Roof repair and replacement for barns, sheds and shops in the farm country around Moscow, planned for snow, wind and open-sided structures.
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Barn, shop and outbuilding roofs are repaired and replaced much as house roofs are, but with larger spans, simpler framing and more exposure to wind. Metal is a common choice for these buildings because it sheds snow. The building official sets the snow load for the address, and the crew plans fastening and edge detail for the wind.
Farm country surrounds the towns on this map. Colfax, the Whitman County seat, sits among wheat-covered hills at the forks of the Palouse River, and Latah County is described as the majority of the eastern Palouse, famous for its rolling hills and rich agriculture. The barns, implement sheds, equipment shops and machine buildings out there are roofed with the same basic systems as a house, but they are built for different use and often over different spans.
A farm building is often larger in plan than a house and open on one or more sides, which changes how the roof is loaded and how wind acts on it. A large, lightly framed roof with open sides catches wind under its eaves and lifts, so the fastening and the edge trim matter more than the covering. A barn with equipment or animals beneath it also needs a roof that can be repaired without disrupting what is inside, and that shapes when and how the crew works.
The snow question is the same as on a house, but the consequences differ. Snow that slides off a barn roof can land on a doorway, a yard, a vehicle or an animal pen, and the crew plans where the snow will go before it chooses the covering. Where the building official sets the design snow load for the address, that figure governs the framing, and the roof work does not change it. The county or city building department is the office that confirms the figure for a rural building.
Farm buildings tend to be larger, more open and built for use rather than living, so the roof is loaded and exposed differently from a house.
A barn or machine shed often spans more area than a house and may have large open sides. That changes how wind acts under the eaves and how snow sits on a long, simple roof. The framing is usually lighter and more exposed, so the fastening and the bracing matter more than the covering alone.
Metal is a common choice on the Palouse because it sheds snow, but the shedding has to be planned so that the snow does not land where people or animals are.
US patent filings on snow-retention devices describe the trade-off directly. In some regions metal roofs are designed to shed snow, which limits build-up that could damage or collapse a structure. The same filings describe sliding snow and ice from metal roofs as hazardous to people, to the surrounding landscape, to property and to building components, and they single out raised-seam roofs, where there is relatively little friction between the roof and the snow.
Snow that slides from a barn roof can land on a yard, a doorway, a vehicle or an animal pen with force, so the release point is part of the plan.
The release point depends on the roof's pitch, its length and its surface. A long, smooth metal slope can release a large slab that travels farther than a homeowner expects. The crew can move the release point through retention or by changing how the roof is fastened and trimmed at the eave.
Wind gets under the eaves and lifts the covering on an open-sided building, so the fastening along the edges and corners is where the work matters most.
The Weather Service Spokane office recorded a gust of 61 miles per hour at Pullman in December 2006, and 77 miles per hour on West Hill in Colfax, with trees and power lines down across the Palouse in other storms. Gusts like these lift sheets that are fastened too lightly, bend trim and pull fasteners out of the framing. The damage often starts at the edges and corners.
Roof area, the sheet type, the framing condition, access and the number of sheets to replace decide most of the cost. The price is explained and approved before work starts.
A few sheets on a small shed is a short job. A full re-roof of a large barn with open sides takes more material, more fastening and more time, and any framing repair is a separate line in the estimate. Access on a farm can add to the work, since a truck and a lift may have to cross ground that is soft or uneven.
Do not walk on metal sheets when they are frosted, wet or covered in snow, because they are slick and can bend under a foot. Keep ladders on firm, level ground, clear of overhead lines and away from animals and equipment. Look for power lines near the building before raising anything, and call the utility if a line is down or touching the structure. Stand clear of the release point when snow is sliding, and never work beneath a loose sheet.
A technician measures the roof area and pitch, counts the spans, and looks at the framing, the purlins or rafters, and whether the building is open on one or more sides. The condition of the framing decides whether a new covering can go over it or the framing needs repair first. A building that has settled or lost a post is a structural question for the building official as well as a roofing one.
Sheet metal is checked for rust, lifted seams, torn laps and fasteners that have backed out or lost their washers. Asphalt on a shop or small outbuilding is checked the same way as a house roof. The crew notes which sheets are sound and which must be replaced, so the homeowner can see exactly what the repair covers.
