Roofing Contractor
Long Island & New York City
From a full residential reroof in Smithtown to a commercial flat roof replacement on a Nassau County retail center, Madison Ave Construction handles the complete range of roofing work across Long Island and the five boroughs. We install, repair, and replace every roof type — asphalt shingles, architectural shingles, flat membrane systems, metal roofing, and more — with licensed crews, proper permits, and manufacturer warranties. When storm damage creates an emergency, we respond 24/7 with tarping and temporary protection to stop interior damage before it compounds.
Roof damage or replacement needed?
Get a Free EstimateOne Roofing Contractor for Every Roof Type and Every Situation
Long Island's roofing market is saturated with storm chasers and fly-by-night operations that appear after every major weather event, push homeowners into unnecessary replacements, and disappear before a warranty claim surfaces. We've been roofing Long Island and New York City properties for over 25 years — through nor'easters, hurricanes, and every type of weather event this region produces. Our reputation here is built on installed roofs that perform, on insurance claims that are handled correctly, and on the fact that we're still here when something needs attention after the job is done.
Roofing on Long Island and in New York City spans a wide range of building types and conditions. Nassau and Suffolk County residential roofing is predominantly asphalt shingle — architectural and three-tab — with cedar shake, slate, and metal roofing representing a significant portion of the higher-end housing stock. Commercial roofing across the island and into the five boroughs is primarily low-slope flat roofing — TPO, EPDM, and modified bitumen systems — on retail, industrial, and multi-family buildings. We work competently across all of these systems, with the licensing, insurance, and manufacturer certifications required to install them correctly and back them with meaningful warranties.
When a roof fails — whether from age, storm damage, improper original installation, or simple end of service life — the consequences extend well beyond the roof itself. Water intrusion from a failed roof is one of the leading causes of structural damage, insulation degradation, and mold growth in New York buildings. Addressing the roof correctly the first time protects everything below it. We treat roofing work with the same discipline and accountability we bring to restoration — because for most property owners, a new roof is one of the most significant investments they'll make in their property.
Storm damage to your roof? Call us immediately for emergency tarping. A compromised roof left open to weather — even overnight — can turn a $15,000 roofing claim into a $60,000 water and mold restoration claim. We respond 24/7 to secure storm-damaged roofs across Long Island and the five boroughs.
Roofing Services We Provide
- Full roof replacement — residential & commercial
- Architectural & 3-tab asphalt shingles
- Flat roofing — TPO, EPDM, modified bitumen
- Metal roofing — standing seam & metal shingles
- Cedar shake & slate roofing
- Storm damage repair & insurance claims
- Emergency tarping & temporary weatherproofing
- Roof leak detection & repair
- Flashing replacement & resealing
- Gutters & downspout installation
- Skylight installation & replacement
- Roof inspections & condition assessments
Signs Your Roof Needs Attention
Roofs fail gradually and often invisibly until the damage reaches the interior. These are the indicators that warrant a professional inspection — before a minor roofing issue becomes a major water damage event inside your building.
Roof Age — 20 Years or Older
Standard three-tab asphalt shingles have a functional lifespan of 15 to 20 years in Long Island's climate. Architectural shingles typically last 25 to 30 years. A roof approaching or past these thresholds warrants a professional condition assessment regardless of visible symptoms — because the degradation that leads to failure often occurs beneath the surface before leaks begin.
Interior Ceiling Stains or Active Leaks
A water stain on a ceiling or active dripping during or after rain indicates water has already penetrated the roof system and traveled through the attic to the living space below. By the time interior symptoms appear, the roofing failure has typically been active for some time — and the attic insulation and sheathing have usually absorbed significant moisture.
Storm Damage — Wind, Hail, or Fallen Trees
Northeasters and summer thunderstorms regularly produce the hail and high winds that damage Long Island roofs. Missing shingles, impact marks from hail, broken ridge caps, and damaged flashing are all common post-storm findings. Damage that isn't visible from the ground is frequently present on the field of the roof — a professional post-storm inspection is warranted after any significant weather event.
