The material decides the century

A natural slate roof, properly installed and properly flashed, will outlive three generations of asphalt re-roofs. The math isn’t sentimental — it’s structural. Slate is rated for 100 to 200 years; asphalt shingles need replacement every 18 to 25. We install natural slate from quarried sources we name (Vermont, Virginia, Pennsylvania), synthetic slate when the framing won’t carry the natural weight, and we never mix a synthetic slate roof with steel flashing. Copper, or it doesn’t get fastened.

The work is slow. A residential slate roof in Boston takes three to six weeks depending on complexity. We don’t storm-chase, we don’t subcontract the roof itself, and we don’t quote slate work without walking it first. Not every roof needs a full re-lay; when the field is sound, a targeted slate roof repair is the honest call.

Detail of slate roof tiles with hand-soldered copper gutter in Boston

How the work actually gets done

On-roof assessment

Arturo walks every roof himself. We measure pitch, framing capacity, deck condition, and existing flashing. Free, no obligation.

Material specification

Natural or synthetic. Quarry source named. Underlayment, ice-and-water shield, copper or stainless flashing — specified line by line in your quote.

Controlled tear-off

We protect landscaping, drives, and adjacent structures. Old slate is salvaged where reusable, recycled where not. Deck inspected before new install.

Hand-laid install

Slate goes on one tile at a time, by senior craftsmen, with the correct copper flashings at every penetration, valley, and ridge. No nails through the slate face.

Final inspection

We walk it with you, document every flashing detail, and hand you a binder with the warranty, material origins, and a maintenance schedule.

A glimpse of the portfolio

See the full portfolio →

What does slate actually cost you over a lifetime?

A slate roof costs more on day one and less by year sixty. This works out where the crossover falls on your house, using Greater Boston replacement cycles rather than national averages.

— Adjust the figures to compare.

Slate —

Asphalt shingle —

Re-roofs avoided: —
Slate pulls ahead: —

Totals are in future dollars, with replacement costs escalated 3.5% a year, so long horizons produce large-looking numbers. The useful figure is the gap between the two columns and the year slate pulls ahead, not the absolute total. Planning figures, not a quote: real numbers depend on pitch, access, the state of the deck, and how much copper the roof needs. Arturo walks the roof before anyone puts a price on it.

Want these numbers checked against your actual roof? Send it over and Arturo will take a look. The assessment is free, and if the answer is that you do not need us yet, that is what you get told.

2005 Family-run since
4.9★ 23 Google reviews
75–150 yr Slate roof lifespan
In-house Crew — never subcontracted

Licensed & Insured · MA Construction Supervisor · MHIC Registered

Slate. Hand-laid by craftsmen, flashed in copper, built to outlive the house.