Garden City’s roofs cover three eras built decades apart, and each one asks for something different — from the frame houses of the 1870s to the Tudors and colonials the Estates built through the 1930s, down to the postwar homes filled in after.
That distinction decides your timeline before a single bundle is ordered — so we settle it at the estimate, not halfway through the job.
1870s
Frame Houses
Cathedral and Cherry Valley Avenues — on the National Register.
1900–30s
Tudors & Colonials
The Estates, built out by the Mott family.
Postwar
Fill-In Homes
The newest of the three, and the most straightforward to reroof.
We check which is which before we quote the job.
Mynor Lopez — owner of MK Best Roofing, on how the work gets done.
From the owner
In Garden City, I check two things before we start: the roof and the trees. If we’re changing more than the shingles — different color, different look — that can mean a trip through the Village’s design board, so we find that out at the estimate, not after materials are ordered.
And however healthy the trees on a property look, we can’t touch two or more of them in a year without a Village permit, so cleanup around a downed limb has to work around what’s still standing. Neither of those things show up on the roof — but they decide the schedule.
ML
Mynor Lopez
Owner, MK Best Roofing
01 — Older Homes, Original Roofs
What's Really Under The Shingles On A 1920s Garden City Roof
The Estates, the Mott Section, and the streets near the Cathedral all built differently.
You see
A roofline with more angles, dormers, or a porch roof than a typical postwar house.
It means
Homes from the Estates and Mott Section era were framed before today’s ventilation standards existed, so the wood underneath often needs more attention than the shingles on top.
If ignored
A straightforward-looking reshingle can turn into a bigger job once the old framing is exposed.
Why this happens on Garden City homes
Houses built in the Estates after 1907, and the several hundred the Mott family put up through the 1930s, were framed to the standards of their decade. A 1930s colonial and a 1950s ranch a few blocks apart can need completely different approaches to the same reroof. See our Roof Inspection page for what we look for first.
02 — Storm-Downed Trees & Roof Damage
The Trees That Shade Garden City Are Also What Damages The Roof
Village rules on tree removal apply to the cleanup, too.
You see
A large limb or a whole tree resting on part of the roof after a storm.
It means
Garden City’s tree canopy is dense enough that wind events regularly bring branches down onto houses — and removing two or more trees of your own within a year needs a Village permit.
If ignored
A damaged section left exposed after a storm lets water in fast, even when the visible damage looks minor.
Why this matters here
Tropical Storm Isaias alone brought the fire department more than 40 alarms in 16 hours, mostly for trees down on houses, wires, and roads. The Village is also losing ash trees to an invasive beetle with no cure, so more limbs are coming down than a few years back. See our Emergency Roofing page for same-day tarping.
03 — Office & Retail Roofs On Franklin Avenue
A Different Approval Path For Franklin Avenue Roofs
Commercial buildings go through Village design review every time.
What's different
Franklin Avenue and Seventh Street carry Garden City’s office buildings, financial firms, and retail — many with flat roofs instead of angled shingle roofs.
Why it matters
Any exterior alteration to a building that isn’t a one-family home goes to the Village’s design board — no exception for matching materials.
What to expect
Build that extra review step into the schedule from the start, especially before a tenant improvement or full roof replacement.
Why commercial works differently here
The design board doesn’t carve out the same-materials exception for offices that it does for a one-family house re-covering its existing roof. We build that review time into the schedule so a Franklin Avenue project doesn’t stall mid-way. See our Commercial Roofing page.
Permit Approval Stamp
Where A Garden City Roof Gets Approved
One office, one design board, six stages. This is the paperwork path behind every roof on this page — we file it, and we schedule around it.
Incorporated Village Of
Garden City
Approved
Building Department · Architectural Design Review Board
Incorporated Village Of
Building Department, Village Hall, 2nd floor 351 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530 (516) 465-4040
What Triggers What
What Triggers What
On a one-family home, re-roofing with the same or similar-looking materials — or simply changing the color — does not go to the design board. You still file for the building permit. It goes to the board when a street-facing change is substantial enough that the Superintendent of Buildings refers it, or when the building is anything other than a one-family home.
Where every job starts
Permit only — no board
Extra review — add time
Any building permit application
Superintendent reviews first
Roof replaced in kind, or with materials of similar appearance
Building permit only
One-family home, only the roof color changes
Building permit only
Street-facing change the Superintendent deems substantial
Goes to the ADRB
Adding or demolishing 30% or more of the building coverage
Goes to the ADRB
Any building other than a one-family home
ADRB always
Rooftop solar array
Goes to the ADRB
Six Stages, In Order
01
File with the Building Department
02
Superintendent reviews and refers if needed
03
ADRB submission only
04
Permit issued after all approvals
05
Inspections
06
Certificate of completion
The Clock
Deadline
Last Day Of The Month
The ADRB submission deadline is the last day of the previous month.
