Clear Roofing & Exteriors · FORTIFIED Roof
FORTIFIED Roof Installation in West Chester, PA, From a Certified Contractor
A FORTIFIED roof is built to a stronger standard than code calls for, with the deck sealed, the shingles nailed tighter and the edges locked down. At Clear Roofing & Exteriors we are a certified FORTIFIED Roofing contractor, and we install and document these roofs across West Chester and Chester County so the work can earn an IBHS FORTIFIED Roof certificate for your home.
- 5.0 stars · Google Reviews
- Certified FORTIFIED Roofing contractor
- GAF Master Elite
- Insured · PA registration PA179710 · NJ 13VH12512800 · DE 2023708270
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“Excellent service, made entire process very easy for me and my family !” Keenan F., Google review
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The short answer: A FORTIFIED roof is a new roof built to the IBHS FORTIFIED Roof standard: sealed deck seams, ring-shank nails, wider drip edge and adhered starter at the edges, and high-wind rated shingles. We are a certified FORTIFIED Roofing contractor working out of West Chester.
- An independent evaluator photographs the install and IBHS, not us, issues the certificate for your address.
- The certificate runs five years and stays with the house if you sell.
- Some insurers discount a FORTIFIED roof. Ask your agent what yours offers before the job.
- Call our West Chester office at (484) 983-3476 for a free inspection and an itemized estimate.
Our Work
The layers under the shingles
The Difference
Why homeowners choose Clear Roofing & Exteriors for a FORTIFIED roof
Clear Roofing & Exteriors is a certified FORTIFIED Roofing contractor working out of 841 Lincoln Ave Ste A, West Chester, PA 19380.
More about Clear Roofing & Exteriors
Who You Are Hiring
- Clear Roofing & Exteriors installs FORTIFIED roofs for homeowners across Chester County & Greater Philadelphia.
- Clear Roofing & Exteriors is a GAF Master Elite contractor, the top designation GAF awards a roofing contractor.
- Clear Roofing & Exteriors is registered as Clear Exteriors LLC · PA Home Improvement Contractor registration PA179710 · NJ HIC registration 13VH12512800 · Delaware business license 2023708270.
- To ask about a FORTIFIED roof, call Clear Roofing & Exteriors at (484) 983-3476 any day between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Torn off to the deck
A FORTIFIED roof starts here, with the old roof off and the bare deck open for sealing and nailing.
Built Past Code
What makes a roof FORTIFIED
Most roofs that fail in a storm fail at the edges first, and once a few shingles go, rain runs straight through the gaps between the deck boards. The FORTIFIED Roof standard goes after both problems. It changes how the deck is sealed, how the roof is nailed and how the edges are held down, and it only counts once an independent evaluator has seen it and IBHS has signed off.
Thinking about a FORTIFIED roof? Call (484) 983-3476 or book a free inspection.
More about FORTIFIED roofs
Good to Know
FORTIFIED Roof: what to know
The four parts of the standard
A sealed roof deck. On a normal roof the joints between plywood or OSB sheets sit under felt or synthetic underlayment and nothing else. FORTIFIED requires those seams to be sealed, either with tape over every seam under the underlayment or with a fully adhered membrane, depending on the method used. If shingles blow off, the deck still sheds water instead of pouring it into the attic.
Ring-shank nails. The roof gets fastened with ring-shank nails in place of smooth ones, in a tighter pattern. The rings grip the wood, and IBHS says that change alone nearly doubles how much wind the deck can take before it lets go.
Locked-down edges. Eaves and rakes get a wider metal drip edge than a standard roof uses. The first course at every edge goes down on an adhered starter strip, so wind has nothing loose to lift.
High-wind rated shingles. Asphalt shingles have to be tested to ASTM D3161 Class F or ASTM D7158 Class H. If you also want the optional Hail Supplement, the shingle has to rate Good or Excellent in the IBHS hail impact ratings.
How your home earns the certificate
We do the work, but we do not hand out the designation. A FORTIFIED evaluator, independent of us, takes dozens of photos as the roof goes on: the bare deck, the sealed seams, the nailing, the drip edge and starter, the shingle wrappers. Those photos and the product paperwork go to IBHS. When IBHS confirms every requirement was met, it issues a FORTIFIED Roof certificate to your property address, with an ID number and an expiration date five years out.
