Roof Installation in Marietta: Choosing the System and Getting It Right
A roof installation in Marietta is really two decisions stacked on top of each other. The first is which roofing system goes on the house. The second, and the one homeowners rarely think to ask about, is how well it gets installed. The second decision matters more than the first. A high-end shingle installed carelessly fails early, while a mid-range one installed to specification reaches its full life. New roofs rarely fail because someone picked the wrong brand. They fail at the nails, the flashing, and the quiet details nobody can see from the ground once the job is done.
Choosing the System for a Georgia Roof
The first decision is the material, and a few systems cover most Marietta homes. Architectural asphalt shingles are the common choice, balancing cost, appearance, and a 20- to 30-year life, with algae-resistant versions that hold up against the humidity and the dark streaking it causes. GAF and IKO both make strong architectural lines. Metal roofing, including standing seam, is the long-life option, often 40 years or more, with reflective finishes that cut heat gain through a Georgia summer, at a higher upfront cost. Tile, in concrete or clay, lasts a very long time and suits certain architecture, but it is heavy, so the structure has to be built to carry it, and the underlayment beneath is the real waterproofing layer.
Some homes carry low-slope or flat sections, over a porch, a dormer, or a modern addition, that cannot take shingles at all and call for a single-ply membrane such as TPO with heat-welded seams. The right answer depends on the house, the roof pitch, the budget, and how long the owner plans to stay. A good roof installation in Marietta starts with that conversation rather than a one-size quote, because the best material for a forever home is not always the best one for a house going on the market in two years.
Nailing Is Where Roofs Fail
Shingle manufacturers specify an exact number of nails per shingle and where they go, usually four to six. Under-nailing, or nails driven too high or too deep, is a leading cause of shingles blowing off in the wind, and it is impossible to see once the roof is finished.
Starter and Ridge Cap Are Engineered Parts
The starter strip at the eaves and the cap shingles at the ridge are purpose-made components, not offcuts from field shingles. Using cut-up shingles in their place is a common shortcut that weakens the roof's edges and peak and can void the warranty.
The Warranty Rides on the Installation
The longest shingle warranties require the roof to be installed to the manufacturer's specifications, including proper attic ventilation and the right accessories. A product warranty is only as strong as the workmanship behind it, which is why installer certification matters.
Why the Installation Decides the Outcome
Here is the part that gets too little attention. A roof is a system of parts, and it only performs if each part is installed correctly. The places where quality lives are the ones a homeowner never sees. Shingles have to be fastened with the exact number of nails the manufacturer specifies, placed in the right spot on the shingle, because under-nailing or nails driven too high or too deep is a leading cause of shingles lifting in a storm. Flashing has to be new and woven into the roof at every wall, chimney, valley, and penetration, not reused from the old roof or faked with a bead of caulk. A quality roof installation in Marietta comes down to details like these:
Shingles fastened with the manufacturer's specified nail count and placement, not under-nailed or overdriven.
New flashing integrated at every wall, chimney, valley, and penetration, rather than reused metal or caulk.
Purpose-made starter strips at the eaves and ridge-cap shingles at the peak, not cut-up field shingles.
A self-adhered ice-and-water membrane in the valleys and along the vulnerable edges.
Balanced attic ventilation sized to the roof, with intake at the soffit and exhaust at the ridge.
Get these right, and a roof reaches the age it was built to reach. Skip them, and it fails years early, no matter how good the shingle on top is. This is why two roofs with the same shingle and very different installers can have very different lifespans.
The Parts That Protect the Warranty
Installation quality is not only about longevity. It is also what keeps the warranty real. The longest shingle warranties require the roof to be installed to the manufacturer's specifications, which include proper attic ventilation and the correct accessories: the starter strip, the ridge cap, and the right underlayment. A product warranty is only as strong as the workmanship behind it, so a homeowner who hires on price alone can end up with a warranty that will not pay when it is needed. Manufacturer certification is the signal that matters here, because it means the installer is trained and approved to that standard. Summit Roofing installs as a GAF-certified and IKO-certified contractor, which is what allows the manufacturer's warranty to stand behind the work.