Deadline
Last Day Of The Month
The ADRB submission deadline is the last day of the previous month.
Deadline
Last Day Of The Month
The ADRB submission deadline is the last day of the previous month.
Working On The Island
Six Ways This Usually Starts
Roof Inspection
Ensure the longevity and safety of your roof with our comprehensive roof inspection service.
Does my new roof need Village approval if it looks the same as the old one?
If it’s reshingled with materials the same as or similar to what’s there now, no — Garden City’s code names that as one of the few exterior changes that skip design board review. You’d still need the standard building permit, filed before work starts, same as always.
I want a different roof color than what's on my house now — is that a problem here?
Possibly. The design board reviews an exterior change to a one-family home when the Superintendent of Buildings and the board’s chairman consider it a substantial change — especially anything visible from the street. We check this at the estimate stage so it doesn’t stall your project after materials are ordered.
A tree came down on my roof — can you remove it, or does the Village need to sign off first?
Depends whose tree it is. One the Village planted, or one in the right-of-way, needs Village involvement. On your own property, removing two or more trees in a twelve-month period needs a permit — so storm cleanup has to work within that rule, even in an emergency.
My building is on Franklin Avenue — does the permit process work differently?
Yes. Any exterior alteration to a building other than a one-family home goes through the design board, with no exemption for matching materials the way a house re-covering its existing roof gets. We build that review time into the schedule up front.
I want solar panels — does Garden City review where they go on the roof?
Yes, more specifically than most nearby villages. The code spells out how panels sit against the slope, requires them grouped as one unit, and asks for street-level photos as part of the application. We plan the roof work and panel layout together.
Free Inspection
Tell Us What's Happening
Or call (516) 615-1791. If there’s an active leak, call — don’t wait on a form. We use your details only to get back to you about your roof. No lists, no resale.
Roofing In Garden City, NY
From the Estates' Tudors to the offices on Franklin Avenue — roof work that
matches what Garden City requires, not just what's on the shingles.
Garden City's roofs cover three eras built decades apart, and each one asks for
something different — from the frame houses of the 1870s to the Tudors and colonials
the Estates built through the 1930s, down to the postwar homes filled in after.
That distinction decides your timeline before a single bundle is ordered — so we
settle it at the estimate, not halfway through the job.
1870sFrame Houses
Cathedral and Cherry Valley Avenues — on the National Register.
1900–30sTudors & Colonials
The Estates, built out by the Mott family.
PostwarFill-In Homes
The newest of the three, and the most straightforward to reroof.
We check which is which before we quote the job.
Meet the owner
Mynor Lopez — owner of MK Best Roofing, on how the work gets done.
From the owner
In Garden City, I check two things before we start: the roof and the trees. If we're
changing more than the shingles — different color, different look — that can mean a
trip through the Village's design board, so we find that out at the estimate, not
after materials are ordered.
And however healthy the trees on a property look, we can't touch two or more of them
in a year without a Village permit, so cleanup around a downed limb has to work around
what's still standing. Neither of those things show up on the roof — but they decide
the schedule.
01 — Older Homes, Original Roofs
What's Really Under The Shingles On A 1920s Garden City Roof
The Estates, the Mott Section, and the streets near the Cathedral all built differently.
You see
A roofline with more angles, dormers, or a porch roof than a typical postwar house.
It means
Homes from the Estates and Mott Section era were framed before today's ventilation standards existed, so the wood underneath often needs more attention than the shingles on top.
If ignored
A straightforward-looking reshingle can turn into a bigger job once the old framing is exposed.
Why this happens on Garden City homes
Houses built in the Estates after 1907, and the several hundred the Mott family put up
through the 1930s, were framed to the standards of their decade. A 1930s colonial and a
1950s ranch a few blocks apart can need completely different approaches to the same
reroof. See our Roof Inspection page for what we look for first.
02 — Storm-Downed Trees & Roof Damage
The Trees That Shade Garden City Are Also What Damages The Roof
Village rules on tree removal apply to the cleanup, too.
You see
A large limb or a whole tree resting on part of the roof after a storm.
It means
Garden City's tree canopy is dense enough that wind events regularly bring branches down onto houses — and removing two or more trees of your own within a year needs a Village permit.