The certificate belongs to the house, not to you or to us, so it transfers if you sell. It needs an evaluator to renew it, and it has to be renewed whenever the roof is replaced.
Questions about your roof? Call (484) 983-3476 or get a free inspection.
Insurance and cost, plainly
Insurers fund IBHS, and some of them give a premium discount for a current FORTIFIED certificate. Whether you get one, and how much, is between you and your carrier. Ask your agent before you decide, and get the answer in writing.
A FORTIFIED roof costs more than a standard replacement of the same size. Sealing the deck, the extra fasteners, the wider edge metal and the evaluation all add material and labor. Our written estimate lists the FORTIFIED items as their own lines, so you can see exactly what the upgrade adds before you sign anything.
Is It Worth It
When a FORTIFIED roof makes sense
- Your roof is due for replacement anyway, which is the cheapest time to build it FORTIFIED
- The house sits on an open hill, a ridge or a field where wind hits it from every side
- You have already lost shingles, ridge cap or gutters in a wind storm
- Your insurance agent has mentioned a discount for a FORTIFIED certificate
- You plan to stay in the home for years, or want a documented roof to show buyers
Sound like your house? Call (484) 983-3476 or get a free inspection.
A FORTIFIED roof is a full roof replacement with stronger details, and it holds up best against the kind of weather we cover on our storm and hail damage page.
Our Process
The Clear Roofing & Exteriors FORTIFIED roof process
- Step : 01
Free inspection and insurance check
We look at the roof, the deck from the attic and the edges, and tell you whether a FORTIFIED roof makes sense on your house. We suggest you call your insurance agent the same week and ask what a FORTIFIED certificate is worth on your policy.
- Step : 02
Itemized estimate
You get a written estimate with the FORTIFIED items priced on their own lines: deck sealing, ring-shank nailing, edge metal and starter, the rated shingle and the evaluation. Nothing starts until you sign off on it.
- Step : 03
Install with the evaluator
Our crew tears the old roof off to the deck and builds the new one to the standard. We line the work up with the evaluator so each layer gets photographed before the next one covers it.
- Step : 04
IBHS review and your certificate
The evaluator sends the photos and paperwork to IBHS. Once IBHS confirms the roof meets the standard, it issues the FORTIFIED Roof certificate for your address. Keep it with your house papers and send a copy to your insurer.
Featured Google Reviews
Rated 5.0 stars on Google
Every one of them five stars. These are real, unedited reviews left by homeowners on Google.
They did an outstanding job on our roof. The crew Chris assembled, were punctual and very respectable of our property. On time no nonsense work crew.
It’s so hard to find a good and honest roofer out there. … Our roof turned out spectacular and we were amazed how efficient they were.
Replacing a roof due to hail damage is a bummer. … I need to understand each step of the process, both technically and financially. CE more then met that requirement.
Fortunately, Clear Exteriors were in my neighborhood and once they got involved everything went smooth. They know Roofs …
100% customer focused and detail oriented business. This company could not have been easier to work with. Extremely helpful in processing my insurance claim.
Amazing experience with the entire staff. Phil and Stephen do a wonderful job of working with you through the whole process.
Good to Know
FORTIFIED Roof: frequently asked questions
Is Clear Roofing & Exteriors a certified FORTIFIED roofer?
Yes. We are a certified FORTIFIED Roofing contractor, trained to install roofs to the FORTIFIED Roof standard from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and to document the work the way IBHS needs to see it. Ask us for our certification when we come out, and check it before you sign.
What is the difference between a FORTIFIED roof and a regular new roof?
Three things you cannot see from the street. The seams in the roof deck are sealed so water stays out if shingles blow off, the shingles go down with ring-shank nails in a tighter pattern, and the eaves and rakes get a wider drip edge and an adhered starter strip so wind cannot peel the roof from the edge. The shingles also have to carry a high-wind rating, ASTM D3161 Class F or ASTM D7158 Class H.
