The starting point is a new house, addition or substantially rebuilt roof structure, with none of the existing roofing to remove. The roof structure is new and visible, so details can be planned from the start.
Residential roof replacement renews the roof of a house as a whole project rather than correcting one problem within it. New roof installation applies the same thinking to a roof that does not yet exist. In both cases, the work is defined by a scope: what the project includes, what it changes and what has to be decided before installation begins.
That is the idea behind this service at GoodVans Roofing. A roof replacement is a project scope, not just a new roof covering. The covering is the part everyone sees, but the edges, penetrations, skylights, ventilation and the surface beneath all have to be considered in the same project.
When a Roof Needs a Project, Not Another Repair
A replacement project becomes relevant when defining the work around individual problems no longer describes the roof. Contained problems belong to Residential Roof Repair & Maintenance; this page picks up when the scope is wider than that.
Situations that point toward a project scope include similar wear or deterioration across several roof sections rather than in one place, a planned renovation, addition or change to the house that will alter the roof anyway, and a homeowner who would rather plan the roof's renewal than keep responding to it section by section.
No single indicator decides it. When the roof's overall condition is not clear, Roof Inspections is the place to establish it before a project direction is chosen.
New Installation or Replacement?
The two share much of their planning, but they start from different places.
The starting point is an existing roof that is being renewed. The existing roofing is removed, or in some cases retained beneath the new roofing. Some conditions can only be confirmed once the old roofing is off, and details are planned around what the house already has.
Decisions to Settle Before Installation Begins
Some decisions need to be settled before work starts, with homeowner input where relevant. For the roofing system, the material and profile affect detailing and appearance, and need to suit the roof configuration. For existing skylights, the options are to keep, reseal or replace, and the choice affects how the surrounding roofing is detailed.
For ventilation, the question is whether the existing arrangement should be carried forward or reconsidered; for gutters and the roof edge, whether new gutters are planned, so the edge detail and the gutters suit each other. The household matters too: parking, access and daily routines around the work.
- The roofing system
- Existing skylights
- Ventilation
- Gutters and the roof edge
What a Replacement Scope Covers
A replacement scope should describe the whole roof assembly, not only the new covering. Not every project involves the same work, but these are the items a scope may need to address.
It should make clear which slopes and sections are included, and which are not; whether existing roofing is removed or any of it retained, and how waste leaves the site; how the condition of the roof surface beneath will be assessed once exposed; what goes beneath the new covering; how edges, valleys and transitions will be detailed with the new roofing; how vents, pipes and chimneys are integrated; whether existing skylights stay, are resealed or are replaced; whether the current ventilation arrangement is kept or changed; how the new roof edge meets the gutters; and where materials, equipment and waste will sit during the work.
A scope that lists only the roofing material leaves much of this unstated.
- Roof areas
- Existing roofing
- Hidden layers
- Edges & valleys
- Skylights & vents
- Access & staging
What Can Only Be Seen Once the Old Roofing Is Off
Some parts of a roof cannot be fully confirmed while the existing roofing is still in place, including the condition of the roof surface underneath. Removing the old roofing is the point at which those parts become visible.
That does not mean problems are expected. It means the scope should make clear how newly visible conditions will be handled before any additional work is added.
Flashing, Skylights, Edges and Ventilation During a Re-Roof
A re-roof touches every point where the roofing meets something else. Whether each detail is renewed, adjusted or retained is a scope decision, and each has its own service for the technical depth.
Flashing at walls, chimneys and valleys matters because the new roofing has to tie into it (see Flashing Install & Repair). With skylights, the opening is exposed while the roof is open (see Skylight Install & Replacement). At the roof edge and gutters, the finished edge decides where water goes, and a re-roof is a natural point to reconsider ventilation; both are covered under Gutter & Vent Installation.
Flashing
Skylights
Roof edge & gutters
Ventilation
How a Residential Roof Replacement Project Runs
01
Confirm the scope
02
Prepare the property and roof
03
Install the new roofing system
04
Review the finished project
Every roof differs, but a replacement project moves through stages like these.
It begins by agreeing what is included, the roofing system and the open decisions above. Then access, staging and protection are set up for the areas around the house, and the team takes off what is being replaced, or prepares what is being retained. Next, the team checks the exposed surface and deals with anything the scope provides for, then lays the layers beneath the covering, then the covering itself. Finally, the team finishes edges, penetrations, skylights and ventilation as scoped, and there is a walk through the completed work before close-out.
How long each stage takes depends on the roof's size, complexity, weather and access.
Choosing the Roofing System
The system chosen affects the project's detailing, so it is decided as part of the scope.
GoodVans Roofing installs asphalt shingles and metal on pitched roofs, and torch-on for flat sections of a house. For the differences between materials, see our roofing materials section.
Roof Replacement Across Metro Vancouver
GoodVans Roofing plans and carries out residential roof replacement and new installation for houses across Metro Vancouver and selected communities of the Fraser Valley. For how this service fits alongside the other five, see Residential Roofing.
Residential Roof Replacement FAQs
Is re-roofing the same as roof replacement?
Roof replacement and re-roofing are both used for renewing roofing on an existing house. The important point is what the project scope actually includes, including whether the existing roofing is being removed or another approach is proposed.
Can new roofing be installed over the existing roof?
Sometimes, but it should not be assumed. Whether retaining existing roofing is appropriate depends on the existing assembly, its condition, the proposed roofing system and the requirements of the project. The scope should state clearly whether existing roofing is being removed or retained. Removing the old roofing also exposes the surface beneath for assessment, which an overlay does not.
Do I need to choose a roofing material before getting a replacement scope?
Not necessarily. The material choice can be developed while the replacement scope is being prepared, but it needs to be settled before the relevant installation details are finalised. The materials section is a useful place to start comparing options.
How can I prepare my home for a roof replacement?
Clear vehicles and belongings from areas near the house, move items stored directly under the roof in an attic, and let neighbours know work is planned. Take down fragile items hung on upper-floor walls, as vibration from the work can carry through the house.
Planning a new roof?
Start with an assessment of the roof as it is now, so the replacement scope reflects the whole roof rather than one symptom.
