Your roof may be covered by insurance

In most cases, yes. Bridgeview, like most Cook County suburbs, expects a building permit for a full tear-off and replacement, and Illinois law requires roofers to list their state license number on every permit application. Your roofer should pull the permit for you, so be wary of anyone who asks you to get it yourself or suggests skipping it.

Most Bridgeview homes get a new asphalt shingle roof in one to two days once the crew shows up. Larger or steeper roofs, rotted decking, and Chicago-area weather can stretch that to three days or more. The lead-up often takes longer than the job itself, especially if you’re waiting on a permit or an insurance approval.

Repairs make sense when the damage is confined to one small area, and the roof still has plenty of life left. Once a roof is over 20 years old, has widespread hail or wind damage, or leaks in several spots, replacing it saves you from chasing one leak after another. A good rule of thumb: if issues keep happening, the roof is telling you it’s done.

The process usually starts with an inspection, measurements, and obtaining a permit, and then the crew tears the old roof down to the wood deck. Next, the crew replaces any rotted decking, adds ice and water shields along the eaves (a must in ice-dam country like ours), and installs underlayment, flashing, vents, and new shingles. A magnetic sweep for stray nails and a final walk-through wrap up the job.

Late spring through early fall gives you the best roofing weather in Bridgeview, since asphalt shingles seal best in warm temperatures. Fall is especially popular because it lets you fix summer storm damage before snow and ice dams arrive. Crews can work on mild winter days, but cold shingles turn brittle, and their sealant strips may not bond until spring.