Roofing Company in Dunwoody, GA
Red Roofing & Gutters is a licensed, insured roofing company in Dunwoody, GA. We handle roof replacement, hail and wind damage, insurance claims, gutters and real estate roof inspections — from the 1970s traditionals off Chamblee-Dunwoody Road to the townhomes and condos around Perimeter Center.
Dunwoody is a roofing market with a very specific problem, and most homeowners here do not know they have it until a roofer is standing on the deck. The city’s core housing stock went up in a tight window — roughly 1970 to 1990 — which means an enormous number of Dunwoody roofs are aging out at the same time.
That timing creates a second, less obvious issue. A house built in 1978 has now had two or three roofs. What went on top of the original, and how it was installed, determines whether your next roof is a routine tear-off or an expensive surprise. Below is what we actually find on Dunwoody roofs, how DeKalb County differs from Fulton on permitting, and how the insurance process works when hail comes through.
What We Find on Dunwoody Roofs
The Cedar Shake Legacy
This is the one that separates Dunwoody from its neighbors. A meaningful share of the homes built here in the 1970s and early 1980s — particularly in neighborhoods like Dunwoody Club Forest, Redfield, Branches and Wyntercreek — originally had cedar shake roofs. Cedar was the premium look of that era, and Dunwoody had the price point for it.
Cedar shake does not last like asphalt. Most of those roofs were converted to asphalt shingle somewhere between the late 1980s and the 2000s. The question is how.
A proper conversion means tearing off the shake, removing the spaced sheathing or skip-sheathing underneath, and installing solid decking — because cedar shake was often laid over horizontal battens with gaps between them, not a continuous deck. Asphalt shingle requires a solid nailable surface. If a previous contractor cut corners and shingled over the old shake, or laid thin overlay board across skip-sheathing without properly securing it, you have a roof that cannot hold a nail correctly and a deck that flexes.
We find this more often than you would hope. It is not a reason to panic — it is a reason to have someone get on the roof and look before you accept a bid from anyone quoting you a price sight-unseen.
Ventilation and the Atlanta Attic
Dunwoody’s two-story traditionals and split-foyers frequently have attic ventilation that was adequate in 1980 and is inadequate now. Building science moved; the houses did not.
An under-ventilated attic in a Georgia summer runs 140°F or hotter. That heat cooks the shingle from the underside, which volatilizes the asphalt and accelerates granule loss. A roof rated for 30 years will not see 30 years on a hot attic. It is also a winter problem — warm, moist air rises into the attic, condenses on cold sheathing, and rots decking from the inside where no one is looking.
The fix is balanced intake and exhaust: soffit intake vents that are actually open (they are frequently painted shut or blocked with insulation) paired with continuous ridge vent. This is not an upsell. On a Dunwoody roof, ventilation is the difference between a 20-year roof and a 30-year roof.
Hail and Wind in DeKalb
Dunwoody sits in the same spring convective storm corridor as the rest of the northern arc of metro Atlanta. March through June is the active window.
Hail damage is rarely visible from the ground. What hail does is bruise — it fractures the shingle mat below the surface and dislodges granules, and the shingle then fails years later. A real inspection is done on the roof, with photographs, and includes a soft-metal check: dents in gutters, downspouts, vents, flashing and HVAC condenser fins establish that a hail event actually struck the property, which is what a carrier needs to see.
Wind is sneakier. Uplift breaks the sealant strip that bonds each shingle to the one below it. The shingle does not move, so nothing looks wrong — but it is no longer sealed, and the next storm peels it off. This is why a roof can look fine and leak six months after a storm nobody thought was serious.
Trees
Dunwoody’s canopy is one of the reasons people move here, and it is hard on roofs. Overhanging limbs abrade shingles, drop debris that packs valleys, and shade north-facing planes enough to keep them damp for days. That persistent moisture feeds Gloeocapsa magma — the black streaking that homeowners mistake for dirt. It is algae, it feeds on the limestone filler in the shingle, and it holds water against the mat.
Debris in the gutters is the compounding problem. A clogged gutter backs water under the first shingle course at the eave and rots the fascia and decking. On a wooded Dunwoody lot, gutters are part of the roof system, not an accessory to it.
Roofing Services We Provide in Dunwoody
Roof Replacement
Full tear-off to the decking, deck inspection and board replacement, our branded synthetic underlayment, ice-and-water shield in valleys and around penetrations, new flashing, and Owens Corning architectural shingles.
Residential roofing →Hail & Storm Damage
Photographed inspection, soft-metal verification, written scope. We meet your adjuster on the roof so the claim reflects what is actually up there — not what can be seen from the driveway.
Insurance claims →Roof Repair
Leaks, missing shingles, failed pipe boots, chimney and skylight flashing, valley repairs. If a repair is the right call, we say so. We do not sell roofs that do not need replacing.
Roof repairs →Real Estate Roof Inspections
For Dunwoody agents, buyers and sellers: a documented, contractor-level report on roof condition and remaining life — far more specific than a general home inspector’s roof section, and faster.
Real estate inspections →Gutters
Seamless aluminum gutters and downspouts, sized for the roof area they actually drain. Essential under a mature DeKalb tree canopy.
Gutters →Commercial Roofing
Flat and low-slope systems for the office, retail and multi-family properties around Perimeter Center and the Ashford-Dunwoody corridor.
Commercial roofing →Filing a Roof Insurance Claim in Dunwoody
Most homeowners have never filed a roof claim. Here is the honest sequence, including the parts nobody enjoys.