Screws, washers and seam fasteners are checked along the length of every sheet, since wind acts hardest at the edges and corners. Ridge, rake and eave trim are checked for loose or missing pieces, because trim that lifts lets wind get under the covering. Fastening is adjusted where the wind has been working.
The crew decides where snow will release and whether any retention is needed over doors, walkways, animal pens or parked equipment. It also checks the fastening pattern against the exposure of the building, since an open-sided shed on a ridge is not the same as a closed shop in a sheltered draw. The plan is written out before the work starts.
The repair or replacement is done with the sheet type and fastening that suit the building, and the crew confirms the permit requirement with the building department for that address. Outside city limits the county or city building department applies its own rules, and the crew does not assume a barn is exempt. The finished roof is shown to the homeowner.
When a few sheets have rusted, torn or lost their fasteners, the crew replaces those sheets and their fasteners and closes the laps. It is a sound option when the framing is sound and the covering is otherwise intact. The replacement sheets are matched to the existing profile where the supply allows.
A full re-roof covers the building in new sheets, with fasteners and trim set for its exposure. Metal is common here because it sheds snow, and the snow release is planned into the design. The work is larger, so it is scheduled around the weather and around the animals or equipment beneath the roof.
A shop or small outbuilding may carry an asphalt covering in place of metal. It is laid and repaired like a house roof, with underlayment, flashing and planned edges. The crew checks the decking first, because a shop roof left to weather can have soft boards under the covering.
Most barn, shop and outbuilding roofing calls are scheduled the same day when a technician is free, and you approve the price before any work starts.
Buildings outside the city limits are permitted by the county or city where they sit. Moscow's Building Safety Division covers the city and Pullman's permit portal covers Pullman, but the rules for a barn in Latah, Whitman or Asotin County are set by the county building department, and the crew does not assume an exemption. Ask the county office before the work starts and get the answer in writing, since the permit depends on it.
In Lapwai and on the Nez Perce Reservation, the permit question is different. Ask both the Nez Perce County planning office and the Nez Perce Tribe which permit applies to your property before any work begins. Do not assume county rules cover land inside the reservation, and do not assume they do not.
The snow load for a farm building is set by the building official for the address. Moscow and Pullman publish their own criteria, and they are not the same, and neither applies automatically to a rural building. The crew confirms the figure with the county or city official and does not borrow a number from a neighboring town.
Metal roof repair and installation, planned around how the panels shed snow onto doors, walks and parked cars.
Snow guards and retention hold snow on a metal roof so it does not slide off over doors, walkways and parked vehicles.
Repairing shingles, flashing and roof edges that wind has lifted, cracked or opened on a Moscow or Palouse house.
A look at the roof, gutters and attic before the first snow, to find the loose flashing and blocked gutter that cause winter leaks.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Often, yes. A few damaged sheets, loose trim and failed fasteners can be repaired without replacing the whole roof, provided the framing is sound. A crew checks each sheet and its fasteners and explains which sections are worth repairing. Where rust has spread across many sheets, a replacement is the more honest answer, and it is explained before the work starts.
The release point can be changed through snow retention, by changing the eave or the roof surface, or by keeping people, animals and vehicles clear of the spot where the snow lands. Retention is planned for the roof and its exposure, and the crew explains the options. Moving equipment and pens away from the release point is something a homeowner can do right away.
The principles are the same: sound decking, underlayment, flashing and fastening that suit the covering. A shop is often less finished than a house, with fewer layers of protection at the edges, so the crew checks those details closely. The cost and the permit depend on the building and on the county or city where it sits.
The building official sets the design snow load for the address, and the crew confirms it before the framing is considered. Moscow and Pullman publish their own criteria, and a rural building falls under the county or city that governs its site. Ask the official for the figure in writing.
Clear the area around the building of equipment and animals where the work will be done. Move vehicles away from the eaves and from the snow release point. Tell the crew where the power lines are and which doors or gates are used for access. A walk around the building with the crew shows what needs to be done.
The crew plans access and protection around the animals and equipment, and it asks the homeowner to keep animals in a safe area while the work is under way. Ladders and materials are kept clear of animal areas. The homeowner decides where animals can be kept during the work, and the crew explains its plan before it starts.