Leaders Roofing has served Lincolnwood homeowners and commercial property owners since 1996. Three decades of experience with the ranch and split-level homes that define this centrally located Cook County village — including the flashing transitions, older construction details, and village permit process that come with the territory.
Lincolnwood is one of Cook County's most centrally located suburbs — bordered by Chicago to the south and east, Skokie to the north, and Morton Grove and Niles to the west. That central position has made the village a steady, established residential community since its primary development period in the 1950s and 1960s. The housing stock reflects that era: ranch homes, split-levels, and occasional two-story colonials on well-maintained lots in neighborhoods that haven't changed dramatically in character since they were built.
The ranch and split-level homes that make up the bulk of Lincolnwood's residential market are at the age where roofing systems are reaching or past their original design life. A home built in 1962 with an architectural shingle roof installed in the mid-1990s has a roof that's now approaching 30 years of age — right at the edge of its design life, and frequently showing it. The East Lincolnwood neighborhood and the Lincoln Village area have high concentrations of these homes, generating steady replacement demand from homeowners who've been in place long enough to see their roof through an entire cycle.
Lincolnwood's central location also means it's served — and occasionally solicited — by a wide range of contractors, not all of them appropriately licensed. The boundary with Chicago creates some confusion about jurisdiction, and the village sees its share of unlicensed contractors working in the area. Illinois state roofing contractor licensing applies throughout Cook County, including Lincolnwood. Leaders holds Illinois Roofing Unlimited License #104.010248, verifiable through the IDFPR online lookup.
We're a family-owned company based in Mount Prospect, and we've served Lincolnwood continuously since 1996. Full general liability and workers' compensation insurance. Bilingual English and Polish service.
Lincolnwood's replacement projects are driven primarily by age — the village's 1950s and 1960s housing stock is generating a consistent stream of homeowners whose roofs are at or past the end of a reasonable service life. Some of these homes have been re-roofed once in their history; others still have original sheathing and flashing beneath layers of replacement shingles. The condition of the underlying deck — sheathing, ice-and-water protection, and original flashing — is often more important to the final project outcome than which shingles go on top.
Split-level homes in Lincolnwood present a specific set of considerations that ranch homes don't. The multiple roof levels, the lower-pitched sections, and the step flashing transitions between levels require careful assessment and correct detailing. A split-level replacement done without properly addressing all of these transition points will leak within a few years — typically at the level transition walls — regardless of the quality of shingles installed on the main field. We assess all of these conditions during the estimate and price the project with all transitions properly included.
For a typical Lincolnwood single-family home, full roof replacement runs $13,000 to $38,000. Standard ranch homes with architectural shingles and moderate complexity are typically in the lower portion of that range. Split-levels and homes with more complex geometry, premium materials, or deck issues discovered during tear-off fall toward the higher end. Estimates are written before work begins.
Our replacement process in Lincolnwood: full tear-off, deck inspection and sheathing replacement where needed, ice-and-water barrier at all eaves and valleys, extended coverage on low-slope sections, synthetic underlayment on the field, architectural shingles with ridge cap, metal step flashing at all wall transitions, pipe boot and penetration replacement, and permit coordination. We handle the Lincolnwood building permit application as part of the project.
Lincolnwood homeowners get the most value from quality standard materials installed correctly with all the details done right. Here's what we offer and why it matters:
For Lincolnwood's ranch and split-level homes, quality architectural shingles are the right baseline. GAF Timberline HDZ, Owens Corning Duration, and CertainTeed Landmark are the products we use most frequently — all offering lifetime limited warranties, Class A fire ratings, and better wind resistance than the three-tab shingles most of these homes originally had. Color selection matters more than homeowners sometimes expect: darker shingles absorb more heat in summer (a consideration for attic temperature), and matching a home's existing trim colors or brick tone makes a significant visual difference on homes that will have the same roof for 25 to 30 years.
Lincolnwood's steady mix of aging homes generates ongoing repair demand — not every situation calls for full replacement. We handle the complete range of repair work: pipe boot replacement (the most common repair on any roof over 15 years), step flashing repair at level transitions and chimneys, valley repair or replacement, isolated shingle blow-off, ridge cap replacement, and flashing at skylights or other penetrations. Honest repair assessment is part of our service — if your roof has 8 to 10 years of remaining life and a single problem area, we'll tell you that repair is the right call. Repair costs typically run $1,500 to $8,000 depending on scope.
Chicago's freeze-thaw climate makes proper ice-and-water barrier installation essential. On Lincolnwood's split-levels, this means not just the eave installation that code requires, but also extended coverage on the lower-slope sections between levels and in all valleys. Ice dams form most readily at the transitions between heated and unheated roof areas — exactly the geometry that split-level rooflines create. A few hundred dollars of additional membrane at installation is far less expensive than the interior water damage that a single ice dam event can cause to finished ceilings and walls.