First, Find Out Whether You Actually Have a Claim
Insurance covers sudden and accidental damage — a hail event, a wind event, a fallen limb. It does not cover a roof that simply wore out. A carrier will deny an aged-out roof, and a denial goes on your record and buys you nothing.
A roofing company in Dunwoody that is worth hiring will inspect first and give you a straight answer before you file. If it is wear and tear, we will quote you retail and you replace it on your own timeline. If it is storm damage, we document it.
Documentation Is the Whole Game
Storm damage has to be proven, not asserted. That means photographs of mat bruising with a reference marker, granule loss, and dents in soft metals. It also means a date — carriers check storm history against your address, and the NOAA Storm Events Database is public.
The Adjuster Meeting Decides the Outcome
This is the step most homeowners handle alone, and it is the step that determines what gets paid. Adjusters are not adversaries, but they carry heavy caseloads and they scope what they are shown. If nobody walks them to the damage, it does not make the scope.
We meet the adjuster on the roof. Not to argue — to make sure the inspection is complete.
Supplements Are Normal
First scopes routinely miss drip edge, code-required ice-and-water shield, ridge vent, and decking replacement that cannot be known until tear-off. Those are submitted as supplements with documentation. This is how the process is designed to work; it is not a fight.
On deductibles. Any contractor offering to “waive,” “eat,” or “cover” your deductible is proposing insurance fraud, and in Georgia that exposes you as well as them. It is also the clearest possible sign you are talking to a storm chaser. End the conversation.
Choosing a Roofing Company in Dunwoody
After a hail event, DeKalb fills with out-of-state crews working door to door. Some are competent. Many will be gone before your warranty means anything. Verify these four things.
A Real Address and a Real History Here
Not a P.O. box, not a virtual office, not an area code from three states away. Ask a simple question: where will this company be in five years when a warranty claim comes up? Red Roofing & Gutters is headquartered at 1020 Sulgrave Drive in Madison, Georgia, and our crews work metro Atlanta year-round — not only after storms.
License and Insurance, Verified
Georgia licenses contractors through the Georgia State Board of Residential and General Contractors. Ask for the number and check it. Then ask for certificates of both general liability and workers’ compensation — if an uninsured worker gets hurt on your roof, that can land on your homeowner’s policy.
Manufacturer Certification
Shingle manufacturers certify contractors, and certification is what unlocks the enhanced warranty. We install Owens Corning systems. A warranty is only worth what the company behind the labor half of it is worth.
A Scope in Writing
A real proposal specifies shingle line and color, underlayment, ice-and-water shield locations, ventilation, flashing, drip edge, decking replacement rate, cleanup and magnet sweep, and warranty terms. A number on the back of a card is not a proposal.
We hold a 4.8-star average across 157 Google reviews. Read them — and read how we responded to the critical ones. That tells you more than the praise does.
How We Replace a Dunwoody Roof
Free Inspection
We get on the roof, photograph what we find, and give you a straight assessment — repair, replace, or leave it alone for now.
Full Tear-Off
Down to bare decking. Every board inspected — which on a converted cedar-shake roof is not optional. Rotten or inadequate decking gets replaced before anything goes back on.
Our Own Underlayment
We install our own branded synthetic underlayment — the waterproof layer that actually protects the house — plus ice-and-water shield in valleys and around every penetration.
Finish & Ventilate
Owens Corning architectural shingles, new flashing, balanced intake and ridge ventilation, and a full magnet sweep of the property.
Dunwoody Neighborhoods We Serve
We work throughout Dunwoody and the surrounding DeKalb communities, including Dunwoody Club Forest, Redfield, Branches, Wyntercreek, Kingsley, Dunwoody North, Georgetown, Vermack and the Perimeter Center area — across ZIP codes 30338, 30346 and 30360.
Dunwoody borders several markets we also serve, including Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Duluth.
Dunwoody Roofing FAQs
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Dunwoody?
Dunwoody is its own municipality with its own permitting, separate from unincorporated DeKalb County — a distinction that trips up out-of-town contractors regularly. Roof replacement generally requires a permit. We handle it, but you can confirm current requirements with the City of Dunwoody. Be suspicious of any roofer who suggests skipping the permit; unpermitted work surfaces at closing and becomes your problem, not theirs.
My house had cedar shake originally. Does that change anything?
Potentially quite a lot. It depends on whether the conversion to asphalt was done properly — meaning the skip-sheathing was replaced with solid decking. If it was not, your roof may not have a proper nailable surface, which affects both the install and the manufacturer warranty. This cannot be assessed from the ground. It is one of the main reasons we inspect before quoting.
How long does a roof replacement take?
Most Dunwoody homes are a one-day tear-off and install. Larger roofs, steep pitches, or significant decking replacement can run two to three days. Weather moves the schedule — we will not install on a wet deck.
How long should a roof last in Dunwoody?
An architectural asphalt roof in this climate typically runs 20 to 30 years. Heavy shade, hail, and poor attic ventilation all shorten it. A properly ventilated roof lasts materially longer than an identical roof that cannot breathe.
What about townhomes and condos?
Perimeter-area townhome and condo roofs are frequently an HOA responsibility rather than an individual owner’s. If you are in an association, check your bylaws before commissioning work. We do work with HOAs and property managers — we can inspect and scope the whole community.
I’m selling. Should I replace the roof first?
Not necessarily — but you should know. Get a real estate roof inspection before you list. A documented all-clear removes a negotiating lever from the buyer. If there is damage, you want to find it on your timeline, not five days before closing.
Need a Roofing Company in Dunwoody, GA?
Free inspection. Straight answer. No pressure and no salesman in your living room.