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Roofing company in Frederick, MD
Inside the Frederick Town Historic District, the Historic Preservation Commission regulates roofs along with everything else on the outside of the building. Slate, standing seam and even shingle color all have rules.
Why local actually matters here
Roofing in Frederick, Frederick County
About one home in five in 21701 was built before 1940. In downtown Frederick, the roof is part of what the city protects.
Frederick created a local historic district in 1952, the second city in Maryland to do it. Today the Frederick Town Historic District is a Historic Preservation Overlay zone, and the city’s design guidelines describe it as the largest contiguous collection of historic resources in the state. All work in the district needs a zoning permit, and the Historic Preservation Commission regulates changes to the entire building envelope, roofs included. If any part of the property is visible from a public way, the Commission reviews all exterior changes, not just the ones you can see from the street.
The guidelines are specific about roofs. A slate roof is to be repaired with matching slate where possible before replacement is considered. Standing-seam metal is replaced in kind, with flat panels rather than ribbed ones. Asphalt shingle can replace existing asphalt or asbestos shingle, and the Commission approves the color. EPDM or TPO is acceptable on flat and nearly flat roofs that cannot be seen from the street. A quote that ignores all this is quoting a roof that will not get approved.
The housing is also denser than most towns we work in. In 21701 the single biggest group of homes predates 1940, and there are 6,276 attached single-family homes against 7,541 detached ones. Gable and shed roofs are the most common types in the district, and some of the shed roofs are nearly flat. A section like that is membrane work, and the joint where your roof meets the neighbor’s is where most of these houses leak.
The rest of Frederick is much newer. Most homes in 21702 went up after 1980, with the 1990s the biggest decade, and in 21703 attached homes outnumber detached ones. A Frederick address is not always the city, either. Ballenger Creek, just south of the city limits, and Spring Ridge, across the Monocacy River, are unincorporated communities with Frederick mail.
Inside city limits, the City of Frederick handles its own building permits, and outside them the permit authority is Frederick County. Requirements depend on whether the work is like-for-like or structural, and inside the historic district roof work comes under the Historic Preservation Commission. We confirm what your address needs before work starts.
Housing figures are from published census data for ZIPs 21701, 21702 and 21703. Historic district rules per the Frederick Town Historic District Design Guidelines (2019 edition).
What we do here
Roof replacementRoof repairCommercial & flat roofingFree roof inspectionEmergency roof tarpingGuttersSkylights1829 Reisterstown Rd, Suite 350, Pikesville, MD 21208. Licensed in Maryland only — MHIC #114601. We do not work in DC.
Streets, ZIPs and neighborhoods
Where in Frederick we work, and what the roofs are like
Frederick mail covers four main ZIPs, all in Frederick County. 21703 and 21704 take in Ballenger Creek and Bartonsville, which are outside the city limits, so a Frederick address does not settle who issues the permit.
Roads we are on most weeks
ZIP codes
What we actually find here
Five things that go wrong on Frederick roofs
None of these are guesses about your house. They are what this housing stock, at this age, keeps producing.
That is the most common reason people here call us. We go up, photograph what is really there, and tell you if a repair will hold. A second opinion costs nothing and nobody here works on commission.
What we do here
Roofing services in Frederick
The same six things we do everywhere in Frederick County, on the housing Frederick actually has.
Roof replacement in Frederick
Full tear-off, decking inspected and photographed before anything is covered.
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Roof repair in Frederick
Leaks, flashing and storm damage, repaired where a repair will genuinely hold.
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Commercial & flat roofing in Frederick
EPDM and TPO for the low-slope sections these houses so often have.
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Free roof inspection in Frederick
On the roof, not from the driveway. Second opinions welcome.
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Emergency roof tarping in Frederick
Water coming in now? Temporary protection first, so the damage stops spreading.
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Gutters in Frederick
Gutters sized and pitched to what the roof sheds, hung on a fascia we have checked.
Learn more →What you are entitled to expect
The Bravo Standard: how a roofing job runs in Frederick
Four commitments, identical on every job in every town. No commissioned salespeople anywhere in it.
We inspect the roof properly
A real inspection on the roof, not from the driveway or a satellite image. Free, and no obligation afterwards.
You see roof photos before any price
Before any price is mentioned. You look at the same evidence we do and decide from there.
Your quote is written and itemized
You can see what each part costs. No expiring discounts and no pressure to sign today.
Nothing gets covered up
You see what is underneath before it is closed in. Anything rotted is replaced in front of you.
Recent work
Roofs we have finished in and around Frederick
Unedited, from Google
“It’s been great working with Dmitry and Bravo roofing for several years now. They did a full tear off and replace of my flat roof back in 2019. I had a leak last year and Dmitry came out to inspect. He found that an old roof antenna had fallen off and punctured it.”
Tony DeBraccio · Google“I highly recommend Bravo for any kind of roof repair or construction. Dmitry, the business owner, is meticulous and detailed. He personally assessed the leaking overhang roof in our old house and delivered a thorough and economical solution.”
Google review · verified“Very professional, reasonably priced, quick and did a great job. 10/10”
Patricia Green · GoogleStraight answers
Frederick roofing questions we get asked
Is my roof subject to historic review?
If your house is in the Frederick Town Historic District, yes. The Historic Preservation Commission regulates the whole building envelope, roofs included, and all work in the district needs a zoning permit. We will tell you whether your address is inside it before you choose a material.
Can I put asphalt shingles on my downtown house?
If the roof is already asphalt or asbestos shingle, the guidelines allow asphalt as a replacement, and on additions, with the color approved by the Commission. Replacing slate or metal with asphalt is not permitted unless there is evidence asphalt was used before.
My slate roof leaks. Do I have to replace it with slate?
Usually the first step is repair, not replacement. The guidelines call for repair with matching slate where possible. If the roof is beyond repair, it can be replaced in kind, and synthetic slate is considered case by case.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Frederick?
Inside city limits the City of Frederick issues building permits, and outside them Frederick County does. Requirements depend on whether the work is like-for-like or structural. We confirm what your address needs before work begins.
My mail says Frederick, but I live in Ballenger Creek. Does that change anything?
Only the paperwork. Ballenger Creek is unincorporated, so the permit authority is Frederick County rather than the city, and the city’s historic district rules do not apply.
The back of my row house has a nearly flat roof. What goes on it?
Below the pitch where shingles work, it needs a membrane roof. In the historic district, the guidelines accept EPDM or TPO on flat and nearly flat roofs that are not visible from the street.
Nearby
Free, and genuinely no obligation
Book a free roof inspection in Frederick
We come out, go up, photograph what is there and walk you through it — including when the answer is that your roof has years left.