The questions Matthews gets most — roofing, siding, windows, storm claims, financing, and HOA bids. If you don't see yours, call 651.314.3400.
Cost depends on size, pitch, the number of existing layers, and the shingle. Several of the biggest drivers are code rather than choice — in much of the metro a full tear-off is required, the ice barrier has to run at least 24 inches past the exterior wall line, and the shingle has to be rated for at least 90 MPH. We break down what moves the number, and we put a real one in writing after looking at the roof.
It depends on condition rather than age. A failed pipe boot, a few wind-lifted shingles or one bad flashing detail is a repair. Widespread granule loss, brittleness across slopes, leaks in several places, or a soft deck is a replacement. Here is what to check yourself, from the ground and from inside the attic. We give you a free written assessment and we do say “this roof is fine” when it is.
In much of the Twin Cities metro, no. Where the building code identifies a moderate hail area, asphalt shingles may not be applied over an existing roof covering, so every re-roof is a full tear-off. The code text is here. If a quote is thousands cheaper than the others, this is the first thing to check.
Yes, and your contractor should pull it in their own name, with the cost already in the quote. The inspection that comes with it is the only independent check anybody performs on your roof. What the inspector looks at.
Usually less than the number on the shingle wrapper. Freeze-thaw cycling, ice dams, hail and attic heat from an under-insulated ceiling all shorten it, so a well-ventilated roof that has missed the hail can outlast a neglected one by years. We would rather look at it than guess from its age.
The product is your call. We install the full range — architectural asphalt, Class 4 impact-resistant, and premium designer shingles — and walk you through the trade-offs for your home and budget. We’re an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor, so that’s often what we recommend, but we’re not locked to one brand. Whatever goes on has to meet Minnesota’s wind rating; one metro city publishes a notice that non-compliant shingles are sold locally.
Three, and they cover different things. The manufacturer warranty covers the shingle; the contractor’s workmanship warranty covers the installation; and Minnesota law adds a statutory one-year warranty against faulty workmanship due to noncompliance with building standards — which is not affected by the contractor dissolving their LLC. What to check before you sign.
If there is functional storm damage, most Minnesota policies cover it — but how much they pay depends on whether your policy is replacement cost or actual cash value. On an actual cash value policy, depreciation comes off first and the cheque can be well short of the job. The difference, in the state’s own words. We provide a free written damage report to submit to your carrier.
On a replacement cost policy, usually your deductible. On an actual cash value policy it can be a great deal more. The Minnesota Department of Commerce works through a roof costing $30,000 with a $3,000 deductible and a $20,000 cheque — leaving the homeowner $13,000 to find. Check which policy you have before a storm, not after. We document the loss, meet the adjuster on site, and argue the scope.
A hail bruise is a roughly circular impact where granules are knocked clear and the mat underneath is fractured — it feels soft under a thumb. Scattered granules in the gutter are normal ageing. Soft metal tells you most: check gutters, downspouts, fascia wrap, vents and the AC condenser fins. What to look for, and what it is not.
One inch — about a quarter — is the National Weather Service severe threshold and roughly where asphalt shingles start taking functional damage. But duration matters as much as diameter: in the June 2026 north metro storm the Weather Service recorded hail falling for over ten minutes straight. Why the number alone does not settle it, and what was measured in your county.
No. Carriers reopen claims on new documentation regularly, and a denial letter that names a reason tells you exactly what has to be documented. Separately, if you already signed a contract to be paid from the claim, Minnesota gives you 72 hours from the denial notice to cancel it. What to do next.
No. You choose your contractor, not your insurance company. Matthews works directly with all major Minnesota insurers.
It can be — a contractor working a neighbourhood after hail is ordinary — but do not let urgency decide. Minnesota gives you until midnight of the third business day to cancel anything signed at your door, and an insurance-funded roofing contract must arrive with a detachable cancellation notice attached. No form is a red flag you can spot without knowing anything about roofs. Both statutes, quoted.
Minnesota licenses residential roofers at state level and the register is public — it takes about thirty seconds. Ours are Minnesota BC807855 and Wisconsin 2590-DCFR, and you should check them the same way you would check anyone else’s. How to look it up, and the one exemption that gets misused.
