The short version
Clear your gutters, insulate attic plumbing, find your water shutoff, and fix deferred repairs before the first hard freeze. If your roof is at end of life, book the replacement for winter rather than waiting for spring.
Before the cold arrives
- Clear gutters and downspouts. The highest value hour of the season. Blocked gutters are how ice damming and fascia rot start.
- Insulate attic plumbing. Foam sleeves on every accessible run, especially near eaves and exterior walls.
- Get insulation to depth and confirm soffit vents are not blocked by it.
- Fix the small stuff. Cracked pipe boots, lifted shingles, loose flashing. All cheap now and expensive in February.
- Trim limbs back six to ten feet. Ice brings down branches that handle wind fine.
- Locate your water main shutoff and make sure it actually turns.
Winter guides
Winter storm checklist · Freeze prep · Frozen attic pipes · Ice dams in Texas · Why leaks appear in winter · Attic condensation
Seasonal and holiday
Pre-holiday roof check · Hanging Christmas lights safely · Chimney and fireplace season · Cedar season debris
Winter work and planning
Why winter is a good time to re-roof · Cold weather shingle installation · Filing a claim before January 1 · Year end commercial planning
Why winter is the right time to replace
Three reasons, and they compound. Scheduling is wide open because the industry is not working through a hail backlog. You get established crews rather than whoever was available. And a roof installed in January is standing before peak hail risk opens in March, rather than after it.
The constraint is temperature. Below about 40 degrees we reschedule rather than force it, and in cold weather a good crew hand seals critical areas because the self sealing adhesive will not activate on its own. That question, whether a contractor hand seals in winter, is worth asking anyone who quotes you a January roof.
After a freeze or winter storm
Get an inspection even if nothing looks wrong. Freeze damage usually shows up as cracked shingles and broken seal strips rather than open holes, which means it does not leak until the next heavy rain. A documented post event inspection also establishes a date of loss if you end up filing.
Our Storm Center covers the claim process, and emergency roof repair covers active water intrusion.
