An estate town with no commercial district
Hillsborough has no commercial zoning, so there is no shop roof, strip mall or office building here. Zoning requires at least a 2,500 square foot house on a half-acre lot, which means big roofs with many planes, valleys, chimneys and skylights. Each of those is a place where water can enter.
We inspect penetrations first. A single failed flashing can ruin plaster inside an expensive house, and a repair at that point costs a fraction of a reroof. Where the roof is worn across the field, we say so and quote replacement.
Weight matters on these roofs. Slate and clay tile are far heavier than composition shingle, which is why the Town's roofing sheet asks for an engineer's report on heavier materials. If you plan to switch materials, ask the engineer to check the framing before the price is set, and ask the Town whether the new look needs Design Review before you order. Keep every approval with your contract papers.
What we do on Hillsborough roofs
- Roof Repair
Targeted repair of flashing, valleys and a few failed pieces can protect an expensive roof without disturbing the whole surface, and the estimate says whether the Town should be asked about the scope first.
- Roof Replacement
A reroof needs a permit, design review and a Class A covering, so the estimate lays out those steps, names who files, and notes the engineer report heavier materials may require.
- Skylights
Large estate roofs carry skylights, and resealing flashing can beat replacement when the glazing is sound, which keeps new curb work and plaster damage out of the quote.
- Emergency Roof Repair
An active leak over finished interiors needs fast protection and photographs for the file, with a slate or tile specialist brought in if the material demands one.
- Roof Inspection
Owners of half-acre estates with many planes get a documented condition report with photos, useful before choosing between repair, partial replacement and design review for a full reroof.
- Roof Flashing Repair
Tall chimneys and long valley runs mean copper or galvanized flashing joints that can fail quietly above plaster ceilings, so the flashing is checked before the field of the roof.
- Historic Home Roofing
Houses from the Carolands era onward have original rooflines, chimneys and materials that design review treats carefully, so matching pitch, ridge detail and look is part of the plan.
Permits, Design Review and the Class A sheet
The Town of Hillsborough lists re-roofing as work needing a building permit and also treats it as an exterior change subject to Design Review. Applications are filed electronically through the Town's permit portal. The Town's roofing sheet calls for a Class A fire-retardant covering and notes an engineer's report for heavier materials. The estimate says who applies; the Building Division can verify it.
Carolands, the Uplands and Hillsborough's landmarks
Hillsborough's best-known roofs belong to its mansions. The Carolands, built by Harriet Pullman Carolan at about 65,000 square feet, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Uplands estate, designed by Willis Polk and opened in 1912, has housed Crystal Springs Uplands School since the 1950s (Wikipedia). Those are public landmarks and not houses we have worked on. They show the scale of roofing the town was built around.
Because the town has only residences, schools, government buildings, a golf course, a country club and small parks inside its limits, there are no shop or office roofs to compare yours with, and a change to your roof's look is an exterior change that the Town reviews.
Slate, tile and where our experience ends
Ask for the written scope before any work starts. The Town's roofing sheet calls for two inspections on roofs smaller than 75 squares, so confirm the inspection count for your roof's size when you talk to the Building Division.
Large slate and tile roofs from the Carolands era onward are a specialty field. If your roof is slate or clay tile, we will inspect and document the issue and tell you honestly whether we are the right company or a specialist is.