Resources for deciding what to fix first
One exterior problem at a time, sorted into a repair, a replacement, a watch or a second look, with the reasoning printed under the answer.
Water that gets in comes before anything that only shows
Most exterior work is judged by what a visitor can see, but the question that comes first is what lets water through. A stain on a ceiling, ice at the eave and a window that fogs can each be a sign of a path for water, and that path is what an inspector and the next owner read first. We think the longer it waits, the more the damage costs, so the order of the work matters as much as the work itself.
Fix whatever lets water into the house before anything that only shows.
The helper below follows that order. It asks where the problem shows, how old the part is and what is pushing the decision, then prints a verdict with its reasoning in numbered steps, so each step can be argued with.
Sort one problem with the helper
Answer three questions about one problem you can see on your house. The helper works only from those answers, so its result is a starting point for a conversation with whoever inspects or quotes the work, not a diagnosis.
This helper cannot see your house. It works only from the three answers you chose, so treat the result as a starting point for a conversation with whoever inspects or quotes the work, not as a diagnosis.
Where to take it next
- Timelines, for the order and lead time that exterior work needs before a sale.
- Common questions, for insurance, permits and financing in brief.
- Practice notes, for what to check on the roof edge and gutters before the first snow.
Three figures that shape the choice
- 20 years
- about how long a basic three-tab asphalt shingle roof is expected to last, the age a roof is read against
- R-38
- the least ceiling insulation UMass Amherst recommends for houses in the northern United States, laid even and continuous
- $25,000
- the most the state Guaranty Fund can pay one claimant after an unpaid award, and only to an owner who signed a written contract with a registered contractor
20 years: Fine Homebuilding, Will Your Next Asphalt Roof Last a Lifetime? The article dates from 2010, and it treats the longer lifespans marketed for modern shingles as claims rather than measurements.
R-38: UMass Amherst, Preventing Ice Dams, an article archived from 2011 that warns some of its information may be out of date. Treat R-38 as a floor, not a target.
$25,000: 201 CMR 14.21, Payments from the Guaranty Fund. Older versions of the regulation show a lower cap, so check the current text.
The questions that stall a decision
Is the job a permit question?
The state building code's general rule is that altering or repairing a building needs a permit, with ordinary repairs exempt. The Town of Dracut's building permit page states that rule but does not say how re-roofing or siding is treated. Ask your own town's building department before work starts, and get its answer in writing.
What a written contract has to show
For an owner-occupied home of one to four units, a Massachusetts home improvement contract must be in writing and carry the contractor's registration number and a scheduled completion date. The deposit is capped at one-third of the total price, with an exception for certain special-order materials. The rules sit in chapter 142A, section 2 of the General Laws, and they are worth reading before any deposit is paid.
Trace the water before naming the part
A stain shows where water ended up, not always where it got in. Follow the mark toward the roof edge, the flashing around any opening and the attic side above it. Naming the covering as the fault before that trail is clear skips the question that decides the job.
Taking the decision to the right page
The helper answers one question about one problem. The other pages carry the detail, each built for a narrower question, so the next step after a result is one of these.
- Service offerings, each exterior job described in plain words.
- Timelines, for sequence and lead time against a sale date.
- Practice notes, a dated note on the roof edge before winter.
- Common questions, brief answers that point to the page with the depth.
Sources to check the figures against
Industry and state programmes
- National Roofing Contractors Association: Roofing Guidelines. The roofing trade's own technical hub, with its manuals, a wind-design tool, an energy calculator and consumer information. It helps to know what a properly installed roof is measured against before you read an estimate.
- Mass Save: Insulation and Air Sealing. The Massachusetts efficiency programme's page on insulation and air sealing for one- to four-unit homes. It lists a lower chance of ice dams among its benefits. Check the page for current incentive levels, because they change.