A roof replacement is one of the biggest checks most homeowners ever write, and yet almost nobody tells you what the actual week looks like. So here it is, start to finish, the way it runs on our jobs across Douglas County. If a contractor's version differs wildly from this — especially on permits or weather — ask why.
Weeks 1–3: paperwork and permits (the quiet part)
After you sign, the first stretch is invisible: measurements confirmed, materials ordered, and the permit filed. In Douglas County, reroofs over 100 sq ft generally require a permit, and the county doesn't allow shingle-over-shingle overlays — every job is a full tear-off. Your contractor pulls the permit, not you; that's part of what you're paying for, and it's covered in detail in our Douglas County permits guide.
Permit processing plus material lead time usually means two to four weeks between signature and crew arrival. Specialty orders — certain metal profiles or specific shingle colors — can add time. If you're still weighing options and budget, our local cost guide covers what drives the number.
A day or two before: delivery and the dumpster
Two large arrivals happen before any work does. A boom truck delivers shingles — often loading them directly onto the roof — and a dumpster lands in your driveway or at the curb. Now's the time to speak up about where things go: most driveways handle a dumpster fine, but crews put protective boards under it on request, and if your driveway is new, decorative, or doubtful, say so. Same for the material drop. Tell your roofer about sprinkler heads, septic and utility lids, and any landscaping you'd defend with your life; those get flagged and protected.
The loud day(s): tear-off and dry-in
Day one of actual roofing is the noisy one, and we won't pretend otherwise: tear-off means scraping, hammering, and debris sliding into the dumpster from 7 a.m. on. The whole house frame carries the vibration. Practical prep:
- Pictures and fragile items off walls and shelves — hammering on the roof rattles interior walls more than people expect.
- Pets somewhere calm. Dogs in particular have a rough day with roofing. A friend's house or a quiet interior room with white noise helps.
- Kids briefed and clear of the work zone. Falling debris zones are roped off, but a job site is a job site.
- Cars out of the driveway before the crew arrives — and expect crew trucks along the street for a few days.
Here's the part that matters most: a good crew never tears off more than it can dry-in the same day. By evening, every opened section is covered in synthetic underlayment — the waterproof layer that does the real work while the shingles are staged. Tear-off is also when the roof deck finally tells the truth: rotted sheathing hidden under old shingles gets found now. A fair contractor documents it with photos, shows you, and prices the replacement plywood per sheet from the estimate's stated rate — not as a mystery number invented on your roof.
Installation days: the roof goes on
With the deck dried-in, the rhythm shifts: drip edge, ice-and-water shield in the valleys, underlayment, then shingles working up from the eaves, with new flashing and pipe boots as the field advances. On a typical single-family asphalt roof, the whole on-roof phase runs one to three days; complex, steep, or large roofs take longer, and metal roofing installs run several days more because of the panel work. This phase is quieter than tear-off — nail guns instead of demolition — but it's not silent.
The weather honesty section
This is western Oregon; from October to May, rain isn't a risk, it's a scheduling fact. Here's our honest policy: we watch forecasts, we plan tear-off around dry windows, and when the weather turns anyway, we pause. A paused roof is watertight under underlayment and tarps — a rushed roof is how you get shingles sealed over damp decking and workmanship problems that surface years later. If a contractor promises your dates "no matter what" in January, be suspicious of what they're willing to roof over. A one- to three-day slip in the wet season is normal and correct. (Winter jobs have their own playbook — see the winter roofing guide.)
Final day: cleanup, magnet sweep, punch list
A replacement sheds thousands of nails, and this is where good crews separate from cheap ones. Expect: all debris hauled, tarps pulled, gutters cleared of granules and scraps, and a magnetic sweep — a rolling magnet passed over your driveway, lawn, and flowerbeds, usually more than once. It's the difference between a finished roof and a flat tire in August. Then comes the punch list walk: you and the lead walk the property, flag anything — a bent downspout, a scuffed gutter, a missed scrap behind the shed — and it gets fixed before the job is called done.
What we photograph, and why you should care
On our jobs, the camera works as hard as the nail guns: the roof before tear-off, any deck rot we find (before and after repair), the underlayment and flashing details you'll never see again once shingles cover them, and the finished roof from every angle. You get the set. It's your proof of what's under your shingles — useful for warranty questions, insurance conversations, and resale — and it keeps everyone honest, including us. Final inspection gets scheduled against the permit, the paperwork closes out, and warranty documents land in your hands, not a drawer in our office.
That's the whole arc. If you're at the beginning of it, our roof replacement page covers materials and options, and the estimate itself is free and written. And once the new roof is on, keeping it healthy is cheap — the Home Care Membership (from $49/month) puts the annual inspection, gutter checks, and a photo report on autopilot so your new roof actually reaches old age.
Quick answers
How long does the whole thing take?
One to three days on the roof for a typical asphalt job; two to five weeks door-to-door once permits and material lead times are counted. Metal and complex roofs run longer.
Do I need a permit?
Almost certainly — Douglas County requires one for reroofs over 100 sq ft, and full tear-off is mandatory (no overlays). Your contractor pulls it; walk away from anyone who suggests skipping it.
What if it rains mid-job?
Nothing bad, if the crew is competent: only what can be dried-in the same day gets opened, so a rain pause means a watertight, waiting roof — not a wet living room.
How should I prep the house?
Cars out of the driveway, fragile items off walls, pets somewhere quiet, kids clear of the work zone, and flag sprinklers, septic lids, and precious landscaping before day one.