If ignored
A damaged section left exposed after a storm lets water in fast, even when the visible damage looks minor.
Why this matters here
Tropical Storm Isaias alone brought the fire department more than 40 alarms in 16 hours,
mostly for trees down on houses, wires, and roads. The Village is also losing ash trees
to an invasive beetle with no cure, so more limbs are coming down than a few years back.
See our Emergency Roofing page for same-day tarping.
03 — Office & Retail Roofs On Franklin Avenue
A Different Approval Path For Franklin Avenue Roofs
Commercial buildings go through Village design review every time.
What's different
Franklin Avenue and Seventh Street carry Garden City's office buildings, financial firms, and retail — many with flat roofs instead of angled shingle roofs.
Why it matters
Any exterior alteration to a building that isn't a one-family home goes to the Village's design board — no exception for matching materials.
What to expect
Build that extra review step into the schedule from the start, especially before a tenant improvement or full roof replacement.
Why commercial works differently here
The design board doesn't carve out the same-materials exception for offices that it does
for a one-family house re-covering its existing roof. We build that review time into the
schedule so a Franklin Avenue project doesn't stall mid-way. See our
Commercial Roofing page.
Permit Approval Stamp
Where A Garden City Roof Gets Approved
One office, one design board, six stages. This is the paperwork path behind every roof on
this page — we file it, and we schedule around it.
Incorporated Village OfGarden CityApprovedBuilding Department · Architectural Design Review Board
Illustration — not a Village-issued document.
The Office
Building Department, Village Hall,
2nd floor
351 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530 (516) 465-4040
What Triggers What
In plain English
On a one-family home, re-roofing with the same or similar-looking materials — or
simply changing the color — does not go to the design board. You still file for the
building permit. It goes to the board when a street-facing change is substantial
enough that the Superintendent of Buildings refers it, or when the building is
anything other than a one-family home.
Where every job starts
Permit only — no board
Extra review — add time
Any building permit applicationSuperintendent reviews first
Roof replaced in kind, or with materials of similar appearanceBuilding permit only
One-family home, only the roof color changesBuilding permit only
Street-facing change the Superintendent deems substantialGoes to the ADRB
Adding or demolishing 30% or more of the building coverageGoes to the ADRB
Any building other than a one-family homeADRB always
Rooftop solar arrayGoes to the ADRB
Six Stages, In Order
01File with the Building Department
02Superintendent reviews and refers if needed
03ADRB submission only if referred
04Permit issued after all approvals
05Inspections
06Certificate of completion
The Clock
DeadlineLast Day Of The Month
The ADRB submission deadline is the last day of the previous month.
DecisionWithin 90 Days
If the Board hasn't disapproved within 90 days of a complete filing, the permit can be issued.
ExpiryOne Year
ADRB approval ends one year on unless a permit is issued and construction has substantially started. An extension can be requested.
What We Do In Garden City
Six Ways This Usually Starts
01Roof Inspection
A straight look at what's actually happening up there before anything gets sold.
Garden City and the bordering villages we cover in Nassau County.
Local FAQ
Asked In Garden City, Answered
Does my new roof need Village approval if it looks the same as the old one?
If it's reshingled with materials the same as or similar to what's there now, no — Garden
City's code names that as one of the few exterior changes that skip design board review.
You'd still need the standard building permit, filed before work starts, same as always.
I want a different roof color than what's on my house now — is that a problem here?
Possibly. The design board reviews an exterior change to a one-family home when the
Superintendent of Buildings and the board's chairman consider it a substantial change —
especially anything visible from the street. We check this at the estimate stage so it
doesn't stall your project after materials are ordered.
A tree came down on my roof — can you remove it, or does the Village need to sign off first?
Depends whose tree it is. One the Village planted, or one in the right-of-way, needs Village
involvement. On your own property, removing two or more trees in a twelve-month period needs
a permit — so storm cleanup has to work within that rule, even in an emergency.
My building is on Franklin Avenue — does the permit process work differently?
Yes. Any exterior alteration to a building other than a one-family home goes through the
design board, with no exemption for matching materials the way a house re-covering its
existing roof gets. We build that review time into the schedule up front.
I want solar panels — does Garden City review where they go on the roof?
Yes, more specifically than most nearby villages. The code spells out how panels sit against
the slope, requires them grouped as one unit, and asks for street-level photos as part of the
application. We plan the roof work and panel layout together.
Free Inspection
Tell Us What's Happening
Get Your Free Garden City Roof Inspection
No obligation, no pressure. If your roof still has years left in it, we'll tell you
that instead of selling you a new one.
Meet the owner