Granule Loss & Shingle Deterioration
Asphalt shingles shed protective granules throughout their service life — progressively faster as they age. Heavy granule accumulation in gutters, bald patches visible on the shingle surface, and curling or cupping shingle edges are all indicators of advanced wear that precedes failure. Once granule loss reaches the point where the asphalt substrate is exposed, shingle degradation accelerates rapidly.
Failed Flashing & Sealant Deterioration
Most roof leaks originate not at the field of the shingles but at penetrations and transitions — around chimneys, skylights, pipe boots, valleys, and where the roof meets a wall or parapet. Failed flashing and deteriorated sealants at these locations are responsible for a disproportionate share of active roof leaks on Long Island homes and commercial buildings.
Flat Roof Ponding or Membrane Failure
Commercial flat roofs that pond water — retain standing water more than 48 hours after rain — are experiencing drainage failure that accelerates membrane degradation. Bubbling, blistering, or seam separation in a TPO or EPDM membrane indicates the waterproofing layer is compromised. Flat roof failures on commercial buildings often go undetected for extended periods because the roof isn't visible from the ground.
Storm Damage? We're Responding Now.
A compromised roof left unprotected through a single rain event can cause tens of thousands of dollars in interior water damage. Our emergency tarping crews are available 24/7 across Long Island — call us before another storm hits your exposed roof.
Our Roofing Process — Estimate Through Final Inspection
A properly installed roof starts with an honest assessment of existing conditions and ends with a documented inspection and a transferable manufacturer warranty. Here's how we approach every project.
Roof Inspection & Condition Assessment
We conduct a thorough inspection of the existing roof system — walking the field, examining the ridge, valleys, penetrations, and eave details, and inspecting the attic for signs of moisture intrusion, inadequate ventilation, and decking condition. For storm damage inspections, we document all damage photographically before any work begins — because the insurance adjuster's inspection may occur after work has started, and pre-work documentation is essential for a complete claim. We give you an honest assessment of what the roof needs — repair, partial replacement, or full replacement — rather than defaulting to the most profitable recommendation.
Proposal & Material Selection
We provide a written, itemized proposal covering materials, labor, disposal, and permit fees. For residential reroofs, we guide you through material selection — shingle style, color, and manufacturer — with honest information about the performance differences between product lines rather than steering you toward the highest-margin option. For commercial flat roofing, we specify the membrane system appropriate for your building's drainage configuration, occupancy, and budget. All materials are purchased through authorized distributor channels — which is required to maintain manufacturer warranty coverage.
Permit Filing
Roofing work in Nassau County, Suffolk County, and New York City requires a building permit. We file the permit with the applicable municipality before work begins — not after, and not "after the inspection." Unpermitted roofing work creates title issues, voids manufacturer warranties, and creates problems when a subsequent water damage claim requires establishing the condition and age of the roof. We pull the permit, manage the inspection scheduling, and provide you with the inspection sign-off record as part of the project close-out package.
Tear-Off & Decking Inspection
For full replacement projects, the existing roofing material is completely removed down to the roof deck. We do not install new shingles over existing layers — a practice that is prohibited by most manufacturers, voids warranties, adds dead weight to the structure, and prevents proper inspection of the decking condition. Once the tear-off is complete, we inspect every square foot of the roof deck for rot, delamination, and structural damage, replacing affected sections before any new material goes down. Any deck conditions discovered during tear-off are documented and, for insurance claims, documented and communicated to your adjuster as additional scope.
Underlayment, Ice & Water Shield Installation
Proper roofing begins below the shingles. We install ice and water shield membrane at all eaves, valleys, and penetrations — the locations where ice damming creates the most damage on Long Island roofs during winter. Synthetic underlayment is installed over the remainder of the deck, providing a secondary moisture barrier and a code-compliant substrate for the finish roofing material. These layers aren't visible after installation, but they're what separates a roof that performs in a nor'easter from one that leaks every winter.
