Hear from Our Customers
When your roof is in good shape, you stop thinking about it. No checking the ceiling after a storm. No wondering if that dark streak on the shingles is something serious. You just live in your house without it hanging over you — and that’s exactly what a properly assessed and maintained roof gives you.
For Del Shire homeowners, especially those in the waterfront sections near the St. Jones River corridor and Silver Lake, that peace of mind is harder to come by than it is for people living in drier inland communities. The ambient moisture near the water accelerates algae growth, wears down shingle granules faster, and creates conditions where small problems compound quietly before they become visible. By the time you notice a stain or a soft spot, the issue has usually been developing for a while.
Getting ahead of it is the whole point. A roof that’s been properly inspected, repaired where needed, and fitted with the right materials for Delaware’s wet, humid climate doesn’t just protect the structure — it protects your investment in a neighborhood that’s been growing steadily and attracting new residents to the Dover area for years.
First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. has been roofing homes across Kent and Sussex counties for over 22 years. Del Shire falls right in the heart of that territory — not a stretch of the service area, but the kind of Dover-adjacent neighborhood we’ve been working in since the beginning. We know the housing stock in Del Shire, we know the climate, and we know what Delaware’s seasons do to a roof over time.
Richard McCain, Owner and President, is a named individual behind every job — not a franchise operator or a regional call center. When something comes up after the work is done, there’s a real person accountable for it. That matters more than most homeowners realize until they need it.
We’re licensed through the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, fully insured, BBB accredited, and carry a 5.0-star rating across more than 63 verified reviews from homeowners throughout the area. The reviews are specific, not generic — and that’s the kind of track record that actually means something.
It starts with a free inspection. We come out to Del Shire, get on the roof, and give you an honest assessment of what’s actually going on up there — not a sales pitch, not a worst-case scenario designed to scare you into a replacement. If you need a repair, we’ll tell you. If the roof has more life left in it, we’ll tell you that too. If replacement is the right call, we’ll explain exactly why and walk you through what that looks like.
For homes in Del Shire, especially those with waterfront exposure or older housing stock, that inspection often turns up things that aren’t visible from the ground — granule loss, compromised flashing around chimneys or skylights, early-stage algae growth on north-facing sections. These are the details that matter most in a moisture-heavy environment, and they’re what we’re specifically looking for.
From there, if work is needed, we handle everything in-house. No subcontracting, no strangers on your property who weren’t part of the original conversation. We pull the necessary permits through the City of Dover, manage the project from start to finish, and leave the site clean. If your roof damage is storm-related and you’re dealing with an insurance claim, we work directly with your insurance provider to help simplify that process.
Ready to get started?
First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. handles the full exterior — roofing, siding, gutters, windows, and skylights. For Del Shire homeowners dealing with moisture-related wear, that matters more than it might elsewhere. When a roof near the water shows signs of deterioration, the gutters and siding are often part of the same story. Being able to address all of it through one contractor means no gaps in accountability and no coordinating between separate crews who each claim the other trade caused the problem.
On the roofing side specifically, we work with asphalt shingles, metal roofing, slate, EPDM, TPO, and more. For Del Shire’s near-water properties, algae-resistant shingles are something we recommend not as an upsell but as a practical necessity — the dark streaking from Gloeocapsa magma algae is common throughout the Dover area, and in a moisture-intensive environment like Del Shire, standard shingles are at a disadvantage from day one.
We also serve commercial clients, so if you own or manage a commercial property in the Dover area alongside your home, you’re not dealing with two different contractors. Emergency roof repair is available 24/7 for storm or wind damage. Financing is available for larger projects. Every job starts with a free estimate — no financial commitment required to find out exactly where you stand.
The honest answer is that you often can’t tell from the ground, and the line between “repair” and “replace” depends on a few specific factors — the age of the roof, the extent of the damage, and what the underlying structure looks like once someone gets up there. A roof that’s 15 to 20 years old and showing visible wear might have another decade in it with targeted repairs, or it might be at the point where patching is just delaying the inevitable and costing you more in the long run.
