New Roof First Year Checklist for Maple Grove Homes
The crew has left, the dumpster's gone, the yard has been swept for nails, and you have a roof that's supposed to last 25 years. This new roof first year checklist covers the twelve months when you find out whether it was done right. In Maple Grove that year includes a winter that tests the two things a roof here has to do: keep ice dam meltwater out and stay attached through a hail season. Here's what to do and watch for, in order.
The first week: roof warranty registration and paperwork
Register the manufacturer warranty. Roof warranty registration is the step most homeowners never hear about. Most shingle manufacturers require it within a window, often 30 to 60 days, for the enhanced warranty that covers labor as well as materials, and some of those require that a certified installer did the work. The contractor should either register it for you or hand you the product codes and the link. Ask which, and get the confirmation in writing. The exact window and terms vary by manufacturer, so check the warranty document itself.
File the workmanship warranty. This is the installer's own promise, separate from the manufacturer's, and it's the one that matters for the first several years. Keep the written version with the final invoice, the permit, and the City of Maple Grove inspection sign-off.
Photograph the roof from the ground on all four sides. That's your baseline for the next hail claim, and it shows the roof was new and undamaged on the date it went on.
The first month: the yard and the gutters
A good crew sweeps with a magnet, but nails hide in mulch and turf. Walk the driveway, the beds along the foundation and the lawn under the eaves once more yourself, and again after the first mowing.
Then look in the gutters. Finding granules in the gutters after a new roof is normal for the first few rains: new shingles carry loose surface granules that wash off. A steady stream after the first few months is not normal, and neither are bare patches on the shingles themselves. Pull out any shingle scraps or wrapper pieces the crew missed while you're up there.
The first warm stretch: the shingle seal strip
Architectural shingles bond to each other with an adhesive line, the shingle seal strip, that needs sun and temperatures above about 40°F for several days to activate. On a roof installed in June that happens in a week. On one installed in late October it may not fully happen until April, and the crew should have hand-sealed the shingles in the meantime.
After the first real warm spell, look from the ground for any tab that's lifting or flapping in wind. A few that haven't bonded yet is normal in a cold-season install; a whole slope lifting after a warm week is worth a call.
The first summer: heat and hail
Blistering. Small bubbles on the shingle surface can appear in the first hot summer if the roof deck had moisture in it or the attic runs hot. A few are cosmetic. Widespread blistering in year one points to a ventilation or product problem and is a warranty conversation.
Hail. New shingles bruise like old ones. If a storm dents your gutters in July, get the roof looked at and use your baseline photos. How your policy settles a claim on a new roof is a question for your insurer, but dated photos of an undamaged roof make that conversation much easier.
Ventilation check. On a 90°F afternoon, put your hand on the ceiling of the top floor. If it's hot, the attic is hot, and the ridge and soffit vents that should have been part of the job aren't moving air. Our guide on attic insulation and roof health explains what should be up there.
The first winter: the real test
This is what year one is for.
Ice at the eaves. Some icicles after a thaw are normal on any roof. A thick ridge of ice along the gutter line after a week of sun and cold means heat is leaking from the attic, and the new roof's ice-and-water membrane is what's standing between you and a stained ceiling. The membrane should hold; the attic still needs fixing. See the ice dam page.
The first thaw. In the first March warm-up, go in the attic with a flashlight. You're looking for frost melting off the nails and dripping (an air sealing problem, not a roof problem), any water trail on the new decking, and any daylight at the eaves. A new roof that shows a water trail in year one is a workmanship call, and this is exactly why the warranty exists.
Snow load. A new roof doesn't change what the trusses can carry. Rake the bottom few feet after heavy snow as you would with any roof.
Things that are normal
- Loose granules in the gutters for the first few months
- A faint asphalt smell on the first hot days
- Slight color variation between bundles that evens out as the roof weathers
- Small ridges where shingles overlap, visible in low sun, that flatten as the strips bond
- The roof "ticking" as it heats and cools
Things to call about
- Any water inside, any time
- Shingles lifting or missing after the first bonding season
- Widespread blistering or cracking in year one
- Nail heads showing through the shingle surface (nail pops), which our guide on nail pops, blisters and cracked shingles covers
- Flashing that's pulled away at the chimney or a wall
- Gutters that overflow because the new drip edge was set wrong
None of those should happen, and all of them are what the workmanship warranty is for. A good contractor wants the call in year one rather than the complaint in year three.
Keep a roof file
Put everything from the job in one folder: the contract, the final invoice, the permit and inspection sign-off, the warranty confirmations, the product names and colors, and your baseline photos. Add notes any time someone works on the roof. It takes ten minutes and makes the next claim, repair or home sale much easier, because you can show exactly what was installed and when.
If you sell the house, hand the file to the buyer. Some manufacturer warranties can be transferred to a new owner once, often with a notice deadline, so check the terms. A buyer who can see a recent roof with its paperwork is a buyer with one less thing to negotiate.
Year two onward
Walk the ground twice a year, after the snow's gone and after the leaves are down, and go in the attic each spring. Beyond that, a properly installed roof in Maple Grove needs the pipe boots checked around year ten and not much else until it's time. The roof replacement page describes what should have been included; if you're unsure whether yours was, a roof inspection will tell you.
Common questions
When should a new roof be inspected?
Twice in the first year is a good habit: once after the first warm stretch, when the seal strips should have bonded, and once after the first winter thaw. Most of that you can do yourself from the ground and the attic. If you see anything on the call list above, have the installer back while the workmanship warranty is fresh.
Is it normal to find granules in the gutters after a new roof?
Yes, for the first few rains. New shingles carry extra loose granules from manufacturing and handling, and they wash off quickly. If you're still scooping handfuls out after several months, or you can see bare spots on the shingles, ask the installer to look.
How do I register a shingle warranty?
Ask the contractor whether they register it or you do. If it's you, you'll need the product name, the install date and usually the installer's details, and you register on the manufacturer's website within its deadline. Keep the confirmation with the invoice and the permit sign-off.
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