Roofing Installation
Shingles, membrane, or metal panels are installed per manufacturer specifications — which is not a casual reference but a precise set of fastening requirements, overlap dimensions, and application conditions that determine whether the installation qualifies for the manufacturer warranty. Our crews are trained to these specifications and our installations are installed in a manner consistent with manufacturer requirements on every project. Flashing is fabricated and installed at all penetrations, transitions, and wall intersections — using compatible materials and proper step-flashing sequences rather than caulk-and-hope approaches that fail within a few years.
Ventilation & Drainage Verification
Proper attic ventilation is inseparable from roof performance and longevity on Long Island homes. Inadequate ventilation causes premature shingle aging from heat buildup in summer, and contributes to ice dam formation in winter by allowing heat to escape through the roof and melt snow above the eave line. We verify that ridge and soffit ventilation are correctly configured following installation and address deficiencies as part of the roofing scope. For flat roofs, drainage outlet condition and slope configuration are verified to ensure the system drains effectively and does not pond.
Cleanup, Final Inspection & Warranty Registration
We perform a thorough cleanup of all roofing debris, run a magnetic nail sweep of the property, and remove all material from the site. Before we close out the project, we conduct a final inspection of the completed installation — walking the roof, verifying all flashing, examining all penetrations, and confirming the gutters are clear and properly attached. The building department inspection is scheduled and managed by our team. Manufacturer warranty registration is completed on your behalf and the warranty documentation is provided to you. You receive a complete project package: permit records, inspection sign-off, and warranty documentation.
A Roofing Contractor Who's Still Here After the Job Is Done
Long Island's roofing industry has a high turnover rate — companies that appear after storms and disappear before warranty claims arise. We've been roofing homes and commercial buildings across Nassau and Suffolk County for over 25 years. The roofs we installed in the late 1990s are now being replaced by us on schedule — not because they failed prematurely, but because they reached the end of their designed service life. That continuity is the warranty that matters most.
NY State Licensed General Contractor
As a licensed GC, we pull our own roofing permits and manage inspections ourselves. No certificate of insurance substituted for a license, no permit pulled in someone else's name. Proper licensing is the baseline for accountability.
24/7 Storm Damage Response
Emergency tarping and temporary weatherproofing are available around the clock. When a storm compromises your roof, the interior damage that follows is preventable — if the roof is secured quickly. We respond immediately, day or night.
Insurance Claim Expertise
Storm damage roofing claims require specific documentation — pre-work photography, adjuster coordination, and thorough scope documentation when the full scope isn't captured in the initial estimate. We've handled hundreds of roofing claims with every major carrier in New York.
Manufacturer Warranty Installations
We install roofing systems in compliance with manufacturer specifications — which is the prerequisite for manufacturer warranty coverage. A roof installed by an unauthorized contractor or without following installation requirements is not covered by the manufacturer warranty regardless of what the contractor represents.
Residential & Commercial Capability
Cape cods in Deer Park, flat roofs on retail strips in Hempstead, colonial reroofs in Huntington, EPDM replacements on commercial buildings in the Bronx — we work across the full range of roof types and building categories in our service area.
Integrated Restoration Capability
When a roof failure has already caused interior water damage, we handle both under one contract — the roof replacement and the interior restoration — eliminating the coordination gap between the roofing contractor and the restoration company that typically slows claims and extends displacement.
Roofing Insurance Claims & Code Compliance in New York
Roofing is one of the most insurance-claim-driven trades in New York, and storm damage roofing claims are among the most frequently disputed. The difference between a claim that settles for the full replacement cost and one that settles for a fraction of the actual scope comes down almost entirely to how the damage is documented and how the scope is presented to the adjuster. Insurance carriers are not adversaries, but they do have financial interests in settling claims efficiently — and "efficiently" from their perspective sometimes means narrowly.
