Lawrence Roofing: Protecting Homes from Mass Street to West Lawrence

Lawrence is one of our favorite areas to work in. The mix of homes here is different from anywhere else in the metro. You've got Craftsman bungalows near downtown that are pushing 100 years old, mid-century homes in Old West Lawrence, and brand-new builds out past Wakarusa. Each one comes with its own roofing quirks.

The old neighborhoods: Mass Street and East Lawrence

The homes around downtown Lawrence and the Mass Street corridor are full of character. They're also full of roofing challenges. A lot of these houses have steep pitches, unusual angles, and roof lines that were designed before modern building codes existed. Some still have the original slate or cedar shake roofs, though most have been converted to asphalt over the decades.

Working on these older homes takes some finesse. You can't just tear everything off and start fresh: sometimes the decking needs reinforcement, the framing is a different dimension than modern lumber, and the existing ventilation isn't up to current standards. We always do a thorough attic inspection on older Lawrence homes before we quote anything, because surprises are expensive.

West Lawrence: newer builds, different issues

Out past Iowa Street and beyond the South Lawrence Trafficway, you're looking at homes built from the mid-2000s onward. These roofs are more straightforward from a construction standpoint, but a lot of them are now hitting that 15-20 year window where problems start showing up. The builder-grade shingles that went on a lot of these homes weren't always the highest quality, and Kansas hail doesn't care how new your house is.

Douglas County permits and requirements

Lawrence surprises people here. The city's published roof permit guidelines say a permit is not required for re-roofing, recovering, replacing an existing roof covering, or re-decking. Lawrence does require one in narrower cases. Those include new materials that change the loads on the roof and repair of the roof framing itself, and the city will also issue a permit when an insurer asks for one. No permit does not mean no rules: Lawrence licenses roofing contractors, and the work still has to follow the adopted code and the manufacturer's instructions. If your home sits outside the city limits, confirm the rule with Douglas County instead. Lawrence also has historic districts near campus and downtown where materials and appearance can carry extra requirements, so check before you settle on a product.

KU campus area

The neighborhoods around the University of Kansas, west of campus toward Oread, south toward Barker, have a lot of rental properties and older homes. These roofs tend to get less regular maintenance because they're rentals, and that means the damage has often been building for years by the time someone calls us. If you own rental property near KU, getting a regular inspection schedule going will save you money in the long run. A small issue on a rental house that sits for a few months turns into an emergency call the next time a storm rolls through.

We service all of Lawrence and Douglas County. Whether you've got a historic downtown bungalow or a newer home off K-10, give us a call at (913) 954-4501. We'll come take a look.