Your policy sets the notice requirement, and separately the standard Minnesota hail policy carries a one-year period to bring suit — shorter than the two years commonly repeated. But the deadline rarely defeats a late claim; the evidence does, because hail bruising weathers. Both clocks explained.
Make it safe, stop further water getting in (temporary protection is normally covered — keep receipts), then document before any permanent repair. Photograph by elevation with something for scale, and check the official storm report for your county. The full sequence.
James Hardie fiber cement and LP SmartSide engineered wood hold up well to Minnesota freeze-thaw cycles. Vinyl is more affordable and still appropriate for many homes, though it gets brittle in deep cold, which matters for hail. Whatever goes on, the water-resistive barrier and flashing behind it are what actually keep the wall dry — and those are inspected before the siding covers them.
Yes, and it is routinely missed on the first adjuster walk because hail is directional — it damages the elevations facing the storm and can leave the opposite walls untouched. If it is found later, that is a supplement rather than a new claim. What to look for, by material.
That depends on your policy, not on Minnesota law. Minn. Stat. § 65A.10 is widely cited as a state matching law and it is not one — its two subdivisions never mention siding, roofing, matching or uniform appearance. What actually decides a matching argument.
Yes, and often an electrical permit too, because meter sockets, disconnects and fixtures come off during the work. When the old siding is off, any rotted sheathing, framing or insulation must be replaced. What the inspector checks before the new siding goes on.
Material is what everyone shops; the line that actually moves the number is the condition of the sheathing behind the old siding, which code requires be replaced if it is rotten and which nobody can price until the siding is off. What a good quote states.
It depends entirely on what you are replacing. Going from single-pane or failed double-pane units to modern low-E glass makes a real difference in a Minnesota winter; replacing sound, reasonably recent windows usually does not pay back in energy alone. We would rather tell you that before you spend the money than afterwards.
Almost always because indoor humidity is too high, not because the window has failed. The University of Minnesota lists winter window condensation first among the symptoms of excess indoor moisture, and puts a healthy winter range at about 25% relative humidity. Moisture sealed between the panes is different — that is a failed seal. How to tell which one you have.
Ask what U-factor you are being offered instead — pane count is one of several ways to get there, and the NFRC label reports where a particular window actually landed. Triple generally reaches a lower U-factor, but a good double unit can beat a cheap triple. How to read the label.
They reduce it; they do not stop it. The UV-blocked percentage in a brochure is a measure Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says “is believed to have little meaning” — it does not even cover the full range of wavelengths in which fading happens, and visible light fades fabric and wood too. What to ask for instead.
An insert fits inside your existing frame — cheaper and faster, but it shrinks the opening on all four sides and leaves the old frame unexamined. In a bedroom that can take the opening below the 5.7 sq ft egress minimum, in which case the cheaper method is not available. How to tell which you need.
A net clear opening of at least 5.7 square feet — 5 at grade level — at least 24 inches high and 20 inches wide, with the sill no more than 44 inches above the floor. Net clear means the hole you can actually climb through, not the frame size. The full rule, including window wells.
Linear feet and material set the base. What moves it is downspout count, height and access, and the condition of the fascia behind the old gutter. Doing it alongside a re-roof is cheaper, because the gutters come off anyway. The full breakdown.
Under trees, yes — they keep leaves and needles out of the trough and cut how often somebody is on a ladder. What they do not do is stop ice dams. The Minnesota Department of Commerce states that ice dams are not caused by gutter problems at all, so a guard sold as an ice-dam cure is sold on a premise the state contradicts. The guidance, quoted.
No. Ice dams form on the roof above the gutter, because warm air leaking from the house melts snow that then refreezes at the cold eave — it would happen with no gutters at all. New gutters are worth having when the old ones are damaged or pitched wrong, but they are not an ice-dam remedy. What actually stops ice dams is sealing attic air leaks and insulating to R-50.
