't an option. If you're leaving slate, a designer asphalt shingle such as GAF Camelot II or Slateline keeps the heavy, layered profile these houses were designed around. If you want a shake look, GAF Grand Sequoia gives one in asphalt. Either way, we bring samples so you can judge them against the brick and half-timbering.
Historic districts and design review
Scarsdale's Board of Architectural Review meets about every two weeks and typically reviews work that changes a building's exterior. The village FAQ says roof shingles may be replaced without a permit, that other roof work needs one, and that wood shingles are prohibited. If you plan to change the roof's appearance, for instance from slate to asphalt or to a new color, ask the Building Department whether the board needs to see it and allow time for its schedule.
Roof permits in Scarsdale
- Office
- Village of Scarsdale Building Department
- Phone
- (914) 722-1140
- Website
- scarsdale.gov
The village says shingle replacement alone needs no permit but other roof work does; we confirm the current rule for your job, and Jersey Roofing files anything required.
The roof systems installed in Scarsdale
Jersey Roofing installs complete GAF and Owens Corning systems: ice and water barrier at the eaves and valleys, synthetic underlayment, starter strips, architectural or designer shingles, matched ridge cap and balanced ventilation. On a qualifying GAF system it can register the Golden Pledge® warranty, and on an Owens Corning system, Platinum Protection. Both include lifetime workmanship coverage. Compare the warranties.
Neighborhoods we serve in and around Scarsdale
- Fox Meadow
- Greenacres
- Heathcote
- Quaker Ridge
- Edgewood
- Sherbrooke Park