We have coordinated roofing insurance claims with every major carrier active in New York — documenting storm damage before any work begins, preparing scope-of-work estimates in formats adjusters recognize, and communicating additional findings to your adjuster when the full extent of damage isn't visible at the time of the initial inspection. We do not inflate scopes, but we do ensure the scope accurately reflects what the property requires.
Storm Damage Roofing Claims — What's Typically Covered
Standard homeowners insurance covers storm damage to roofing systems — wind damage, hail impact, damage from fallen trees or debris — as a named peril. Coverage typically includes the roofing material, underlayment, decking damaged by the storm, and related components like gutters and flashing. Whether the carrier pays replacement cost value (RCV) or actual cash value (ACV) depends on your specific policy — RCV pays for the new roof, ACV applies a depreciation deduction based on the roof's age. We review your coverage with you and structure the claim documentation accordingly.
Code Upgrade Coverage — Ordinance & Law
When storm damage triggers a full roof replacement on an older home, current building code may require upgrades that weren't part of the original roof system — additional ice and water shield, updated ventilation, or code-compliant decking thickness. These code-required upgrades are not always covered under the basic storm damage claim, but many policies include an ordinance or law coverage provision specifically for this purpose. We identify code upgrade requirements and ensure they are documented and submitted through the correct coverage channel in your claim.
Nassau & Suffolk County Roofing Permits
Nassau and Suffolk County municipalities require roofing permits for full replacements and, in many jurisdictions, for significant repair work. Each municipality has its own permit application process, fee schedule, and inspection requirements — there is no single countywide standard. We are familiar with the permit requirements across the towns and villages we work in throughout Long Island, and we file and manage the permit process on every project where one is required. The permit and inspection sign-off become part of your permanent property record.
NYC Department of Buildings — Roofing Requirements
Roofing work in New York City requires DOB permits, and flat roofing on commercial buildings frequently involves additional requirements around parapet height, drainage, and fire resistance ratings. NYC also has specific requirements around Local Law 97 energy code compliance for commercial building envelopes that can affect roofing system specifications on larger projects. We manage DOB filings for all NYC roofing projects and ensure the installation meets applicable code requirements before the final inspection is scheduled.
Roofing Services Across Long Island & New York City
We install, repair, and replace roofs throughout Long Island and the New York City metro area — managing local permit requirements and delivering manufacturer-warranted installations in every market we serve.
Long Island
Our primary roofing market. Residential reroofs, storm damage replacements, commercial flat roofing, and emergency tarping across all of Nassau and Suffolk County. We know Long Island's building stock, its weather patterns, and the permit requirements of every municipality we work in.
- Nassau & Suffolk County
- Residential & commercial roofing
- Emergency storm response
New York City
Roofing across all five boroughs with full NYC DOB permit management. Flat roof replacements on commercial buildings in Manhattan and the Bronx, residential roofing on attached homes and two-families in Brooklyn and Queens, and emergency storm response throughout the city.
- Manhattan · Brooklyn · Queens
- The Bronx · Staten Island
- NYC DOB compliance
Westchester County
Residential and commercial roofing throughout Westchester — including slate and cedar shake work on the older housing stock in communities like Tarrytown, Bronxville, and Pelham, where the character of the building demands more than standard asphalt shingle work.
- White Plains · Yonkers · New Rochelle
- Tarrytown · Bronxville · Pelham
- All roof types including slate
North Shore & East End
Premium residential roofing along the North Shore and East End of Long Island — cedar shake, slate, architectural shingles, and standing seam metal on primary residences and vacation properties from Great Neck to the Hamptons. Quality of installation and attention to detail matter here, and we deliver both.
- Great Neck · Manhasset · Oyster Bay
- Southampton · East Hampton · Sag Harbor
- Premium roofing materials available
Roofing FAQs
Straightforward answers to the questions Long Island and NYC property owners ask most often about roofing work, storm damage claims, and material selection.
How do I know if my roof needs to be repaired or fully replaced?
