Roof repair and replacement in Medina, MN

Roofing in Medina

Medina is large-lot country: custom homes from the 1980s through the 2010s on one- to ten-acre parcels around Hamel, along Highway 55, in the plats near Medina Lake Preserve and Foxberry Farms, and out toward Loretto and the Corcoran line. Two things follow from that.

First, the roofs are complicated. Multiple gables, hips, dormers, three or four valleys, a couple of chimneys, a low-slope section over a porch or a three-season room, and a pitch of 9/12 or steeper. Every one of those transitions is a place water and ice get in, and the number of them is why a Medina roof replacement is a $25,000–$60,000 job rather than a $15,000 one.

Second, the materials vary. Most Medina homes carry heavy architectural or designer asphalt shingles, but there is more cedar shake here than in most of the northwest metro, and standing-seam steel is now a normal choice on new builds and on replacements for anyone who plans to stay. Not every one of the roofing contractors Maple Grove and Medina homeowners call handles cedar or steel, so ask before the estimate visit.

The most common Medina roof problems

• Ice dams in valleys and behind chimneys. With so many roof planes dumping snow into a few valleys, ice builds there first, and a valley with old flashing and no membrane backs water into the house. Removal, repair and the attic work are on the ice dam page.
• Hail on large, exposed slopes. A Medina roof facing an open field to the west takes the full force of a hail core with nothing to slow it. Designer shingles are expensive to replace; Class 4 impact-rated shingles and steel are worth the conversation on the next roof.
• Cedar shake wear and moss on the 1980s–90s homes, and the decision about whether to re-roof in cedar, asphalt or steel.
• Chimney flashing and crickets. Two chimneys, both wide, both flashed 25 years ago.
• Low-slope porch and entry roofs where shingles were installed on a pitch that should have had a membrane.

What it typically costs in Medina

Repairs run $300–$1,500 for the common jobs, with valley and chimney work at the top of that range and sometimes past it on a big roof. Architectural shingle replacement is $450–$800 per square; a 3,500–4,500 sq ft Medina home with 40–55 squares and a cut-up roof runs $22,000–$44,000 in asphalt. Standing-seam steel is $1,200–$2,000 per square, so $50,000–$100,000 on the same house. Cedar replacement sits between the two. Steep-pitch staging and a long driveway for the dumpster and delivery should be built into the number, not added afterward. The cost page has the full tables.

Caring for a cedar shake roof

Cedar does well here when it can dry out, and badly when it can't. The shakes on the north slopes under big oaks and maples stay damp for days after a rain, grow moss, and split through the freeze-thaw. To get the most years out of one:

• Keep branches cut back so sun and wind reach the roof.
• Clear leaves and needles out of the valleys and the gaps between shakes every fall.
• Have split, cupped or missing shakes replaced one at a time before water gets under them.
• Skip the pressure washer. It strips the wood fibers and shortens the roof's life.
• Ask about any treatment in writing, including what it is and how often it needs redoing.

When a cedar roof has more broken shakes than sound ones, or the decking under it is soft, repairs stop paying for themselves.

Steel on a big Medina roof

Steel suits the acreage homes here for a few reasons. The roofs are big, so the long life spreads the cost over more winters. Open lots take the full force of hail and wind, which steel handles well. And snow slides off instead of piling into valleys. The trade-offs are real too. Snow comes off in sheets, so snow guards above doors, walkways, decks and lower roofs are a must. Cut-up roofs with many valleys and dormers take more labor in steel than in shingles. And not every crew that does shingles does standing seam well. Ask to see a finished steel roof the contractor did on a similar house.

Roof repair in Medina, MN: what to check each year

Big roofs hide problems. Once in spring and once in fall, look at:

1. Every valley, for worn shingles, debris and lifted metal.
2. Both sides of each chimney, for gaps between the flashing and the brick or stone.
3. The low-slope porch or entry roof, for ponding, lifted seams or stains below.
4. The north eaves, for wavy shingles or rusted drip edge from last winter's ice.
5. The attic over the main house and over any additions, for frost, stains and blocked vents.

On a 10/12 pitch, do this from the ground with binoculars. Leave the roof itself to someone with fall protection.

Questions for a contractor on a large, steep roof

• How many days will it take, and what happens if weather stops the work halfway?
• Where will the dumpster and deliveries go, and how will the driveway and lawn be protected?
• What staging and fall protection will the crew use?
• How will valleys and chimneys be flashed, and is all the flashing new?
• What's the per-sheet price for decking, and will I see photos before extra sheets are billed?

Permits and licensing

Medina requires a building permit for re-roofing and inspects before the shingles cover the membrane. Every contractor working on a house in Minnesota needs a residential building contractor or roofer license from the Department of Labor and Industry — the lookup at dli.mn.gov takes a minute, and on a $50,000 roof it's a minute well spent. The guide on questions to ask a roofing contractor covers the rest.

Neighborhoods

Hamel, the Highway 55 corridor, Medina Lake Preserve, Foxberry Farms, the Hunter Drive and Willow Drive acreages, and out to Loretto and the Corcoran line. Call, text or request an estimate and your request goes to an independent local contractor partner. The roof repair, roof replacement and inspection pages explain what each job includes.