Common Roof Problems We See in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City roofs are shaped by two things at once: how old the housing is, and how hard the sun works at 4,300 feet. A roof here often fails unevenly, finishing on one slope while another still has years left. These are the four problems we are called out for most across the city.
Decking hidden under old layers
A house from 1965 has usually been re-covered at least once, and older Salt Lake City homes often carry that second layer over decking nobody has looked at in decades.
Roof Replacement→UV wear on the sun-facing slopes
At 4,300 feet the summer sun is harder on asphalt than it is at sea level. South and west slopes here routinely fail years before the north side of the same roof.
Roof Replacement→Flashing on century-old details
The Avenues and Capitol Hill are full of dormers, parapets and original chimneys. Almost every leak we trace in those neighborhoods ends at a flashing joint.
Roof Leak Repair→Ice damming on the east bench
The bench holds snow noticeably longer than downtown, and the older attics up there were rarely insulated or vented for it.
Ice Dam Removal & Prevention→What Salt Lake City Roofs Are Up Against
Salt Lake City mixes century-old homes in neighborhoods like the Avenues and Sugar House with newer construction on the east bench. Older roofs here often hide aging decking and outdated flashing, and valley winters plus intense summer UV wear shingles from both directions.
Median year built from the US Census American Community Survey; elevation from USGS.
When Does a Salt Lake City Roof Need Replacing?
A Salt Lake City roof usually needs replacing somewhere past twenty years, though which slope you are standing on matters as much as the date. The sun-facing side of a roof here can be finished while the north slope still has a decade in it. We quote off what the roof is actually doing, not off its age.
Signs a Salt Lake City Roof Is Near the End
- Shingles brittle or cracking on the south and west slopes while the north side still looks sound
- Granules washing into the gutters after every heavy rain
- Staining on an upstairs ceiling near a chimney, dormer or parapet
- Ice building at the eaves each winter on a bench property
Salt Lake City Neighborhoods We've Roofed
Courtland Roofing has worked on roofs across Salt Lake City, from century-old homes in the Avenues to newer construction on the east bench.
Not seeing your street? We cover all of Salt Lake City — call or text and we'll tell you what we usually see in your area.
How roof conditions change across Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City covers enough ground, and enough decades of construction, that no two neighborhoods have the same roofing problem.
- The Avenues and Capitol Hill
- The oldest housing in the city, on steep pitches with original dormers and chimneys. Flashing decides most of these roofs, not shingles.
- Sugar House and 9th and 9th
- Largely pre-war bungalows that have been re-roofed more than once. Nobody has seen the decking in decades, so that is what we check first.
- The East Bench and Foothill
- Higher, snowier, and slower to melt off than the valley floor, which is where the ice damming concentrates.
- Rose Park, Glendale and Poplar Grove
- Post-war housing on flat ground, where sun ages the roofs faster than wind or snow does.
- Yalecrest and Federal Heights
- Larger homes with complicated roof lines, where the cost of a leak is high and the detailing is what protects against it.
Nearby cities we also cover
Who We Are
Courtland Roofing is a family-owned Utah roofing company run by Coury Lloyd, licensed and insured, and a certified installer for GAF, CertainTeed and Owens Corning. The crews working in Salt Lake City are the same crews working across Salt Lake County.
How Do I Get a Roof Quote in Salt Lake City?
You get a roof quote in Salt Lake City by calling or texting 801-745-5409. We come to the house, inspect the roof free of charge, and give you a written estimate. There is no showroom to visit, which keeps that overhead off your price.
Free Salt Lake City Roof Inspection
An honest answer on what your roof actually needs. No charge, no obligation.
Roofing Services in Salt Lake City
Roof Replacement in Salt Lake City
Learn more →Roof Repair in Salt Lake City
Learn more →Roof Leak Repair in Salt Lake City
Learn more →Emergency Roof Repair in Salt Lake City
Learn more →Roof Inspections in Salt Lake City
Learn more →Roof Maintenance in Salt Lake City
Learn more →Common Questions About Roofing in Salt Lake City
Do you work on historic homes in the Avenues?
Courtland Roofing works on Salt Lake City's older and historic housing regularly. Steep pitches, original dormers and parapet details all change how a job is approached, and a property inside a historic district may carry appearance requirements a modern subdivision does not.
Why does one side of my Salt Lake City roof look worse than the other?
Uneven wear across a roof is normal at this altitude, and it is usually sun rather than a defect. South and west slopes take far more UV than the north side, so they lose granules and go brittle first, sometimes years earlier.
Can you replace just the failing slope?
Replacing a single slope is possible and occasionally sensible, but it leaves you with two roofs of different ages and a visible color difference. On most Salt Lake City homes we will tell you honestly whether the saving is worth it.
Which parts of Salt Lake City do you serve?
Courtland Roofing serves every neighborhood in Salt Lake City, including The Avenues, Sugar House, Capitol Hill, Federal Heights, Yalecrest, Liberty Wells, 9th and 9th, Marmalade District, Rose Park, Glendale, Poplar Grove, East Bench, Foothill and Central City. If your street is not on that list we still cover it, so call or text 801-745-5409 and we will tell you what we usually see on roofs in your area.
Do you charge for an estimate in Salt Lake City?
Estimates and roof inspections in Salt Lake City are free, and there is no obligation attached to either. If the roof is sound we will tell you that and leave.
Do you handle insurance claims for Salt Lake City homeowners?
Courtland Roofing documents the damage, explains what the policy appears to cover and works directly with your adjuster, so Salt Lake City homeowners are not left translating roof damage into claim language on their own.