Permits, Code, and Why They Matter Here
Georgia does not issue a state license for roofing contractors, which surprises people, but that does not mean a roof installation skips oversight. Cobb County and the local jurisdictions around Marietta require a building permit and an inspection for a roof installation or replacement. The permit and the inspection are the accountability step, and they are exactly what a cash-only crew working without paperwork leaves out. Skipping the permit can come back to bite a homeowner at resale, when a buyer's inspector asks for it, or with an insurer after a storm. A proper roof installation in Marietta is permitted, done to local code, and inspected, so the work holds up on paper as well as on the roof.
Building for the Georgia Climate
A new roof in metro Atlanta has to be built for the weather it will actually live under. That means algae-resistant shingles and real attic ventilation for the heat and humidity, wind-rated installation and correct nailing for the spring hail and high winds that roll through Cobb County, and careful flashing and underlayment for the heavy rain that follows every storm. The oak and pine canopy that shades so many Marietta neighborhoods keeps roofs damp and drops debris, which makes ventilation and material choice matter even more. A roof installation in Marietta that accounts for all of this at the start costs the same as one that does not, and lasts considerably longer.
Roof Installation in Marietta, Done to Spec
The right installer treats the material as the easy half of the job and the workmanship as the half that earns its keep. Summit Roofing is a Marietta-based, locally owned and operated roofing company serving Marietta and Cobb County, including East Cobb, Kennesaw, Acworth, Smyrna, Vinings, and Powder Springs, along with the broader metro Atlanta area. It is licensed and insured, GAF-certified and IKO-certified, and a BBB Accredited Business, and it installs asphalt shingle, metal, tile, and low-slope roofs to manufacturer specifications, pulls the required permits, and works to local code on residential and commercial projects.
The origin of the name is uncertain. It is believed that the city was named for Mary Cobb, the wife of the U.S. Senator and Superior Court judge Thomas Willis Cobb. The county is named for Cobb.[6]
Homes were built by early settlers near the Cherokee town of Big Shanty (now Kennesaw) before 1824.[7] The first plot was laid out in 1833. Like most towns, Marietta had a square (Marietta Square) in the center with a courthouse. The Georgia General Assembly legally recognized the community on December 19, 1834.[7]
Built in 1838, Oakton House[8] is the oldest continuously occupied residence in Marietta. The original barn, milk house, smokehouse and well house remain on the property. The gardens contain the boxwood parterre from the 1870s. Oakton was Major General Loring's headquarters during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in 1864.[9]
Marietta was initially selected as the hub for the new Western and Atlantic Railroad and business boomed.[7] By 1838, roadbed and trestles had been built north of the city. In 1840, political wrangling stopped construction for a time and, in 1842, the railroad's new management moved the hub from Marietta to an area that became Atlanta. In 1850, when the railroad began operation, Marietta shared in the resulting prosperity.[7]
The businessman and politician John Glover arrived in 1848. A popular figure, Glover was elected mayor when the city incorporated in 1852.[7] Another early resident was Carey Cox, a physician, who promoted a "water cure" that attracted tourists to the area. The Cobb County Medical Society recognizes him as the county's first physician.[7]
The Georgia Military Institute was built in 1851 and the first bank opened in 1855.[7] During the 1850s, fire destroyed much of the city on three separate occasions.[7]
By the time the Civil War began in 1861, Marietta had recovered from the fires.[7]
In April 1862, James Andrews, a civilian working with the Union Army, came to Marietta, along with a small party of Union soldiers dressed in civilian clothing. The group spent the night in the Fletcher House hotel (later known as the Kennesaw House and now the home of the Marietta Museum of History) located immediately in front of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. Andrews and his men, who later became known as the Raiders, planned to seize a train and proceed north toward the city of Chattanooga, destroying the railroad on their way. They hoped, in so doing, to isolate Chattanooga from Atlanta and bring about the downfall of the Confederate stronghold. The Raiders boarded a waiting train on the morning of April 12, 1862, along with other passengers. Shortly after, the train made a scheduled stop in the town of Big Shanty, now known as Kennesaw. When the other passengers alighted for breakfast, Andrews and the Raiders stole the engine and the car behind it, which carried the fuel. The engine, called The General, and Andrews' Raiders had begun the episode now known as the Great Locomotive Chase.[7] Andrews and the Raiders failed in their mission. He and all of his men were caught within two weeks, including two men who had arrived late and missed the hijacking. All were tried as spies, convicted and hanged.[10]
