Worried about how to protect your roof from damage when you need other work done on the house? Wondering if you should be worried about other contractors damaging your shingles?
If you've had anything installed on your roof — like a satellite dish, solar panels, or chimney flashing — there's a real chance the work caused more harm than you realize.
At RoofSmart, we get called to do roof repairs and see damage from outside contractors almost every week because even contractors who are trained to install things on the roof don’t know how to properly protect it. These small, preventable issues can quickly turn into costly damage.
This article features insights from Omar Moran, our Production Manager, who is our main point of contact for returning customers who need repairs or additional work done on their roofs.
In this article, you’ll learn the most common ways other contractors unknowingly damage asphalt shingle roofs, how to spot the signs, and what steps you can take to protect your home (and your warranty) before and after third-party work happens.
What common issues accidentally damage asphalt shingle roofs?
When you hire someone to clean your roof or install a satellite dish, your roof has the potential to get damaged.
Roofs are supposed to be carefully installed using specific instructions and then left alone (aside from regular maintenance). If you have someone walking on the roof or modifying it in any way, that can put it at risk.
This is a problem because it can lead to costly repairs, and it can void your warranty coverage.
Omar gives some examples of how third-party work can damage your roof:
1. Excessive foot traffic
Asphalt shingles are not designed to be walked on. They can handle a little bit of foot traffic, but the more they’re walked on, the more they lose their top layer of granules. The granules are put on the shingles to protect them from the sun’s UV rays.
The person working on your roof should take proper precautions, such as:
- Walking carefully without twisting their foot: In the summer, the shingles are extra sensitive to foot traffic and lose granules more easily. Stepping and twisting your foot on warm shingles can scrape off a lot of granules.
- Minimizing foot traffic in winter: Asphalt shingles get more rigid and brittle when they’re cold. It’s best to avoid walking on the roof in winter unless it’s an emergency. If your shingles are 10+ years old, they might crack when stepped on in cold weather.
- Cover the roof as needed: Sometimes it might help to put down tarps or boards to help protect the roof while you’re walking.
- Being careful with equipment: Another problem is dropping tools onto the shingles. This can scuff or dent them, making them vulnerable to leaks.
Without granules, the asphalt would break down quicker, and you’d lose years off the life of your shingles. So, it’s best to walk on your roof as little as possible and make sure that anyone who does go up there is careful.
2. Damage from chimney work
If you hire someone to work on your chimney, make sure that they are knowledgeable about basic roof issues and ask them how they plan on protecting your roof while they’re working.
Omar emphasizes two examples of how chimney work can easily cause issues on the roof:
- Staining: For example, if your chimney contractor doesn’t put down tarps while working with concrete on your roof, it can get stained with concrete. Although this doesn’t harm the roof, it can be a bummer if you just got your roof installed because it will be permanently stained.
- Concrete chunks: In addition to staining, you might get chunks of concrete stuck on the roof. These cannot be removed without also removing the granules and even some of the asphalt. This could potentially lead to leaks and the shingles breaking down quicker.
3. Installing equipment on the roof
In a rainy area like Seattle, holes on the roof are bad news because they often lead to leaks. This means that your home could be at risk if you choose to install things like satellite dishes or solar panels that need to be screwed into the roof.
During these installations, your contractor is supposed to put a sealent over the screw heads to close up the gaps and keep water out. If this is installed incorrectly, your roof might still leak. Or, it might wear off after a few years.
4. Improper cleaning techniques
Regular maintenance and cleaning are important for making sure that your roof is in good condition for as long as possible. But sometimes people clean their roofs in a way that causes damage.
Make sure that you never let anyone pressure wash your roof! Sometimes companies (some are roofers, some are not) will offer roof cleaning services, and then they’ll just come out and pressure wash your roof.
This is bad because pressure washing rips the granules off the roof, lowering its lifespan. This can even happen if they use a broom and push too hard.
Another issue is if a contractor uses a blower pointing upwards on the roof because this can warp the shingles or even disassemble them a little bit. This opens up your roof to leaks. It is ok to use a blower as long as it's always pointing downward.
How can I make sure a contractor doesn’t damage my roof?
The best way to avoid damage is to make sure that anyone who goes up on your roof is experienced and qualified. You can ask them what precautions they’ll take to protect your roof from damage or leaks. If they don’t have a good plan, we’d recommend choosing someone else (if possible).
Do some research on the company to make sure they’re qualified and they’ve successfully done whatever work you want them to do before. Check their website for pictures and make sure to read reviews about the company (both positive AND negative ones) on a variety of review sites.
For more information about evaluating contractors, check out our Qualified Roofer Checklist. You can even use this guide to help you evaluate other types of contractors!
Another option is to call your roofing contractor before the third-party work happens to ask if there’s anything you should watch out for. You can also ask about the best ways for the other contractor to protect your roof while they’re working.
If you have a roofer come out afterward, they can catch any damage or potential leak points and help you fix them before the damage gets worse.
What should I do if a contractor damages my roof?
If you notice damage on your roof, make sure to take pictures of it so that you have evidence to share. Reach out to the contractor who did the work to see what they’ll do to fix it. Every contractor is required to have liability insurance to cover these issues, but this doesn’t always mean they can be held liable.
If you think it would be helpful, you can ask the roofer who installed your roof to inspect the damage and explain how much it should cost to fix it.
We recommend reading the contract carefully before you hire anyone to work on your roof so that you know what they will or will not cover if they accidentally damage something.
What else can void your roof warranty besides contractor damage?
At this point, you’ve seen just how much damage can come from letting the wrong person walk on or drill into your roof. Whether it’s careless foot traffic, improper cleaning, or poorly sealed fasteners from solar or satellite installs, outside contractors can unintentionally shorten your roof’s life — or even void your warranty.
Now that you know how to protect your roof from third-party work, the next step is to make sure you’re not doing anything else that could void your warranty either.
Read our article “11 Things That Void a Roof Warranty” so you can avoid the most common (and expensive) mistakes we see homeowners make.
At RoofSmart, we’ve repaired thousands of roofs and helped homeowners avoid insurance and warranty issues — and we’re here to help you stay ahead of the problem.
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