Plan on it, and plan on us handling it. Which office issues it depends on your address: inside Town of Lexington limits the permit goes through the Town; outside those limits, in unincorporated Lexington County, it goes through Lexington County Community Development. We pull the permit in our name as the licensed contractor and close it out at the end of the job, so you are not the one calling the county.
Roof Replacement · Lexington, SC
Roof replacement in Lexington, SC
Full tear-off to the deck, rotten sheathing replaced before the first new shingle, and the permit pulled through the right office — Town of Lexington or Lexington County.
Licensed · Insured · LocalGet a free Lexington estimate
A Lexington re-roof, done properly
Cola City Roofing replaces roofs across Lexington — in town, out toward Red Bank and Gilbert, and around the Lake Murray shoreline. We are twenty minutes up the road in Columbia, which means an estimate is usually on the calendar within 48 hours and a crew is not driving in from another state to get to you.
Most Lexington roofs we replace tell the same story: a builder-grade three-tab roof that has run out of years, patched a few times along the way, with soft decking underneath that nobody could see. A replacement done right deals with all three — which is why we strip to the bare deck every time instead of laying new shingles over old.
If you are still weighing repair against replacement, we will tell you which one your roof actually needs — a replacement you do not need yet is not a sale we want.
Proof
Roofs we have replaced in Lexington
Every one of these has a full before, during and after gallery — including the parts of a re-roof you normally never get to see, like what the decking looked like once the old shingles came off. For repairs, gutters and storm work in town, see our Lexington roofing page.
Three-tab roof, rot at the hip
A faded three-tab roof with a bare metal ridge vent running uncapped down the whole ridge. Tear-off found a rotten section of the original plywood decking at the hip, cut out through to the trusses. New decking, peel-and-stick down the valley, architectural shingles and a capped vented ridge.
See the full gallery →
Large hip roof, aging 3-tab
Weathered reddish-brown 3-tab shingles with heavy granule loss, cracking and curling over the rake edge. Tear-off exposed rotten decking beside the brick chimney. New plywood, new step flashing, a low-slope membrane section tied into the shingles, and a ridge vent running the full length of the hips.
See the full gallery →Years of patch repairs, failed at the gutter line
Mismatched patches, heavy granule loss and damaged fascia along the gable end. The rear slope had failed near the gutter line and the sheathing at the eave was soft. New decking, new drip edge and gutter, peel-and-stick membrane the full length of the valley, then a new shingle field.
See the full gallery →
Water-stained decking, front and rear slopes
Old damaged shingles stripped off to reveal water-stained decking underneath. Valleys and pipe boots rebuilt as part of the install, and both slopes re-shingled.
See the full gallery →
The process
How a Lexington roof replacement runs
Six stages, from the first time we get on your roof to the day the permit is closed out. You know the timeline and the number before anyone shows up with a trailer.
1
Free inspection, on your roof
We come out to your Lexington home, get on the roof, and look at the things that decide whether you need a replacement or a repair: the condition of the shingle field, the flashing at chimneys and sidewalls, the pipe boots, the valleys, and how the attic is venting.
You get photos of what we found. If a repair will genuinely buy you a few more years, we will say so — one of the Lexington jobs in our gallery is a chimney flashing and gutter repair rather than a re-roof, because that is what the house actually needed.
2
A written, itemized estimate
Materials, labor, permit, decking allowance, haul-off and disposal, all broken out. Decking is the line most Lexington homeowners have questions about, because you cannot see what is under the shingles until tear-off day — so we quote a per-sheet price up front and you only pay for the sheets we actually replace.
If you want to spread the cost, we can set you up with fixed monthly payments before the crew is scheduled.
3
We pull the permit — Town or County
Which office depends on your address. Homes inside the Town of Lexington limits permit through the Town at 111 Maiden Lane; homes in unincorporated Lexington County — a lot of the Lake Murray shoreline, the Red Bank and Gilbert side, and the newer subdivisions off Old Cherokee and Corley Mill — permit through Lexington County Community Development at the County Administration Building.
You do not need to work out which one you fall under. We do that, pull the permit in our name as the licensed contractor, and handle any inspection that comes with it.
4
Tear-off to the bare deck
Landscaping, siding and windows get tarped and protected first. Then the old roof comes off completely — no shingling over the top of what is already there.
A full tear-off is the only way to see the decking, and on all four of the Lexington roofs in our project gallery it turned up a problem underneath: a rotten section cut out at the hip on one, soft water-damaged sheathing at the eave on another, deteriorated boards beside a chimney on a third, water-staining across the fourth. Bad sheets get cut out and replaced before anything new goes down.
5
The new roof goes on in layers
Ice-and-water membrane through the valleys and along the eaves, synthetic underlayment across the whole deck, drip edge, new step and chimney flashing, starter course, the shingle field, then hip and ridge cap.
Ventilation is part of the install, not an afterthought. On the Lexington hip roof we did, a new ridge vent was run the full length of the hips so the attic could finally breathe — an unvented attic in a Midlands summer cooks a new roof from underneath.
6
Cleanup, walkthrough, warranty
Magnetic sweepers over the yard, driveway and beds, tarps down, debris in the trailer and off your property the same day.
We walk the finished roof with you, hand over the paperwork you need to register the manufacturer warranty, and close out the permit with whichever office issued it.
