Most people calling a roofer are not sure whether they need a repair, a replacement, or nothing at all. That is a fair question and it has a real answer, which is what we come out to give you.
Precision Palmetto is a locally owned exterior remodeling company based in Columbia. Roofing is the largest part of what we do, alongside siding, seamless gutters, concrete, fencing and masonry — which matters more than it sounds, because a roof problem is often a flashing problem, a gutter problem or a fascia problem, and we can deal with all of it rather than handing you to somebody else.
Roof replacement
A full replacement means stripping the old shingles to the deck, inspecting and repairing the decking underneath, then rebuilding the system: underlayment, ice and water shield in the valleys and around penetrations, starter course, new flashing where it meets walls and chimneys, field shingles, and ridge cap.
We are a certified IKO installer — an IKO ROOFPRO contractor — and install IKO shingles as standard. Which line makes sense depends on your roof and how long you plan to be in the house:
- Cambridge — IKO's workhorse architectural shingle. Heavier and better-looking than the old three-tab style, and the right choice for most Midlands homes.
- Dynasty — a performance shingle with IKO's ArmourZone, a wider reinforced nailing strip that grips better and resists nail pull-through in high wind. Carries a Class 3 impact rating.
- Nordic — the same ArmourZone construction with polymer-modified asphalt, giving it a Class 4 impact rating, the highest there is against hail, and a limited wind warranty to 130 mph. Worth the conversation if you are in a part of the Midlands that takes hail.
- Royal Estate — IKO's designer line, cut to imitate slate. For homes where the roof is part of the look rather than just a cover.
We will tell you honestly which one your house needs. A Class 4 shingle on a rental you plan to sell in three years is money you do not need to spend; on a home you intend to keep, in a neighborhood that has been hit before, it can be the difference between one replacement and two.
Three-year labor warranty
Every roof we install carries a three-year warranty on our labor. If something we did fails in that window — a flashing detail, a fastening, a lap that was not right — we come back and fix it at no cost to you.
Ask the next roofer you speak to what they warranty and for how long. It tells you more than the number at the bottom of the quote.
What the warranty actually covers
Two separate things get called "the warranty" and they protect you against different failures. Worth knowing which is which before you compare quotes.
The manufacturer's limited warranty covers the shingles themselves — a defect in the product as it left the factory. IKO publishes the terms per shingle line and they come with the material. We will give you the actual warranty document for whichever line goes on your roof, rather than a number quoted from memory.
Workmanship is the other half, and it is the half that fails more often. Most roofs that leak do not leak because the shingle was defective. They leak because of how something was fastened, flashed or lapped — and no manufacturer's warranty on the product covers that. That part is on us.
Before you sign anything, we put in writing what is covered, by whom, and for how long. A warranty you have not read is not a warranty, and "lifetime" on a brochure rarely means what people assume it means.
Decking is the part nobody can price from the driveway, and any roofer who quotes it before the shingles come off is guessing. Plywood that has been quietly wet for years looks fine from above and comes apart in your hands once it is exposed.
So we handle it a different way. Nothing gets replaced without you seeing it first. If we find bad decking, we stop, photograph it, show you exactly which sheets are rotten and why, and agree the cost with you before a single one comes off. The rate is written into your estimate up front, so the only variable is how many sheets — and you will have seen every one of them.
That is the number one complaint homeowners have about roofers: the price that moves halfway through the job. It moves here only with your say-so.
Roof repair
Not every roof needs replacing, and we will say so. A roof with years of life left and one failed pipe boot needs a fifteen-minute fix, not a five figure invoice. Common repairs we handle:
- Failed pipe boots and vent flashing — the most common leak we see
- Chimney and wall flashing that has pulled away or rusted through
- Shingles lifted or torn off by wind
- Valley leaks where two roof planes meet
- Nail pops and exposed fasteners
- Ridge cap damage
Replacement makes sense when the shingles are genuinely at the end of their life, when damage is widespread rather than in one spot, or when you have started paying for repairs often enough that they add up to a roof.
Storm damage
The Midlands takes a lot of severe weather. Columbia has logged well over a thousand damaging wind reports and roughly two hundred hail events in the past twelve years, and hail bruising in particular is close to invisible from the ground — the granules are knocked loose, the mat underneath is exposed, and the roof fails quietly over the following couple of years.
If you are wondering whether a storm actually crossed your street, we built a free tool that checks public National Weather Service records for hail and damaging wind reported near any South Carolina address, and tells you what was reported and how far away.
Free storm history check
See what hail and high wind has been reported near your address, from public NOAA and National Weather Service records. No cost, no obligation. Check your address →
A weather report is not an inspection. It tells you whether it is worth having someone get up on the roof and look — nothing more.
