Trusted Roofing Contractor
in Malba, NY

Malba is a small waterfront enclave in Whitestone, tucked between 138th Street and the Whitestone Expressway, with Powell's Cove and the East River on the north side and the Whitestone Bridge right there. It started building around 1908, and most of it went up in the 1920s, so you get big Mediterranean villas, Colonial Revivals and Tudor-style houses next to postwar ranches and brand new custom homes. The roofs are just as mixed: tile on many of the Mediterranean houses, architectural shingle on most of the rest, and slate or cedar on some of the older ones. I'm Stavros Latos, the owner of REVMA Roofing, and I come out to every estimate myself.

Malba Streets We Serve Every Week

Malba is small, so we know it street by street: Malba Drive along the water, Pocono Street, the blocks running down to 14th Avenue and 15th Avenue, and the houses between 138th Street and the Whitestone Expressway. It's ZIP code 11357, and it's a short drive from our base in Bayside.

A lot of Malba houses sit on big lots, but the streets curve and some of them are narrow, so I plan where the container and the material go before I write the price.

What Actually Damages Malba Roofs

On Malba Drive, the back of the house looks straight out over Powell's Cove and the East River. There's nothing to slow the wind down, so a north wind in a winter storm hits those rear slopes and the rakes full force. That's where shingles lift and where slate starts to slip. If your house faces the water, the edge details are the whole job: the starter course, the drip edge, the nailing, and on slate, the hooks and the copper.

Salt air works on metal over time. Old galvanized flashing and nails corrode faster here than they do a mile inland, and the first leak on an older Malba roof usually starts at a chimney or a valley where the flashing has thinned out. Away from the water, on the streets toward 15th Avenue, it's the mature trees, which fill the gutters and valleys every fall.

Insurance Claims in Malba: How We Approach Them

If a storm off the river strips shingles or knocks slate loose, we do three things: 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 the roof is just at the end of its life, I'll say so and give you one written price.

Malba Drive, Pocono Street and the Bridge Blocks: A Few Specifics

On Malba Drive, it's the water side: big rear slopes, full wind exposure, and staging that has to be planned because the yard ends at the cove. On Pocono Street and the inner blocks, you get more of the 1920s houses, often with steeper roofs and dormers, and where there's original slate or tile we talk about what can be kept. On the blocks near the Whitestone Expressway and the bridge approach, there's road grit and exhaust on top of the wind, so we check the underlayment closely when we tear off.

Malba Roofing FAQ

Who replaces slate and tile roofs in Malba?
We do, along with cedar and shingle. On the older houses I look at every slope with you and tell you what's worth keeping before I write a price.

How much does a new roof cost in Malba?
Malba roofs are big and the materials vary a lot, so there's no one number. Our Queens roof cost guide lays out the factors, and you get one written price after I've been on the roof.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Malba?
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 when it does, we file it with DOB.

My house faces Powell's Cove. What should I ask for?
Ask about the edges. A full starter strip, a proper drip edge, the right nailing for wind, and ice and water shield carried up past the eaves. Those details decide how the roof does on the water.

Can you keep my original slate?
Sound slate can often be kept and reinstalled. Cracked or broken pieces can't be reused under city rules, so we replace those and redo the copper flashing.

Slate, Tile and Cedar Roofing in Malba

Malba has more specialty roofs per block than most of Queens. On slate, we keep what's sound, replace what's broken and redo the copper. On cedar, ventilation matters, because wood needs air underneath it. If you want the look without the weight or the upkeep, composite slate or shake gets you close. See our slate roofing, cedar roofing and composite roofing pages. Most of the postwar houses here are shingle, and our shingle roofing page covers that system.

Why Malba Homeowners Choose REVMA

You deal with me, the owner, start to finish. No salesman, no three-prices routine. You get one written price for the work we agree on, and it usually comes in 25 to 35% less than the big companies because I don't carry their overhead. 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, and every job carries our workmanship warranty.

For the full process, see our roof replacement page. Nearby, see Whitestone, Beechhurst and College Point, or our Queens page.

Ready for a free estimate? Call (646) 889-4529 or fill out the form above. Malba is a short drive from us, and I'll come out myself.