The answer depends on the roof's age, the extent and nature of the damage, and the condition of the decking and underlayment beneath the shingles. A roof that has a few missing or damaged shingles but is otherwise in good condition with sound decking may be a legitimate repair candidate. A roof that is approaching the end of its designed service life — 20+ years for three-tab shingles, 25+ for architectural — where the shingle mat is granule-depleted and the underlayment has failed is a replacement candidate even if it isn't actively leaking yet. Installing new shingles over a deteriorated deck and failed underlayment is a waste of material costs — the new shingles will not perform and will not be warranted. We give you an honest assessment after a thorough inspection, not a default recommendation for full replacement on every job we look at.
What roofing material is best for Long Island homes?
Architectural (dimensional) asphalt shingles are the most common and cost-effective choice for Long Island residential roofing, and modern architectural shingles from premium manufacturers offer significantly better performance than the three-tab shingles that were standard on Long Island homes built before 2000. For homes where budget allows, impact-resistant shingles — rated Class 4 by UL 2218 — may qualify for an insurance discount in addition to providing better hail resistance. For premium applications, cedar shake, slate, and standing seam metal all perform well in Long Island's climate and offer substantially longer service lives than asphalt, at proportionally higher upfront costs. We can walk you through the performance and cost tradeoffs for each option based on your specific property and goals.
What is the difference between TPO and EPDM flat roofing?
Both TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) and EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) are single-ply membrane roofing systems widely used on commercial flat roofs in New York. TPO is a white reflective membrane that offers energy efficiency benefits — it reflects solar heat rather than absorbing it, which is particularly relevant for NYC buildings subject to local energy code requirements. EPDM is a black rubber membrane with an established long-term performance record and good cold-weather flexibility. TPO seams are heat-welded, which creates a strong monolithic joint. EPDM seams are adhered with tape or adhesive, which requires careful installation to maintain long-term integrity. The right choice depends on your building's energy performance goals, existing drainage configuration, and budget. We specify the appropriate system for each project rather than defaulting to whichever product has the best margin.
My neighbor had their roof done for less — why is your price higher?
Roofing prices on Long Island vary significantly because roofing contractors vary significantly. The variables that affect price include whether the contractor is properly licensed and insured (which adds overhead costs that unlicensed operators avoid), whether permits are pulled (which adds permit fees and requires code-compliant work that passes inspection), whether the tear-off removes all existing layers (versus re-roofing over existing shingles), the quality of the underlayment and ice-and-water-shield materials used, whether the decking is inspected and replaced where necessary, and whether the installation meets manufacturer specifications for warranty eligibility. A lower price almost always reflects elimination of one or more of these elements. We can show you exactly what our price includes and you can evaluate what a lower quote is leaving out.
How long does a roof replacement take?
A standard residential reroof on a Long Island home — tear-off, deck inspection, underlayment, and shingle installation — is typically completed in one to two days for an average-sized house, weather permitting. Larger homes, steeper pitches, complex roof lines, or premium materials like cedar shake and slate require more time. Commercial flat roof replacements are sized by the square footage of the membrane and can range from a single day for a small commercial building to several weeks for a large industrial or retail roof. We provide a specific timeline in our proposal and communicate any changes as the project progresses. We do not leave a roof open overnight without appropriate temporary weatherproofing in place.
Do I need to be home during the roofing installation?
You do not need to be present during the installation for a residential reroof. We ask that vehicles be moved from the driveway to allow debris disposal access and material delivery, and that the immediate perimeter of the house be cleared of items that could be damaged by falling debris or roofing materials. Before we start work, we confirm our contact information with you and a point of contact who is reachable during the project day if any questions arise. We send a project update at the end of each day and notify you when the work is complete and when the final inspection is scheduled.
Your Roof Protects
Everything Below It.
A properly installed, permitted, and warranted roof is one of the most important investments you make in a Long Island or NYC property. Madison Ave Construction provides residential and commercial roofing across the full service area — with the licensing, insurance, manufacturer certifications, and 25 years of local experience to back it up. Call for a free estimate or to report storm damage — we respond the same day.