Why a full installation beats a layover on Spokane homes
Plenty of Spokane houses are wearing their second or even third layer of shingles, and on the older established homes around Browne's Addition and the lower South Hill that shortcut catches up fast. Stacking new shingles over old traps heat, hides rotted decking, and adds dead weight that the rafters of a 1910s craftsman were never sized to carry under a wet Inland Northwest snowpack.
A deck-up roof installation strips everything back to the wood so we can actually see what we're building on. On a true tear-off we replace soft sheathing, correct the ventilation that causes ice dams, and lay a continuous water barrier before a single shingle goes down. It costs more than a layover up front and it lasts decades longer here, which is the trade Spokane's climate forces.
What Spokane's climate does to a roof
This city throws the full menu at a roof. Heavy lake-effect and arctic snow loads pile up on Five Mile ridgelines, then the daily freeze-thaw swing drives meltwater under shingles and refreezes it into ice dams along the eaves. Spring brings wind off the Palouse and the occasional hail cell, and summer UV bakes south-facing slopes downtown.
- Ice dams: solved at the source with eave-to-ridge ventilation and self-sealing ice & water membrane along the eaves and valleys.
- Snow load: verified decking and correct fastening so the system carries weight without deflection.
- Freeze-thaw: high-quality underlayment and flashing details that won't open up after a hundred temperature cycles a winter.
- Wind & hail: architectural and impact-resistant shingle options rated for the gusts that funnel through the valley.
Steep pitches and old rooflines: building for Spokane's character homes
The grand homes around Manito Park and the historic blocks of Browne's Addition were built with steep, complex pitches, multiple dormers, and tight valleys that a production crew rushes through and gets wrong. Those rooflines are beautiful and they are unforgiving, because every dormer cheek and every valley is a place water wants to get in.
We install for the house in front of us. That means step-flashing each sidewall by hand instead of relying on caulk, weaving membrane through valleys before the field shingles, and matching shingle profiles that suit a century-old North Side foursquare rather than fighting it. Setup, fall protection, and staging on a 12/12 pitch take longer, and that's the point.
Materials and roof systems we install
There's no single right roof for Spokane, so we walk you through the real options for your home, budget, and slope:
- Architectural asphalt shingles: the workhorse for most Spokane homes, with the depth and wind ratings to handle valley weather and a clean look on steep pitches.
- Three-tab asphalt: a budget-conscious choice for simpler rooflines and rentals.
- Standing-seam metal: excellent for shedding snow on steep South Hill and Five Mile roofs, with a 50-plus year service life.
- Flat & low-slope TPO: for additions, dormers, and modern downtown profiles where a membrane outperforms shingles.
Not sure which fits? Start with a free on-site estimate and we'll map out the choices against your actual roof.
How DG Contracting installs a roof
As a GAF Master Elite installer (a credential held by only the top 2-3% of roofers nationwide) we install complete GAF systems, not just a box of shingles. That certification is also what lets us register the strongest warranties GAF offers.
A typical Spokane installation runs tear-off to the deck, decking inspection and repair, ice & water shield at eaves and valleys, synthetic underlayment across the field, proper intake and exhaust ventilation, then the shingle or metal system with hand-detailed flashing. We protect your landscaping and gutters during the job, and every replacement includes a 15-25 year workmanship warranty. Crews are local, licensed and insured in both WA and ID, and we work Monday through Saturday.
Warranty and financing
Every new roof carries our 15-25 year workmanship warranty, and qualifying installations are eligible for the GAF Golden Pledge with 25 and 50-year coverage on materials and labor. That combination matters in a climate like Spokane's, where a roof is judged over winters, not seasons.
We offer flexible financing so a full deck-up installation stays within reach instead of getting deferred into another risky layover. We're a family-owned company that has been installing roofs across the region since 2013, and our 5.0-star rating across 288 Google reviews reflects how those roofs hold up.