Who decides if my roof qualifies?
IBHS does. An independent FORTIFIED evaluator photographs the work at each stage of the install and sends the photos and paperwork to IBHS. Once IBHS confirms the roof meets the standard, it issues a FORTIFIED Roof certificate for your property address. We build it and document it, but we do not issue the certificate ourselves.
How long does a FORTIFIED designation last?
IBHS issues the certificate for five years, and the expiration date is printed on it. Renewing it takes an evaluator confirming the roof still meets the standard. The designation stays with the property, so it can go with the house if you sell, and it has to be renewed if the roof is ever replaced.
Will a FORTIFIED roof lower my home insurance?
It might, but that is up to your carrier. Some insurers give a discount for a current FORTIFIED designation and some do not, and it varies by company and state. Call your agent before the job and ask what they offer for a FORTIFIED Roof certificate, so you know the number before you decide. We will not promise you a discount we do not control.
Does a FORTIFIED roof cost more?
Yes, somewhat, because sealing the deck, the extra nailing and the edge work take more material and more time than a standard tear-off, and the evaluation is part of the job. How much more depends on the size and pitch of the roof and the shingle you pick. We price the FORTIFIED items as their own lines on a free written estimate, so you see exactly what the upgrade adds.
Where We Work
Areas we serve
Where We Travel
Our service radius from West Chester
We run this work out of our office at 841 Lincoln Ave Ste A in West Chester borough. What shapes the Chester County radius is the West Chester Bypass, the limited-access stretch that carries both US 202 and US 322 around the borough rather than through it. US 202 runs northeast toward King of Prussia and south toward Wilmington, Delaware; US 322 runs northwest to Downingtown and southeast toward Chester. Those two corridors are how our trucks reach most of the county.
Inside the borough we work off PA Route 3, which runs as Market Street eastbound and Gay Street westbound. West of town, PA Route 52 heads toward Kennett Square and PA Route 162 toward Unionville. North of the bypass, US Route 30 and PA Route 100 cross at Exton in West Whiteland Township, and that intersection anchors the Exton, Downingtown and Uwchlan end of the map. Southeast, we roof homes around Glen Mills in Concord Township, Delaware County.
Not sure whether your street falls inside the radius? Call (484) 983-3476 and ask. It costs nothing to find out.
Map: West Chester, PA and the Chester County towns around it
More about where we work
Driving Directions
Driving directions & service access in Chester County, PA
We run FORTIFIED roof work across Chester County from 841 Lincoln Ave Ste A in West Chester. The routes below go to West Goshen, Exton and Downingtown, and each card has a link for turn-by-turn directions.
From West Goshen, PA
West Chester to West Goshen
- Driving in from West Goshen: the longest stretches are East Gay Street and Paoli Pike
- Roads we run: East Market Street (PA 3), Paoli Pike
- Landmarks on the way: Farmers and Mechanics Building
- Straight-line distance: about 1.6 miles from West Chester, not a drive time
- Town page: West Goshen Roofing
- Office we run it from: 841 Lincoln Ave Ste A, West Chester, PA 19380
From Exton, PA
West Chester to Exton
- Driving in from Exton: the longest stretches are Pottstown Pike (PA 100) and North High Street
- Roads we run: West Chester Bypass (US 202), East Market Street (PA 3)
- Landmarks on the way: Farmers and Mechanics Building
- Straight-line distance: about 5 miles from West Chester, not a drive time
- Town page: Roofing in Exton
- Office we run it from: 841 Lincoln Ave Ste A, West Chester, PA 19380
From Downingtown, PA
West Chester to Downingtown
- Driving in from Downingtown: the longest stretches are Downingtown Pike (US 322) and Brandywine Avenue (US 322)
- Roads we run: Downingtown Pike (US 322 BUS), Brandywine Avenue (US 322)
- Landmarks on the way: Gibson's Covered Bridge and Farmers and Mechanics Building
- Straight-line distance: about 6.1 miles from West Chester, not a drive time
- Town page: Roofing in Downingtown, PA
- Office we run it from: 841 Lincoln Ave Ste A, West Chester, PA 19380