The short answer: if the roof needs to go, start there, then work top down, gutters, then soffit and fascia, then windows and doors, and siding last. The one thing that jumps the line is anything structural, significant water damage, or a safety hazard, which gets handled first no matter where it sits on the house.
The rule of thumb, assuming the roof does in fact need to be replaced, is to work top down. If you have issues with the roof, that's where you want to start. That's not always the case, but unless something else has structural issues, significant water damage, or something that could be hazardous to you or your family, top down is best.
This question comes up often when we sit down with homeowners here in the Milwaukee metro. We'll visit a home to inspect a roof, and while we're completing the inspection, we'll find substantially more that needs to be addressed on the envelope of the home.
First, the overwhelm is normal
Finding out your home needs more work than you thought can hit hard. More often than not, your home is your most valuable asset, and you just learned it has a much bigger problem than you came in expecting. The first question that usually comes out is "which is the most important?", followed quickly by "do you guys handle that as well?"
The answer to the second one is yes. We do, and we're skilled and experienced in taking care of any of those problems. But before we go down that road, the more useful conversation is what's actually most important, how to prioritize the projects, and how to choose the right path for you.
We'd rather advise you than sell you
We believe advising our customers is a lot more helpful than trying to sell them something. If you have an issue, we take photos and video of the problems, sit down with you to review what we found, and then work together to build a plan to fix what matters most. Sometimes all you need is a repair. Other times a full replacement is warranted, depending on what we found. Either way, you decide with the facts in front of you.
It's going to be a process, so plan for it
If you've ever gone through a major home improvement project, you already know it's a process. We offer a full cleanup guarantee: yard tarps to protect your landscaping, magnets to catch every nail on the outside when we tear a roof off, drop cloths inside, and a HEPA-vac cleanup indoors when we're replacing windows. Even with all that, it's still a disruption to your home and your life. There's no way around that part.
So here's a question I've asked homeowners throughout my 20-year career in home improvement: do you want my team to pull your house apart once, or three or four different times over the next couple of years? Put that way, most homeowners choose to knock out more than one project at the same time, and use one of our financing options to spread the cost out over time. Pulling the house apart once is less disruption, less mobilization, and usually less money in the end.
Windows before siding, and here's why
One specific note on windows and siding. If you have both to do and you can't take on both at once, best practice is windows first. Several items cross over between the two jobs, in particular window wraps and drip caps. If you do the siding first, you'll often have to pay to have those items done a second time when the windows go in. Doing the windows first avoids paying for that work twice.
The order, top to bottom
So if you find your home has more work than you first thought, don't panic. Address the roof first if it needs it, then work top down:
- Roof, if it needs replacing (or anything structural, water, or safety related, which always comes first)
- Gutters
- Soffit and fascia
- Windows and doors
- Siding
That order isn't arbitrary. Working top down keeps each trade from undoing the one before it, protects the work you've already paid for, and gives you a clean, logical path through the whole envelope of your home.
Not sure what your home needs first? Get an instant, satellite-measured roof price to start, or book a free consult and we'll walk the whole exterior with you and help you prioritize.
Straight answers on where to start.
Roof, siding, or windows: which should I replace first?
If the roof needs replacing, start there, then work top down: gutters, then soffit and fascia, then windows and doors, and siding last. The exception is anything structural, major water damage, or a safety hazard, which takes priority no matter where it sits on the house.
Should I replace windows or siding first?
Windows first. Window wraps and drip caps overlap both jobs, so if you do siding first you often pay to redo those items when the windows go in. Doing windows first avoids that double cost.
Should I replace my roof, siding, and windows all at once?
If you can, bundling projects means pulling the house apart once instead of several times over a few years. It's usually less disruption and often less cost overall. Financing can make doing more than one project at a time manageable.
Do exterior contractors handle roofing, siding, and windows together?
A full-service exterior contractor does. Northcraft handles roofing, siding, windows, doors, gutters, and soffit and fascia, so one team can inspect the whole envelope, prioritize, and build a plan.
What is the right order to replace the exterior of a house?
Start with the roof if it needs it, then work top down: gutters, soffit and fascia, windows and doors, and siding last. Handle any structural issue, water damage, or safety hazard first, regardless of order.
Let's build your plan.
Start with an instant, satellite-measured roof price, or book a free, no-pressure consult. We'll look at the whole home, tell you what's most important, and help you prioritize.