Clinton has been building houses since the 1850s, so a new roof here can go on anything from a pebble dashed Greek Revival house to a postwar ranch or a farmhouse out on the prairie. Martin Exteriors Roofing & Siding replaces roofs in Clinton from our Roscoe office, about 25 minutes away. Martin holds GAF Master Elite status, which fewer than 2% of roofing contractors reach, and most roofs are replaced in a day. Start with a free inspection: (815) 624-6278.
Clinton’s Houses, Era by Era
The village grew up around the 1856 crossing of two rail lines. Its National Register nomination describes a mix of styles from Greek Revival and Italianate through Queen Anne to the modern ranch, mostly frame houses of one and a half and two stories, with cream brick on some of the early Italianate buildings. A subdivision along Highland Avenue opened in the northwest part of the village before World War I, and after World War II the village spread along its north and west edges.
In Census estimates for 2020 to 2024, the median Clinton home dates to 1969, with about 27% built before 1940 and about 34% from 1950 through 1979.
Pebble Dash and Old Stucco Walls
The nomination points out something unusual about Clinton: a large number of its Greek Revival and vernacular houses were given a coat of pebble dash in the early 1900s. Where a roof meets a wall like that, the old flashing may be just tarred to the surface. On a replacement, that flashing is replaced with new metal, and at the free inspection we go over how the wall will be handled. Dormers and porch roofs that tie into those walls get the same attention.
Highland Avenue and the Postwar Edges
Older village houses, including those from the Highland Avenue years, can have steep roofs, dormers and brick chimneys, and some have been reroofed more than once. We remove all of the old layers. Plank decking that has dried out and lost its grip on nails gets covered with new sheathing, and that work is itemized up front. Chimneys are reflashed in new metal, with a cricket on the uphill side of the wider ones.
The postwar ranches on the north and west sides have simpler roofs, but their long attics can have too little ventilation. While the deck is open, we even out the airflow, pulling fresh air in at the soffits and letting it out at the ridge, so the shingles run cooler in summer and the eaves stay freer of ice in winter. See attic ventilation.
Big Lots and Old Trees
The National Register nomination also describes Clinton’s homes as sitting on relatively large lots that are well tended and nicely planted. Where those plantings include big trees, they wear on a roof: shade keeps slopes damp, and leaves pile up in valleys. When we replace a roof under big trees, we lay tarps over the plantings below, keep debris going straight into the dumpster and clear the valleys before new metal goes in. If limbs rest on the roof, we suggest having them trimmed before install day.
Farmhouses in the Town of Clinton
Outside the village, nearly every home in the Town of Clinton is a detached house, and Census estimates put about 37% of them before 1940. Farmhouses that have been added onto over the years can have several roof sections meeting at different heights. We tie those joints together with new flashing and ice and water shield. Got a garage, shed or machine building too? We can quote it during the same trip, with shingles or metal roofing.
What Every Clinton Roof Gets
- A full tear off down to the deck, with soft boards replaced.
- Ice and water shield along every eave, through the valleys and around chimneys.
- A complete GAF system: underlayment, starter strips, shingles and matching ridge caps.
- New flashing at walls, chimneys and vents, not reused metal.
- Cleanup with a magnet sweep for nails and a final walk around with you.
Most roofs are replaced in a day. A tall, layered house may run into a second day, and the written quote says so. Winter or summer, we keep installing.
Shingles, Warranty and Paying for It
Our first recommendation is GAF. Timberline HDZ fits the look of most village houses, Timberline UHDZ is the thicker step up, and Class 4 impact resistant GAF shingles add hail protection. Once a qualifying roof is registered, it can be covered by a lifetime GAF warranty with up to 30 years on workmanship (GAF eligibility rules apply); the GAF warranty page has the details. Spreading the cost is possible too, with financing options as low as $149/month for qualified buyers.
Why Hire Martin in Clinton
- Members of GAF’s 2-Star President’s Club.
- CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster.
- Thousands of homeowners helped while serving the area since 2006.
- An Inc. 5000 Company and Best Roofer 6 Years Running.
More for Clinton
Everything else we offer in the village is on Clinton roofing. Smaller fixes live on Clinton roof repair, storm problems on hail damage roof repair in Clinton, and the full build process on roof replacement. Down the road, read roof replacement in Beloit or roof replacement in Janesville. Request a free inspection or phone (815) 624-6278.
Clinton Roof Replacement FAQ
My house in Clinton has pebble dash walls. Can you still reroof it?
Yes. Old or tarred flashing at the walls is replaced with new metal, and we explain at the free inspection how the wall will be handled.
Do all the old layers come off an older Clinton house?
All of them. We strip to the planks, cover any that will not grip nails with new sheathing, and list that work in the estimate first.
There are big trees over my roof. Is that a problem for a new roof?
Shade and leaves are hard on any roof. We protect the plantings during the job and clear the valleys, and we suggest trimming limbs that touch the roof before install day.
Our farmhouse has several additions. Can it get one new roof?
Yes. We tie the different roof sections together with new flashing and ice and water shield, and we can price outbuildings on the same visit.
Do you replace roofs on duplexes and apartment buildings in Clinton?
Yes. Roughly 3 in 10 Clinton homes are in buildings with two or more units. Each owner gets the same written scope, so the whole roof is done to one plan.