Usually, and they are worth checking carefully because thin aluminium records hail faithfully — adjusters use soft metal to confirm that hail of a given size reached your property. If the roof is being replaced the gutters generally come off anyway, which is the moment to have them in the written scope. What counts as functional damage.
Warm air leaking out of the house into the attic, melting snow from underneath. The meltwater runs down and refreezes at the cold eave. The Minnesota Department of Commerce is explicit that roofing, ventilation and gutter problems are not the cause, and that adding roof vents “will not eliminate ice dams and often make the problem worse.” The full guidance.
The Department of Commerce puts the target at a minimum of R-50, with air leaks sealed first using caulk or expanding foam. The order matters: insulation laid over an unsealed ceiling buries the leaks where nobody will find them. Where the leaks usually are.
No, and we would rather say so. A new roof with a code-compliant ice barrier limits what a dam can do to your ceiling, which is worth having — but the dam keeps forming until the attic stops leaking heat. The fix is air sealing and insulation.
A straightforward asphalt re-roof on an average house is usually one day; two if it is large, steep or cut up with a lot of penetrations. The unpredictable part is the deck — nobody sees the sheathing until the old roof is off. What the day actually looks like.
Move vehicles off the driveway and anything fragile away from the house. The part people are not warned about is inside: tearing a roof off shakes the house, so take pictures off the walls upstairs and cover anything stored in the attic. It is loud all day, directly overhead — plan for pets and anyone working from home. The full prep list.
No. The crew works outside and does not need access to the house. Being reachable by phone helps, because rotten sheathing is the one thing that can change the scope mid-job and you want that conversation while the roof is open.
Yes, and we do — storm damage does not wait for spring. But asphalt shingles self-seal using the sun, which does not happen in the cold, so they may need hand-sealing and different fastening. Those requirements are in the manufacturer’s instructions, which Minnesota requires be followed. Ask any winter quote what the instructions require and whether they are doing it. Why it matters.
Work stops, because an open deck cannot be left exposed. A good crew will not tear off more than they can dry in that day. A roof rescheduled the morning of is the right call — water in the deck is a far worse problem than a delayed start.
Cleanup and disposal should be in the price, dumpster included. Nails are the real issue — a tear-off produces thousands. Magnetic rollers over the whole perimeter are standard, and we run them more than once. Walk the lawn yourself a few days later, especially where the dumpster sat.
A deposit at signing and the balance on completion. Paying in full up front is not normal — and on an insurance job the carrier typically withholds depreciation until the work is done and documented, so that money has not been released yet. How recoverable depreciation works.
It depends on the season and on whether a storm has just moved through the metro. We will give you a real date rather than a hopeful one, and tell you if we are not the fastest option available to you.
We walk every building, measure via aerial and on-site survey, and return an itemized line-by-line bid the board can read. We meet with the board to walk through the scope before any contract is signed.
Yes. Phased schedules that minimize parking disruption, debris, and noise — with weekly resident communication coordinated through property management.
No. Pre-qualification through Hearth is a soft pull only. A hard inquiry only happens after you accept a specific offer.
No prepayment penalty. When the insurance funds clear, you can pay the loan off in full with no extra fees.
On a replacement cost policy the carrier often pays in two parts: actual cash value first, then the withheld depreciation once the work is done and documented. That is normal. It does mean the first cheque will not cover the job, and a contractor asking for payment in full up front is asking for money the policy has not released yet. How recoverable depreciation works.
Matthews Building Solutions LLC: Minnesota BC807855, Wisconsin 2590-DCFR. Fully bonded and insured. CAI-MN member. Owens Corning Preferred Contractor. You can verify any of it in the state lookup.
Both. About half our work is retail homeowner-paid projects and half is insurance restoration. We bid retail competitively against any other Minnesota contractor.
Twin Cities metro, greater Minnesota, and western Wisconsin. We’re licensed in both MN and WI. See service areas.
If your question isn’t answered above, ask it here. We’ll answer it straight — and if the honest answer is “you don’t need us,” we’ll say that too.
No high-pressure sales call. Just a contractor who answers the phone.
We measure the work by how it holds up — and by what clients say once we're gone.