We live here
After a big storm, out-of-state crews arrive in the Midlands within days. They knock doors, sign as many roofs as they can, do the work fast, and are two states away by the time the first leak shows up. Everybody in this trade knows it happens and homeowners are the ones left holding it.
Precision Palmetto is based in Columbia. Our license is South Carolina, our number is a 803 number, and when you call it in three years somebody will answer. If we get a roof wrong, we are still here to put it right — which is a stronger guarantee than anything we could print on this page.
It is also worth saying plainly: we would rather tell you your roof has five good years left and get the call in year five than sell you a replacement you did not need. That is not generosity, it is arithmetic. A contractor who has to be right once is a different business from one that intends to be here for a while.
What a roof actually costs in the Midlands
Roofing is priced by the square, which is 100 square feet of roof surface — not floor area. A typical Columbia single-story home lands somewhere around 20 to 35 squares.
Four things move the number:
- Size. The obvious one, and the one satellite imagery measures well.
- Pitch. A steep roof needs staging and safety equipment and takes longer, so it costs more per square than a walkable one.
- Complexity. Every hip, valley and dormer means more cuts and more waste. A simple gable wastes about 10% of material; a heavily cut-up roof closer to 18%.
- Decking. Unknown until the old roof is off.
Rather than make you guess, our roof measurement tool sizes your roof from satellite imagery and gives you a real range in about thirty seconds. It is free, there is nobody knocking on your door afterwards, and if tree cover means we cannot see enough of the roof to be honest about it, it says so instead of guessing.
Free instant roof measurement
Enter your address and get your roof size and a ballpark range in about thirty seconds. Measure my roof →
How a replacement runs
- Free inspectionWe come out, get on the roof, and tell you what we find — including if the answer is that your roof is fine for another five years.
- Written estimateAn itemised price, the decking rate in writing, and a clear scope. No verbal numbers.
- Schedule and materialsWe order to your roof's measured quantity and set a date around the weather.
- Tear-off and inspectionOld shingles off, decking checked and any bad sheets replaced.
- InstallUnderlayment, flashing, shingles, ridge cap — most homes in one to two days.
- Clean-up and walkthroughMagnet over the yard for nails, and we walk it with you before we leave.
Our roofing work in the Midlands
See work from all six trades →
Common questions
How much does a new roof cost in Columbia?
Most asphalt shingle replacements in the Midlands fall between $410 and $460 per square, which is 100 square feet of roof surface. Pitch, complexity and the condition of the decking all move that. Our free measurement tool gives you a range for your specific roof in about thirty seconds.
How long does it take?
Most single-family homes are stripped and re-roofed in one to two days, weather permitting. Larger or steeper roofs take longer, as do roofs where the decking needs replacing once the shingles come off.
How do I know if I have storm damage?
Often you cannot tell from the ground — hail bruising and lifted shingles both hide well, and a leak can take months to appear inside. Our free storm history tool shows what hail and damaging wind has been reported near your address, which tells you whether an inspection is worth booking.
Are you licensed in South Carolina?
Yes — South Carolina Residential Specialty Contractor Registration RBS 67429, covering roofing, siding and masonry. That number is public and you can verify it yourself on the SC Labor, Licensing and Regulation site. We would encourage you to check it on us and on anyone else you are considering.
What warranty comes with a new roof?
Two things. IKO's limited warranty covers the shingles themselves against manufacturing defects — we give you the actual warranty document for the line that goes on your roof. Separately, we warranty our own labor for three years, which covers how the roof was installed and is what actually fails on most roofs that leak. We put the terms of both in writing before you sign.
Do you do repairs, or only replacements?
Both, and we will tell you which one you need. A roof with life left in it and a single failed pipe boot needs a repair. We would rather do the small job honestly and be the ones you call in eight years.
What areas do you cover?
The Midlands is home — Columbia, Lexington, Irmo, Cayce, West Columbia, Forest Acres and Blythewood — and we take work across the Lowcountry and Upstate as well. If you are not sure whether you are in range, call and ask.
Not sure what you need?
That is exactly what a free inspection is for. We will get on the roof, tell you plainly what we find, and put it in writing — including if the answer is that nothing needs doing yet.
Call (803) 258-0842Also from us: Siding · Gutters · Concrete · Fencing · Masonry
Based in Columbia, working across South Carolina.
The Midlands is home — Columbia, Lexington, Irmo, Cayce, West Columbia,
Forest Acres, Blythewood, Chapin, Elgin, Gaston and Hopkins — and we take
roofing work throughout the Lowcountry and Upstate as well. If you are not
sure whether we come out your way, call and ask.