Roofing and Exteriors in Kendall County, Illinois

Kendall County roof replacement: the 2000s boom is coming due

Homes built quickly during a boom often got entry-level shingles and attic ventilation that met the minimum and little more. Fifteen to twenty-five years later, the pattern of wear is consistent:

1. Granule loss first. Dark patches appear on south- and west-facing slopes, and granules collect at the bottom of the downspouts.
2. Then seal failure. Tabs lift in a strong west wind and do not lie flat again, and the next storm takes them off.
3. Then leaks at the details. Cracked rubber pipe boots, caulked step flashing at the garage wall and loose ridge vents let water in before the field shingles fail.

Not every roof from that era needs replacing now. Our repair or replace guide lays out how we decide, and when a full roof replacement is the better value we explain why in writing.

Older homes in Oswego, Yorkville and Millbrook

Before the subdivisions, Kendall County was a string of Fox River towns surrounded by farms. Oswego, now the county’s most populous town, and Yorkville, the county seat, both kept their older blocks near downtown, as did Montgomery and Millbrook. Those streets still include farmhouses, early twentieth-century frame houses and postwar ranches, some on steep lots running down toward the river.

These roofs need a different eye than the subdivision homes. We often find plank sheathing that has to be covered with plywood before new shingles go on, porch roofs with too little pitch for shingles, and old chimneys that no longer vent anything but still let water in. Trees along the river shade some of these roofs most of the day, which keeps moss and algae growing and gutters full.

Wind across open country, and the 1990 tornado

On August 28, 1990, the tornado that went on to devastate Plainfield, Crest Hill and Joliet formed near Oswego before crossing into Will County. It was rated F5 and remains the only tornado of that strength recorded in the United States in August. Storms that strong are rare; ordinary summer wind is not. With miles of flat farmland to the west, thunderstorm gusts arrive at subdivision edges with nothing to slow them.

On those exposed lots we install to the shingle maker’s high-wind requirements, seal the starter course at every edge, and choose ridge vents rated for wind-driven rain. After a storm, a roof inspection with dated photos records any lifted tabs, creased shingles or hail bruises while they are fresh.

Kendall County permit rules outside village limits

Villages and cities such as Oswego, Yorkville, Montgomery and Plano set their own roofing permit requirements. Outside them, the rule is unusual: Kendall County’s Planning, Building and Zoning department states that re-roofing or replacing shingles on an unincorporated property does not require a permit, while changing the pitch, structure, trusses or roofline does require a building permit.

On those unincorporated jobs we install exactly as we would inside a village: ice barrier at the eaves, balanced ventilation, new flashing and the manufacturer’s published instructions. The shingle warranty and the roof’s life depend on those details whether or not an inspector ever sees them, so we photograph each layer before it is covered and give you the set when the job is done.

Kendall County roofing questions

Do I need a permit to re-roof a house in Kendall County?

It depends on where the house sits. Oswego, Yorkville, Montgomery, Plano and the county’s other villages and cities set their own rules, and we confirm them before scheduling. On unincorporated land, a straight re-roof needs no county permit, but a change to the pitch, structure or roofline does. We work across the county, including Plano, Sandwich and Newark in the west.

Is the roof on a 2005 Yorkville home too young to replace?

Not necessarily. Age alone does not decide it. Some roofs from that period are wearing out early because of entry-level shingles or poor attic ventilation, while others are in good shape. We inspect, test the seal on a sample of tabs, and recommend repair or replacement based on what we find.

Can the porch roof on an older Oswego house be shingled?

Only if it has enough pitch. Many porch roofs on older homes near the Fox River are flatter than shingles are made for, and shingles laid on them leak. On those we install a membrane designed for low slopes and tie it in under the flashing at the house wall.