Reroofing in Jamesville, NY: what is under the shingles, and who in DeWitt to ask

Jamesville has no office of its own, because it has no government of its own. The Town of DeWitt covers it, from Town Hall on Butternut Drive. The town says a permit is needed to upgrade, alter or add improvements, except minor repairs, and it does not say what minor means for roofing.

So describe the real job to Planning and Zoning. A full tear-off with new decking is a larger thing to describe than a patch. Write down what you are told and ask your roofer who files, so the paperwork is not left to chance. We do not state the permit rule for you.

The Census counts Jamesville housing inside the Town of DeWitt, where the middle house dates from 1963 and about three in four were built before 1980. That is a proxy. Houses of that vintage have often had one covering or two by now, and a tear-off is the only way to count them.

State code says a replacement removes the old roofing down to the deck. It bars a recover where the roof already has two or more coverings, or where the roof is soaked or too far gone to carry new shingles. Ask the roofer to say which case yours is, and to write down what happens to the price if the boards underneath are bad.

Ask every roofer for the same lines: tear-off to the deck, deck sheets priced one at a time, an ice barrier along the eave, a drip edge and any flashings renewed. Then compare totals. Two estimates that differ by the tear-off are not the same job.

Check what is public, too. New York does not license roofing contractors, and Onondaga County is not on the Attorney General's licensing list. The Workers' Compensation Board has a public coverage search. A home improvement contract over $500 has to be written and signed, and it carries a three-business-day notice of your right to cancel.