Roof Replacement in Franklin County: what we actually do
2,400+ Missouri homes have gotten a new roof from the Emmendorfer family since 1990, and a full replacement here always starts the same way. Matt, Tom, or Tim walks the roof before quoting, then the crew strips the old shingle down to the bare deck. Tearing off to the deck is the part the city-swap franchise pages skip, but it is the only way to see the wood underneath. Across Union, Washington, and Pacific, that decking has often taken years of spring hail and freeze-thaw, and you cannot judge it through a layer of old shingle.
CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Malarkey, and GAF are the four architectural shingle systems Emmendorfer installs as a factory-certified installer, and the manufacturer goes on your written estimate before any work starts. A Franklin County roof faces spring and summer hail, straight-line and storm wind, and a Missouri winter of freeze-thaw cycles, so the shingle line matters. The family helps you pick the system that fits the pitch and the exposure of your specific Union or St. Clair home, then names it on paper so you know exactly what is going on your roof.
Tom Emmendorfer runs roofing and the insurance-claim side, which matters because a lot of Franklin County replacements follow a hailstorm. When the damage is storm-driven, Tom documents the hail and wind and walks the adjuster through it start to finish, so the replacement scope reads straight. When it is plain wear from age and Missouri humidity, the family quotes it as a private replacement. Either way the crew is in-house and never subcontracted, so the same Emmendorfers who walk your roof in Sullivan, Villa Ridge, or New Haven are the ones nailing the new shingle down.
Why tear off to the deck instead of laying over the old roof?
A full tear-off pulls every old shingle down to the bare decking so the crew can see the wood. Laying new shingle over old hides the rot, the soft spots, and the nail-pull from years of Franklin County hail and freeze-thaw. Emmendorfer tears off to the deck on every replacement, because covering a bad deck just buries the problem under a new roof you paid for.
What happens to failed decking and fascia?
Failed decking and fascia get replaced, not covered. Once the roof is stripped, the crew finds the soft, delaminated, or rotted plywood and the fascia board that summer humidity and freeze-thaw have worn out, and they swap it for new wood before the underlayment goes down. The standard Matt set in 1990 is to replace what failed instead of nailing a new shingle over it and calling it done.
Which architectural shingle goes on, and who decides?
You decide, with the family's read on your roof. Emmendorfer is a factory-certified installer of CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Malarkey, and GAF architectural shingle. The crew matches the system to your home's pitch and exposure across Union, Washington, or Pacific, then names that exact manufacturer on the written estimate. No generic shingle, no surprise substitution on install day.
How does the written estimate work?
The price you approve is the price you pay. Matt, Tom, or Tim walks the whole roof before quoting, measures it, and writes the estimate with the manufacturer named on it. Because the roof gets walked first, there is no padded guess and no day-of-tear-off upcharge for what should have been seen up front. The number on the estimate is the number you sign.
Is the crew in-house or subcontracted?
Every crew is in-house family, never subcontracted. The same Emmendorfers who quote your roof in St. Clair, Sullivan, or Villa Ridge are the ones tearing it off and installing the new shingle. There is no rotating subcontractor and no call center between you and the people on the roof. That is how the family has put 2,400+ roofs on Missouri homes since 1990.
How the roof replacement process works
Step 1
Walk the roof and write the estimate
Matt, Tom, or Tim walks the full roof before quoting, measures the size and pitch, and checks the trouble spots. The written estimate names the CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Malarkey, or GAF system going on, so the price you approve is the price you pay with no day-of surprises.
Step 2
Full tear-off to the deck
The crew strips every old shingle layer down to the bare decking. Tearing off completely is the only way to see the plywood and catch the damage that years of Franklin County hail and freeze-thaw leave under the surface. Nothing new goes on until the old roof is fully off.
Step 3
Replace failed decking and fascia
With the deck exposed, the crew replaces any soft, rotted, or delaminated decking and the worn fascia board, instead of covering it. Bad wood gets swapped for new before anything else, because the new shingle is only as sound as the deck holding the nails.
Step 4
Underlayment, flashing, and shingle
Fresh underlayment goes down, the flashing at valleys, walls, and penetrations is set, and the architectural shingle is installed to the manufacturer's spec. Because Emmendorfer is factory-certified, the system goes on the way CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Malarkey, or GAF requires, not a shortcut version of it.
Step 5
Clean up and final walk
The crew clears the debris, runs the magnet for stray nails across the yard and drive, and does a final walk of the finished roof. If the job came from a storm, Tom ties off the insurance claim so the paperwork matches the work that was done.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a roof replacement cost in Franklin County, Missouri?
A roof is quoted per project after a free measurement, priced by roof size, pitch, and the shingle you choose. Emmendorfer walks the whole roof before quoting, so the price you approve on the written estimate is the price you pay. There is no padded guess and no day-of-tear-off upcharge.
Do you tear off the old roof or shingle over it?
Every replacement is a full tear-off to the deck. Emmendorfer strips all the old shingle down to the bare decking, because that is the only way to see the wood and catch the rot that years of Missouri hail and freeze-thaw leave underneath. Shingling over an old roof just hides the problem.
What shingle brands do you install?
Emmendorfer is a factory-certified installer of four architectural shingle systems: CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Malarkey, and GAF. The manufacturer you pick is named on the written estimate before any work starts, so you know the exact system going on your Union, Washington, or Pacific roof.
What if the decking or fascia is rotted under the old shingle?
Failed decking and fascia get replaced, not covered. Once the roof is torn off to the deck, the crew finds the soft or rotted plywood and the worn fascia and swaps it for new wood before the underlayment goes down. Replacing what failed has been the standard since Matt started in 1990.
How long does a full roof replacement take?
Most single-family roofs in Union and across Franklin County are torn off and replaced in a day or two, depending on the size, the pitch, and how much decking needs replacing. The in-house family crew runs the whole job, so there is no waiting on a subcontractor to show up.
Can you handle a replacement through my insurance after a storm?
Yes. Tom Emmendorfer runs roofing and insurance claims, documents the hail and wind damage, and walks the adjuster through it start to finish. Spring and summer hail and straight-line wind drive most storm replacements in Franklin County, and Tom handles that claim from the first inspection to the final paperwork.
Do you replace roofs in towns outside Union?
Yes. Emmendorfer crews replace roofs across Franklin County, including Union, Washington, Pacific, St. Clair, Sullivan, Villa Ridge, and New Haven. The family has been based in Union since 2003 and has roofed and sided more than 2,400 Missouri homes since 1990, all with in-house crews.
