Full tear-offs and new roofs for upper Skagit valley homes, with the decking checked before anything new goes down.
Fastest: call (833) 751-2102. Or send this and we call you back.
Concrete Roofing connects homeowners in Concrete and the upper Skagit valley with an independent local roofer for a full replacement: the old covering comes off, the decking is checked, and a new roof goes on. The roofer prices it in writing after inspecting, and cannot promise a start date by phone.
A new roof in the upper Skagit valley is a bigger decision than the same job in a dry climate. The weather station figures for Concrete run to roughly 70 to 75 inches of precipitation a year, with November the wettest month, and the snow that falls on the foothills sits on a roof for days rather than hours. A roof here is not a lid that rarely meets water. It is wet for most of the year, and it has to be built that way.
Replacement means the old covering is stripped to the boards, the boards are checked, and a new waterproofing system goes on from the eaves to the ridge. That is different from a repair, which fixes one failed spot. If you are not sure which you need, read about roof repair next to this page, or ask for a roof inspection first so the roofer can tell you what the whole surface looks like.
Many houses around Concrete, Rockport and Hamilton are older. Third-party tables built on Census figures suggest a good share of Concrete homes date from before 1960, which is a rough indication only, but it fits what you see on the road: layered roofs, patched sections and added porches with their own slopes. Houses of that age have often been re-roofed over the old shingles at least once, and that history is what the roofer has to deal with on day one.
Look at how widespread the trouble is. One failed flashing or a few lifted shingles points to repair. Curling or bare shingles across a whole slope, soft boards, or leaks in several places point toward replacement. The roofer should look in the attic and put both options on paper.
Age on its own is a poor guide. No Washington-specific lifespan is printed on this site, because the published figures are general and a wet valley with shade and conifers is harder on a roof than the average. What counts is the condition of the surface and the deck below it.
Ask any roofer to give you the repair price and the replacement price side by side. If the repair would only buy you one winter, a written comparison makes that plain. The guide on signs an older roof is near the end walks through what to check from the yard and from the attic.
The old covering is stripped to the deck, hauled away and replaced. Rotten or stained boards are cut out and replaced with new sheathing before underlayment goes down. Whether that costs extra depends on the quote: ask how many boards it allows for, and how any additional boards are priced.
Some roofs have two or more layers because earlier owners put new shingles over old. Other Washington cities, such as Sammamish and Enumclaw, cap composition roofing at two layers and require a permit when all roofing or the sheathing is replaced. Those are their rules, not rules for Concrete or the towns around it, but they show why the layer count is worth asking about.
The thing no roofer can promise is what lies under the old covering. A roof that has leaked slowly at a valley for ten winters can look fine from above and have a stained, soft deck below. Honest quotes name that risk and say how it will be handled.
Asphalt shingles and metal panels cover most of the houses here. Asphalt costs less up front and is easy to repair. Metal sheds snow and debris and resists moss, which suits a steep roof under tall conifers. The right choice depends on the roof pitch, the budget and how you feel about maintenance.
Think about where the roof sits. A roof under big firs collects needles, and needles hold water against asphalt. A steep roof in the upper valley takes snow loads that a lowland roof never sees. Metal handles both better than most coverings, although it brings its own details around snow release and fasteners.
The guide on metal or shingle roofs in the North Cascades sets the two against the weather in more detail, and does so without printing local snow-load numbers.
It may. Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties and the cities inside them each set their own rules, and this page cannot state them. Ask the building department that covers your address whether the job needs a permit, and ask the roofer who will apply for it.
Because the service area crosses three counties, the right office depends on where the house is. A house in Darrington answers to Snohomish County rules and a house in Deming to Whatcom County, while Concrete itself sits in Skagit County. The permit guide lists the questions to ask.
Registration is a separate matter. Washington requires roofing contractors to register with the Department of Labor & Industries, and you can check a contractor before you sign. The registration guide shows how.
Stay off the roof and the ladder, particularly when it is wet, mossy or frosted, and do not pull up shingles to see what is below. Photograph the damage from the ground and from the attic hatch instead.
Say which town you are in, how old the house is, what the roof is made of and where water shows inside. Phones are answered at any hour, but the visit is scheduled when a roofer is free.
The roofer walks the slopes, studies the valleys, chimney and wall joints, and looks at the underside of the deck from the attic. This is where hidden problems such as old leaks, damp insulation and blocked vents show up.
You get the covering, the underlayment, the flashing, the disposal and the allowance for any rotten boards on paper. If the roofer cannot see a rafter bay until the old roof is off, the quote should say how that is handled.
The old layers come off in one pass. Rotten boards are cut out and replaced, and the deck is swept so that nails and grit do not sit under the new underlayment.