For Del Shire homes near the water, age alone doesn’t tell the full story. Elevated humidity and persistent moisture exposure can shorten a roof’s effective lifespan compared to its rated one. A shingle that’s supposed to last 25 years in a dry climate may be significantly worn at 18 years in a moisture-heavy environment like Del Shire. The only way to know for sure is a proper inspection — which we provide at no cost. We document what we find, explain what it means, and give you a straight answer on whether repair or replacement makes more sense for your specific situation.
For most residential homes in Del Shire and the Dover area, architectural asphalt shingles with algae-resistant properties are the most practical choice — they’re durable, widely available, and specifically designed to resist the dark streaking that Gloeocapsa magma algae causes on roofs throughout Kent County. Standard 3-tab shingles are less common now for good reason; they have less wind resistance and tend to wear faster in Delaware’s wet conditions.
Metal roofing is a strong option for homeowners who want longevity — a properly installed metal roof can last up to 50 years and handles freeze-thaw cycles and moisture better than asphalt over the long term. The upfront cost is higher, but the math often works out over time, especially for homeowners planning to stay in their Del Shire property for many years. We’ll walk you through the material options that make sense for your home’s specific exposure, pitch, and budget.
It depends on the cause of the damage and the specifics of your policy, but storm-related damage — wind, hail, falling debris — is generally covered under standard homeowners insurance in Delaware. What catches people off guard is the claims process itself: documenting the damage correctly, understanding what the adjuster is actually assessing, and knowing when to push back on a low estimate.
Delaware sees nor’easters regularly and tropical storm remnants every couple of years, with wind gusts that can exceed 70 mph even in inland Kent County communities like Del Shire. After those events, insurance claims spike — and so does the risk of homeowners accepting settlements that don’t fully cover the work needed. First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. works directly with homeowners’ insurance providers to help simplify that process. We document the damage thoroughly, communicate with your adjuster, and make sure the scope of work reflects what the roof actually needs.
Yes, for a full roof replacement in Dover and the surrounding area, a building permit is required. The City of Dover operates its own building inspection and permitting department, and replacement work — as opposed to minor repairs — falls within the scope of what requires a permit and subsequent inspection. This is not something you want to skip, both because code violations can create problems at resale and because unpermitted work can complicate insurance claims down the road.
When you work with First State Roofing & Exteriors Co., pulling the necessary permits is part of what we handle. You don’t have to navigate the City of Dover’s permitting process yourself or worry about whether the work meets local code requirements. We manage that from start to finish. If you’re working with a contractor who suggests you pull the permit yourself or implies it isn’t necessary for a replacement, that’s a red flag worth paying attention to.
For most standard single-family homes, a full roof replacement can be completed in a single day. Larger homes, more complex roof geometries, or situations where the decking underneath needs repair can extend that to two days. The goal is always to minimize disruption — your home shouldn’t feel like a construction site for a week.
That said, timing matters in Delaware. Spring and fall tend to be the busiest seasons for roofing work, partly because they follow the storm seasons that expose damage, and partly because the weather cooperates better for installation. If you’re dealing with active damage and waiting on a slot during a busy period, we also offer emergency roof repair around the clock — so if a storm opens up a leak before your scheduled replacement date, we can secure the roof to prevent further water intrusion while we get the full project scheduled.
After any significant storm in the Dover area, out-of-state contractors show up quickly — door-to-door, high-pressure, offering to start work immediately. Some are legitimate. Many are not. The ones to avoid are those who can’t produce a Delaware license, can’t provide proof of general liability and workers’ compensation insurance, or ask you to sign over your insurance claim rights before they’ve even looked at the roof.
The most reliable way to vet a contractor is to verify their credentials directly. First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. is licensed through the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation and carries full insurance coverage — both of which are verifiable, not just claimed. We’ve been operating in Kent County for over 22 years, which means we were here before the last storm and we’ll be here after the next one. A contractor with that kind of local history has something to protect — their reputation in the community they actually live and work in.
Local Resources
Useful Links
Other Services we provide in Del Shire
