Most full replacements on Tower Grove's century-old brick flats are tear-offs, not a second layer over the old shingles. These homes often pair a pitched street-facing front with a low-slope or flat rear, and the original wood decking under decades of patches needs to be seen and corrected — something an overlay hides. A tear-off also lets the crew re-flash the parapet, party-wall, and valleys properly. Your matched verified pro inspects the deck on-site and tells you honestly whether any section even qualifies for an overlay under City of St. Louis code.

It depends on the section. The pitched front of a Tower Grove flat typically gets architectural (dimensional) asphalt shingles, which carry longer manufacturer warranties than three-tab, while the flat or low-slope rear gets a membrane system suited to standing water. On historic-character blocks near the park, appearance can matter. Your matched contractor can quote the front-pitch shingle and the rear-flat membrane together so you compare upfront cost against expected lifespan for your specific roof rather than a one-size estimate. Material choice on a Tower Grove replacement is set after an on-roof look, not over the phone, so the recommendation fits your actual roof sections and the neighborhood's housing character.

A proper replacement here is more than shingles. Once the old roof is off, the crew inspects the plank or board decking for soft or rotted sections and replaces what fails, then lays new underlayment, ice-and-water shield where needed, and re-flashes the parapet, party-wall coping, and valleys that cause most of these homes' leaks. Damaged decking is usually a per-sheet add-on, so ask the pro how they price it — on a 100-year-old roof it is worth knowing before the tear-off.

Missouri has no statewide general contractor license, so the City of St. Louis handles permitting and contractor registration — your matched pro pulls the permit. On warranty you typically get two layers: the manufacturer's material warranty (longer if the contractor is certified for that system) and the contractor's own workmanship warranty. Ask for both in writing on the quote, since the workmanship coverage is what protects the install itself on a multi-decade investment. The matched contractor assesses the whole roof on a Tower Grove home, not just the obvious spot, so the replacement reflects the real condition and you are told honestly what the roof does and does not need.

Once the failures are widespread rather than isolated — broad shingle wear, repeatedly failing box gutters, party-wall flashing that keeps leaking, or decking showing through — repeated patches stop pencilling out. The honest test is condition plus age. Your matched pro assesses the whole roof, front pitch and flat rear, and tells you whether a targeted repair still makes sense for now or whether a replacement resets the clock and the warranty. There is no obligation to proceed. The matched contractor assesses the whole roof on a Tower Grove home, not just the obvious spot, so the replacement reflects the real condition and you are told honestly what the roof does and does not need.