Asphalt Shingle Roofing in Biddeford, Maine

Biddeford's median home dates to about 1952, with roughly 41 percent of the housing stock built before 1940 and 56 percent before 1960, among the oldest profiles of any town in this service area. That reflects the mill era: dense triple-deckers, duplexes and worker cottages fill the neighborhoods around the old Pepperell and Lincoln Mills downtown, many with original wood clapboard, early asbestos-cement shingle, or an aging vinyl overlay from a past renovation. Outside the mill district, West Biddeford and the areas toward Route 1 hold newer capes, ranches and colonials built through the second half of the 20th century, and Biddeford Pool adds a smaller cluster of coastal cottages and shingle-style summer homes.

The Saco River runs through downtown Biddeford before reaching the Atlantic, and Biddeford Pool, at the city's southeastern tip, takes ocean weather directly: nor'easters, wind-driven rain and salt air that accelerates corrosion of fasteners and flashing faster than it does a few miles inland. Winters bring the usual freeze-thaw cycling that works on old clapboard, paint and roof shingles all over the city, and older, poorly insulated mill-era attics are especially prone to ice damming at the eaves during a hard winter. Away from the water, exposure is more typical for coastal York County, but the age of the housing stock means storm damage often reveals problems that have been building for decades.

Building permits in Biddeford go through the Code Enforcement Office, which enters near the City Theater on Main Street, for siding, roofing, window and deck work alike. Maine's Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act applies within 250 feet of the Saco River and Biddeford's Atlantic coastline, including Biddeford Pool and Fortunes Rocks, which restricts how close new construction and some rebuilding can sit to the water. Exterior work on buildings within the Biddeford-Saco Mills Historic District downtown can face added design review, though most residential streets in the city fall outside that district's boundary.

Architectural (dimensional) asphalt shingles are the most common roof in Maine for good reason: they are affordable, they come in many colors and textures, and a good system handles snow, ice and wind well. Several projects on this site used CertainTeed Landmark shingles. What separates a long-lived shingle roof from a short-lived one is mostly underneath: ice and water protection at the eaves, correct nailing, and balanced ventilation.

• Tear-off to the deck and sheathing repair where needed.
• Ice and water shield at eaves, valleys and around penetrations; underlayment over the rest.
• Starter strip and drip edge at the edges, then shingles nailed in the manufacturer's nail zone.
• Step flashing at walls, new pipe boots, and chimney flashing as needed.
• Hip and ridge caps over a ridge vent, balanced with intake at the soffits.

• Granules washing into the gutters and bald patches on the shingles
• Shingles that curl, cup, or lift in wind
• Leaks around chimneys, vents or skylights
• Moss or dark streaking on shaded slopes

• Roof area and pitch
• Shingle line and color
• Layers to tear off and deck repairs
• Flashing and ventilation work
• Number of valleys, dormers and penetrations

Every job is priced from a free on-site visit. Typical ranges for the trade are on our roofing page, and the details of this service are on the architectural asphalt shingle roofing overview.

For a deeper walkthrough of materials, code details and photos, see our full Asphalt Shingle Roofing: Underlayment, Shingle Types, and What Voids a Warranty guide.

Back to the Biddeford exterior services overview, or see every town on our service areas page.