What we find
What Lexington roofs keep showing us
Across the replacements and repairs we have done in Lexington, the same handful of problems come up again and again. If you recognize two or three of these on your own house, it is worth having someone look at it:
- 3-tab shingles at or past the 20-year mark — the most common starting point on the Lexington roofs we replace
- Rotten or water-stained decking hidden under the old roof, usually at a chimney, an eave or a valley
- Patch-on-patch repairs in mismatched colors, where piecemeal fixes have been standing in for a replacement
- Failed sidewall and chimney flashing dumping runoff behind the siding instead of onto the shingles
- Pine straw packed into gutter ends and valley bottoms, holding water against the roof edge
- Damaged, bare fascia and rake trim along gable ends where the roof edge has been leaking
- Algae streaking on north-facing slopes, from Lexington humidity and heavy tree cover
- No ridge venting, or venting blocked by insulation, leaving the attic to run hot all summer
Pricing
What a new roof costs in Lexington
Lexington sits in the same Midlands pricing market as Columbia, so the ranges below apply here too, for a typical 1,500–2,500 sq. ft. home. Your own number comes from a measured roof, not a table:
| Roof Type | Average Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Standard asphalt shingle (architectural) | $8,000 – $15,000 |
| Premium asphalt shingle (designer/luxury) | $12,000 – $20,000 |
| Standing seam metal roof | $15,000 – $30,000+ |
What moves the number on a Lexington roof:
- How much decking has to come out — the single biggest unknown until tear-off day
- Steep pitch, and hip roofs with a lot of ridge and valley to detail
- A second layer of old shingles that has to be removed and hauled off
- Ventilation work: adding ridge venting, or opening up soffit intake
- Material tier, from architectural shingle up to standing seam metal
Go deeper on cost
Want the full cost breakdown first?
We have written the pricing side out in detail — how roofers price per square, what each material tier costs, and where the money actually goes on a re-roof.
Lexington weatherStorm damage roof help
Storms, pines and the Lake Murray wind
Lexington takes the same summer thunderstorms, hail and occasional tropical remnants as the rest of the Midlands, and homes near Lake Murray get more open wind than a sheltered inland lot does. That is why we run peel-and-stick membrane through the valleys and along the eaves rather than only underlayment, and why fastening pattern and starter course matter.
The other constant here is trees. Heavy pine cover means straw in the gutters and valleys, shade that holds moisture, and algae streaking on north-facing slopes. A new roof handles it far better than an old one, but it still wants the gutters kept clear.
If a storm is what brought you here, we will document the damage for your insurer before we talk about a replacement.
FAQs
Roof replacement in Lexington — common questions
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Lexington, SC?+
How long does a roof replacement take in Lexington?+
Most Lexington homes are a one to three day job. A large hip roof, a steep pitch, multiple dormers, or decking that turns out to need a lot of replacement will push it toward the longer end. We give you the expected number of days in the estimate, before anyone is scheduled.
What does a new roof cost in Lexington?+
Lexington is the same Midlands market as Columbia — a standard architectural shingle roof on an average home generally lands between $8,000 and $15,000, with premium shingle and standing seam metal running higher. Size, pitch, layers, decking condition and material tier are what actually move the number. We break all of that down in the true cost of roof replacement in Lexington, SC and in our roof replacement cost guide.
What happens if you find rotten decking under my old roof?+
We replace it — that is the whole reason we tear off rather than shingle over. All four of the Lexington replacements in our project gallery turned up decking that was rotten or water-stained once the shingles came off. Your estimate carries a per-sheet price for decking up front, so the cost is known before we start and you only pay for the sheets that actually come out. We photograph what we removed.
Will my insurance pay for a roof replacement in Lexington?+
If the damage came from a covered event — hail, straight-line wind off a summer thunderstorm, a tropical system, a fallen tree — it may be covered, minus your deductible. Age and ordinary wear are not. We inspect, document the damage the way an adjuster needs to see it, and meet the adjuster at your home. See how we help with roof insurance claims.
Do you replace roofs on Lake Murray homes?+
Yes. Lakefront and near-lake homes in Lexington get more wind exposure than an inland subdivision does, so fastening pattern, starter course and ridge detailing matter more there, and metal is worth considering. We also work on lake home roofing specifically.
Can I stay in the house while you work?+
Yes, and most people do. It is loud — we will not pretend otherwise. Keep pets inside and move cars off the driveway and away from the house so nothing lands on them, and you are fine.
More from Cola City Roofing
Related roofing services
Roof replacement
Full re-roofs in architectural shingle and metal, with the old roof stripped to the deck.
Roof repair
Leaks, failed flashing, worn pipe boots and storm damage, traced to the source.
Storm damage repair
Wind and hail inspections, documented for your insurer.
Roof insurance claims
Help filing, and a roofer on site when the adjuster comes out.
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Service area
Dedicated to serving the Columbia, SC metro area
Cola City Roofing is the best roofing contractor in Columbia, SC. We’re based in Columbia but serve all the suburbs in and around the Midlands, including:
- Columbia
- West Columbia
- Cayce
- Lexington
- Irmo
- Chapin
- Elgin
- Blythewood
- Forest Acres
- Orangeburg
- Sumter
- Aiken
- Newberry
- Camden
- Batesburg-Leesville
- Chester
- Clover
- Fort Mill
- Gilbert
- Lancaster
- Lake Murray area
- See all areas →
No matter where you are in the Midlands, we’re just a phone call away. Most estimates are scheduled within 48 hours.
Get a free roof replacement estimate in Lexington
We will get on the roof, show you photos of what is actually up there, and give you an itemized written price — including what decking will cost if we find it. No pressure either way.