Lincolnwood's older homes frequently have original or early-replaced gutters that are undersized, improperly pitched, or pulling away from deteriorated fascia. We offer gutter replacement — seamless aluminum gutters in 5-inch or 6-inch profiles — as well as gutter guards and downspout extensions that direct water away from the foundation. Gutters that overflow against the fascia create rot and moisture infiltration that damages the roof edge and fascia board — problems that compound over time and add cost to a replacement project when they finally require attention. Proper drainage management protects the entire roof system investment.
Lincolnwood's position in central Cook County puts it in the path of the same storm systems that affect the broader Chicago metropolitan area. Spring and early summer hail events are the primary source of insurance claims in the village; high-wind damage from severe thunderstorm lines also generates claims, particularly on older roofs where shingles have lost flexibility and wind resistance. Ice and snow loading in winter creates ice dam risk at the eaves, particularly on homes with inadequate attic ventilation.
For Lincolnwood homeowners dealing with potential storm damage:
Lincolnwood has commercial development along its primary arterials — Touhy Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, and Devon Avenue — with retail strips, restaurants, and office properties that need commercial flat roofing service. The Lincolnwood Town Center shopping area and the commercial corridors along these roads have properties with TPO, EPDM, and modified bitumen systems at various stages of their service lives. Some of the older strip retail in the village has built-up roofing systems that are approaching end-of-life.
Leaders holds an Illinois Roofing Unlimited License covering commercial work of any size or type. We install, repair, and maintain commercial flat roofing systems in Lincolnwood — TPO single-ply, EPDM rubber, modified bitumen, and built-up systems. For property managers responsible for Lincolnwood commercial properties, we offer annual maintenance agreements that include inspection, seam and flashing service, drain clearing, and written condition reports that support capital planning. Commercial replacement typically runs $50,000 to $150,000+ depending on building footprint; repairs and maintenance are significantly less.
Lincolnwood homeowners typically pay between $13,000 and $38,000 for a full roof replacement. The village's ranch and split-level homes — built primarily from the 1950s through the 1970s — tend to produce mid-range projects. Ranches with straightforward gable or hip geometry and modest square footage fall toward the lower end. Split-levels with multiple roof levels, mixed pitches, and more complex transition points between levels run higher. Homes with premium materials, masonry chimneys requiring new flashing, or deteriorated decking that needs replacement during tear-off also push toward the higher end. We provide free written estimates covering materials, labor, disposal, and permit costs before any commitment.
Split-levels are one of the more roofing-complex home styles despite their modest exterior appearance. The primary challenge is the multiple roof levels and the transition points between them — where a lower roof section meets a wall of the upper level. Step flashing at these transitions is one of the most common leak sources in Lincolnwood's split-level stock, particularly when the original flashing has been in place since construction or was replaced with an inadequate caulk-over repair. The lower roof sections on split-levels also tend to have lower pitches than the main upper section, requiring ice-and-water barrier treatment rather than standard underlayment. We assess all of these transition points carefully on split-level assessments and detail them correctly on replacement projects.
Lincolnwood's location at the boundary of Chicago, Skokie, Morton Grove, and Evanston makes it extremely accessible for north Cook County contractors. Leaders Roofing is based in Mount Prospect and has served Lincolnwood continuously since 1996 — we're familiar with the village's permit process, its housing stock, and its neighborhoods. Because Lincolnwood borders Chicago, homeowners here sometimes receive outreach from Chicago contractors, suburban contractors, and occasionally unlicensed crews that circulate through the area. The key credential to verify is an Illinois IDFPR roofing contractor license — Leaders' is #104.010248, verifiable online. Chicago-based contractors working in Cook County suburbs need an Illinois state license, not a Chicago city license.
Yes — and we'll tell you honestly which one your situation calls for. The most common repair needs in Lincolnwood homes are pipe boot failures (the rubber gasket around plumbing vents fails before the shingles), step flashing separation at split-level wall transitions and chimneys, isolated shingle blow-off after wind events, and valley failures where original open-metal valleys have corroded through. We diagnose and repair all of these. For roofs under 15 to 18 years old with otherwise sound shingles and decking, targeted repair is almost always the more cost-effective choice and can extend the system's life significantly. Repair work typically runs $1,500 to $8,000 depending on scope. We give honest repair-or-replace guidance without steering toward the larger project.
Yes. While Lincolnwood is predominantly residential, the village has commercial development along Touhy Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, and Devon Avenue — retail, restaurant, and small office properties with flat or low-slope commercial roofs. The Lincolnwood Town Center area and the commercial strips on these arterials generate commercial roofing service needs. We hold an Illinois Roofing Unlimited License (#104.010248) covering commercial work of any building size or type, and we install and maintain TPO, EPDM, and modified bitumen systems for commercial property owners and managers in Lincolnwood. Commercial roof replacement typically runs $50,000 to $150,000+ depending on building footprint and system type.
We serve all of Lincolnwood and the surrounding Cook County area. Call (708) 847-5418 for a free estimate.
Free estimates on residential and commercial roofing. Call (708) 847-5418 or fill out the form.