Roof replacement
Roof replacement in Littleton
When the shingles are bald on the south slope, the roof is on its second layer, or a hail storm has bruised every plane, replacement is the honest answer. Here's what a roof built for Front Range hail and sun actually includes, and what it costs on a Littleton house.
A city on its second or third roof
Most of Littleton and its neighbors — Southpark, Ridgewood, Columbine Knolls, the older sections of Ken Caryl and Highlands Ranch — went up between 1970 and 1999. Nearly all have had at least one new roof since, many paid for by insurance after the 2009 or 2017 hail years and installed by whoever was knocking doors that month. A shingle sold as "30-year" lasts 18 to 22 here: the elevation adds UV, the summer deck temperature cooks the asphalt, and hail does the rest.
You'll know it's time when the south and west slopes have gone dark and bald, the shingle corners have started to cup, granules are piling at the bottom of every downspout, or a second layer shows at the drip edge. Two of those together means a replacement conversation; our post on signs a Littleton roof is near the end lays them out.
Claim or purchase?
Hail bruises on every plane, or a Chinook that creased an entire slope, is storm damage and the insurance claim route applies. A 22-year-old roof that has simply worn out is a purchase. We'll tell you which you have from the roof, before you call your agent — a denied claim sits in your history for years.
What we install, and why
Residential roofing Littleton homes need is built around two threats: 1-inch hail in July and a 90 mph downslope wind in January. Every roof we replace gets:
- Complete tear-off. Roof-overs hide rotten decking, add weight, and void the shingle warranty. Littleton won't permit a third layer, and we don't install a second. See replacing a roof with two layers.
- Decking walked, and replaced where it's gone. OSB that's delaminated, hail-fractured, or rotted under an ice dam comes out at $90–$150 per sheet, with a photo of each one. The 1980s cedar shake tear-offs in Ken Caryl often have 1x skip sheathing that needs overlaying. Details in roof decking replacement.
- Ice-and-water membrane on every eave to 24 inches past the warm wall, in every valley, and around every penetration. It's code in the South Metro because the March thaw builds ice dams on north eaves every single year. Underlayment and ice-and-water shield explained.
- Synthetic underlayment on the rest of the deck. Felt wrinkles in our sun and tears in the wind before the shingles go on.
- UL 2218 Class 4 architectural shingles from Owens Corning, GAF, Malarkey or CertainTeed, nailed six per shingle, with a sealed starter strip at eaves and rakes. The upgrade is $30–$80 per square and most Colorado carriers discount the premium for it.
- All new flashing. Step flashing at every wall, counter-flashing let into chimney mortar, new boots, new drip edge. Reused 20-year-old flashing is where the next leak starts.
- Ventilation fixed. Ridge vent cut through the deck, soffit vents cleared of blown insulation. Roof ventilation Littleton attics usually lack is why the last roof cooked early.
- Permit, mid-roof inspection, and cleanup. Pulled with the City of Littleton, or with Arapahoe, Jefferson or Douglas County depending on where the house sits; yard and driveway magnet-swept before the trailer leaves.
What it costs on a Littleton house
Installed architectural shingle is $450–$800 per square. A 1,400 sq ft Woodlawn ranch with a plain gable is $9,500–$13,000. A 2,000 sq ft two-story in Northridge or the Centennial side of Dry Creek, at 26–30 squares, is $12,000–$22,000. Pitches over 8/12, a second layer, dormers and skylights, and decking replacement push toward the top. Roof replacement cost Littleton homeowners are quoted is broken out by house size on the cost page and line by line in what a 2026 replacement costs.
Three counties, three permit offices
Littleton straddles Arapahoe, Jefferson and Douglas counties, and the permit goes to whichever jurisdiction the parcel is actually in, not the mailing address. A Chatfield house may pull from Jefferson County; a house east of Broadway, from Arapahoe or Centennial. We check the parcel before we quote, and the permit line names the office.
HOAs in Highlands Ranch and Ken Caryl
Roof replacement Littleton CO wide runs into architectural review more often than most cities. Highlands Ranch, Ken Caryl Ranch, Roxborough and most Centennial subdivisions keep a color and material list. We send the spec sheet and a shingle sample before ordering. See the Highlands Ranch and Ken Caryl pages.
Or get off the shingle cycle
If you're staying 15 years or more, standing-seam metal is two to three times the price, shrugs at 1.5-inch hail, and ends the claim-every-eight-years pattern. Details on impact-resistant and metal roofing.
Other roofing services
Roof Repair
Leaks at boots, flashing, valleys and skylights, wind-lifted shingles, hail-bruised slopes — found from the attic, priced in writing.
Roof Repair →Hail Damage & Insurance Claims
Inspection, chalked photo documentation, a scope your adjuster can read, and the work itself — inside Colorado's roofing consumer law, with no deductible games.
Hail Damage & Insurance Claims →Roof Inspection
A walked inspection with photos and a written report — for buying a house, filing a claim, an insurance renewal, or finding out how many years the roof has left.
Roof Inspection →Impact-Resistant & Metal Roofing
UL 2218 Class 4 shingles that earn an insurance discount, and standing-seam metal that ends the hail-claim cycle for good. Real Littleton costs.
Impact-Resistant & Metal Roofing →Questions we get asked
How long does a roof replacement take in Littleton?
A single-story ranch is a one-day job; a big two-story or a hip roof full of dormers takes two. Between June and August we watch the afternoon radar — if cells are building over the Divide, the crew starts at sunrise and stops early enough to have every open section of deck dried in before the rain.
Should I get Class 4 shingles?
On a Front Range roof, yes. The difference is $30–$80 per square, most Colorado carriers cut the premium for a documented Class 4 roof, and a 1-inch stone that would bruise a standard shingle bounces off. Before deciding, get the discount amount from your agent in writing so the math is real.
Will my homeowners insurance pay for a new roof?
Only for a sudden event — hail, wind, a tree. Wear from 22 summers of sun is on you. Bruising across every slope after a storm is a claim; a bald south slope on a 1998 roof is a purchase. Check whether your policy pays replacement cost or actual cash value on roofs past a set age; a lot of Colorado policies have quietly switched.
Do you replace roofs in winter?
Yes. Shingles bond fine on a sunny 45°F afternoon, and January is often the fastest route onto the schedule in the South Metro. We won't install through a cold snap below 40°F, where the seal strip sits dormant until spring, or on a day with a high-wind warning off the foothills.
Need roof work in Littleton?
Call for a free estimate. Mon–Sat 7am–7pm.