Underlayment, drip edge, flashing at every wall and penetration, then the new covering and ridge cap. Valleys and chimney corners take the longest because they take the most water.
Magnets sweep the lawn and driveway for nails, and the roofer tells you what to watch for in the first wet weeks. Keep the written scope, the permit paperwork if there was any, and the photos.
The most common covering on rural Skagit homes, with the lowest material cost of the usual choices. Moss and needle debris are the maintenance issues in this valley, so ask about the underlayment and the ventilation, not only the shingle grade. See asphalt shingle roofing.
Standing seam and exposed-fastener panels shed snow quickly and leave nowhere for moss to root. They are common on barns and shops here and increasingly on houses. A steep metal roof releases snow in a sheet, so where it lands matters. See metal roofing.
Cedar was the original roofing of this timber country and is still found on older houses and cabins. It needs regular moss care and a more careful installer, and not every roofer works in it. Ask whether the roofer has done it recently before you choose it.
This page prints no price. Published cost guides for Washington disagree with each other, none is specific to Concrete, and the roofer does not know your number until the roof has been inspected.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Roof size and pitch | Measured on site | More area and a steeper slope mean more material and more staging, and a roofer measures it rather than guessing from the road |
| Number of layers | Found at inspection | A second or third layer has to be hauled away, and the quote should say whether it assumes one layer or more |
| Decking condition | Found at tear-off | Boards that have soaked for years are often replaced once the old roof is off, so ask how the quote handles boards found rotten |
| Material choice | Quoted per material | Asphalt, metal and cedar differ in cost and in how many roofers install them |
| Access and distance | Part of the quote | A long gravel driveway, a hillside lot or a house far up the valley changes truck and crew time |
| Permit step | Check with the building department | Whether your job needs one depends on the county or city; ask rather than assume |
Your exact price is set by the roofer after an inspection and confirmed in writing before any work starts.
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
Distance shapes a replacement here in ways it does not in a suburb. A tear-off needs a dumpster, a truck of material and a crew for several days, and from the lowland side of the valley that is a long drive up Highway 20. Ask the roofer how the schedule would work for a house in Concrete, Rockport or Marblemount and what happens if weather delays a day.
Seasons decide the calendar. The wet season runs from late October to March, while summer is the driest stretch and the usual window for tear-offs. A roof that is opened up in October is exposed to the first heavy rain, and that is a risk to weigh. If your roof is failing now, talk with the roofer about staging the work in sections and keeping the house covered each evening.
Lots here are often long, steep or wooded. A narrow driveway, soft ground in spring and a tree that overhangs the roof all change how a crew sets up. Say so on the call, because the roofer cannot plan for a hillside the first time they see it.
Targeted repairs for shingles, valleys, edges and penetrations on upper Skagit valley roofs.
Installing, repairing and replacing asphalt shingles on homes in the damp upper Skagit valley.
Metal roofs for houses, barns and shops in the upper Skagit valley, where snow and debris sit on roofs for weeks.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
No honest dollar figure exists for a roof nobody has inspected.
Washington requires construction contractors, roofers included, to register with the Department of Labor & Industries, be bonded and be insured, and working unregistered carries penalties.
It depends on the county or city that covers your address, and this site could not confirm the reroof rules for Skagit, Snohomish or Whatcom County or any town in them.
An older roof is near the end when the shingles are curled, cracked or bare across whole slopes, when leaks appear in several places, when decking feels soft or sags, or when the attic shows stains and daylight.
The roofer sets the schedule after seeing the roof. A simple roof can be a matter of a few days, while a large or cut-up roof, or one that needs a lot of new decking, takes longer. Weather in this valley can add days, and nobody on this line can promise a start date.
Sometimes, but it is a bad bargain on a wet-climate roof, because it hides the boards you most need to see. Some Washington cities cap composition roofing at two layers. Ask your roofer and your building department rather than relying on a general rule.
Ask before signing. Whether a permit is needed depends on the county or city, and who applies for it depends on the contractor. Put the answer in the written scope so it does not become a surprise later.
The common gaps are decking repairs, flashing, gutters, disposal and the permit. A quote that stops at shingles and labor can look low and end up high. Ask the roofer to itemize and to say what happens if boards are found rotten.
Not for the roofing itself, but plan around noise, a crew moving over the roof and nails on the ground. Move vehicles from the driveway and bring pets in. Ask about access to a power outlet and where materials will be staged.
Summer is drier, so it is the usual choice when you can wait. If the roof is leaking now, waiting may cost more than starting sooner. Ask the roofer whether a repair can hold until dry weather and what the risks are.