Trusted Roofing Contractor
in Elmhurst, NY

Elmhurst is one of the oldest parts of Queens, back when the whole area was called Newtown, and it's one of the busiest now. Between the apartment buildings and Queens Center, there are still a lot of houses: detached and multi-family frame houses, plus rowhouse blocks. Some of the best of them go back to the Cord Meyer development that started around Broadway and Whitney Avenue in 1896. Those pitched roofs are what we replace. I'm Stavros Latos, the owner of REVMA Roofing, and I come to every estimate myself.

Elmhurst Streets We Serve Every Week

We work on the house blocks all over Elmhurst: around Broadway and Whitney Avenue, along Elmhurst Avenue, Corona Avenue and Justice Avenue, the streets near Moore Homestead Park, and down toward Grand Avenue and the Long Island Expressway. The ZIP code is 11373, and we're over in Maspeth, Middle Village and Rego Park the same week.

Elmhurst is tight. Parking is hard, the side streets are narrow, and a lot of houses sit close to the house next door, so the container, the truck and the ladder all need a plan. I work that out at the estimate. Where a house shares a wall or a roof line, we talk to the neighbor before tear-off.

What Actually Damages Elmhurst Roofs

Mostly, it's age. A lot of Elmhurst houses are well over a hundred years old, and their roofs have been redone again and again. When we strip one, we often find two or three layers of shingle and, under that, a deck made of old boards that's been patched over the years. You can't put a good roof on a bad deck, so we take it down, replace the bad wood and start fresh.

Then it's the weather and the trees. Elmhurst got its name from its elm trees, and the street trees here still drop a lot of leaves into gutters and valleys every fall. When those clog, water backs up under the shingles. Freeze and thaw opens up any gap a little more every winter, and nor'easters push rain sideways under weak flashing around chimneys and dormers. On a multi-family house, a leak doesn't just hit you, it hits your tenants too.

Insurance Claims in Elmhurst: How We Approach Them

If a storm takes shingles off or a branch lands on your roof, we document the damage with photos, we meet the adjuster on the roof, and we repair what's covered. We're the roofing contractor, so we don't negotiate your claim or speak for you with the carrier. Under New York Insurance Law §2101(g)(2), that's for you or a licensed public adjuster.

We file for storm damage, not wear. If your roof is just at the end of its life, I'll tell you, and you'll get one written price.

Broadway, Whitney Avenue and Moore Homestead Park: A Few Specifics

Along Broadway, you've got older frame houses on busy blocks, so staging around traffic and buses is part of the plan. Around Whitney Avenue, where Cord Meyer built its first houses, a lot of the roofs have gables, dormers and chimneys, and the flashing at each of those is where we spend the time. Near Moore Homestead Park, it's a mix of detached and multi-family houses close together, so we're careful about the neighbor's property during tear-off and cleanup.

Elmhurst Roofing FAQ

My Elmhurst house is over 100 years old. What should I expect under the shingles?
Usually more than one layer of old roofing and a board deck instead of plywood. We take it all off, check every board, and replace what's soft. I tell you up front how that's priced, so there are no surprises.

How much does a new roof cost in Elmhurst?
It depends on the size, the pitch, how many layers come off and what's under them. I come out, look at the roof and you get one written price. Our Queens roof cost guide explains what moves the number.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Elmhurst?
Under 1 RCNY §101-14, replacing coverings and insulation above the deck doesn't need a DOB permit unless the Energy Code requires added insulation. Replacing deck or sheathing does, and on older Elmhurst houses that sometimes happens, so when it does, we file it with DOB Queens.

I have tenants. How disruptive is a roof replacement?
Most shingle roofs are done in one day. You get the date in writing with the price so you can let your tenants know, and we clean up the yard and the street before we leave.

Shingle Roofing on Older Elmhurst Houses

Most of the pitched roofs we put on in Elmhurst are architectural shingle, and on a house this old, the work under the shingle is what makes it last. First we rip it down to the deck. Then we replace bad boards, put ice and water shield at the eaves and valleys, lay new underlayment and drip edge, and redo the flashing at every chimney, dormer and wall. If you want something with more character on an older house, composite slate is worth a look. See roof replacement, shingle roofing and composite roofing.

Why Elmhurst Homeowners Choose REVMA

You deal with me, the owner. No salesman, no three different prices, no pressure. You get one written price for the work we agree on, and because I don't carry big-company overhead, it usually comes in 25 to 35% less. Bring a competitor's written quote for the same roofing system and we'll price match it. Our crews have 15 to 20 years on roofs, we're GAF certified, three to five sheets of plywood are in the price, and you get our workmanship warranty.

For the rest of the borough, see our Queens page.

Ready for a free estimate? Call (646) 889-4529 or fill out the form above. Elmhurst estimates usually happen within a couple of days.