In 1892, the city established a public school system. It included a Marietta High School and Waterman Street School for white students. A school for black students was also created on Lemon Street. The state of Georgia did not provide a high school for black students until 1924, when Booker T. Washington High School opened in Atlanta, after decades of black citizens requesting educational resources.[12]
Leo Frank was lynched at 1200 Roswell Road just east of Marietta on August 17, 1915. Frank, a Jewish-American superintendent of the National Pencil Company in Atlanta, had been convicted on August 25, 1913, of the murder of one of his factory workers, 13-year-old Mary Phagan. The murder and trial, sensationalized in the local press, portrayed Frank as sexually depraved and captured the public's attention. An eleventh-hour commutation by Governor John Slaton of Frank's death sentence to life imprisonment because of problems with the case against him created great local outrage. A mob threatened the governor to the extent that the Georgia National Guard had to be called to defend him and he left the state immediately with his political career over. Another mob, systematically organized for the purpose, abducted Frank from prison, drove him to Marietta and hanged him. The leaders of the abduction included past, current and future elected local, county and state officials. There were two state legislators, the mayor, a former governor, a clergyman, two former Superior Court justices and an ex-sheriff. In reaction, Jewish activists created the Anti-Defamation League, to work to educate Americans about Jewish life and culture and to prevent anti-Semitism.[13][14]
Located near the center of Cobb County, between Kennesaw to the northwest and Smyrna to the southeast. U.S. Route 41 and State Route 3 run through the city northeast of downtown as Cobb Parkway, and Interstate 75 runs parallel to it through the eastern part of Marietta, with access from exits 261, 263, 265, and 267. Downtown Atlanta is 20 miles (32 km) to the southeast, and Cartersville is 24 miles (39 km) to the northwest.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Marietta has a total area of 23.2 square miles (60.0 km2), of which 23.1 square miles (59.8 km2) is land and 0.077 square miles (0.2 km2), or 0.38%, is water.[5]
As of the 2020 census, Marietta had a population of 60,972. The median age was 34.7 years. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.8 males age 18 and over.[34][35]
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.[36]
There were 24,865 households in Marietta, of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.2% were married-couple households, 21.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 13,788 families residing in the city.[34]
There were 26,644 housing units, of which 6.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.5%.[34]
At the 2010 census, there were 56,641 people and 22,261 households.[2] The population density was 2,684.1 per square mile (1,036.3/km2). There were 25,227 housing units at an average density of 1,152.6 per square mile (445.0/km2). The racial make-up was 52.7% White, 31.5% African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 9.1% from other races and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 20.6% of the population.
There were 23,895 households, of which 27.8% had children under 18 living with them, 35.4% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 3.05.
22.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 39.4% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64 and 8.3% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 101 females age 18 and over, there were 100.3 males.
Incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1852, the city of Marietta is organized under a form of government consisting of a mayor, city council, and city manager. The city council is made up of representatives elected from each of seven single-member districts within the city, and a mayor elected at-large.
The city council is the governing body of the city with authority to adopt and enforce municipal laws and regulations. The mayor and city council appoint members of the community to sit on the city's various boards and commissions, ensuring that a broad cross-section of the town is represented in the city government.
The city council appoints the city manager, the city's chief executive officer. The council-manager relationship is comparable to that of a board of directors and CEO in a private company or corporation. The city manager appoints city department heads and is responsible to the city council for all city operations. The city council also appoints the city attorney, who serves as the city's chief legal officer; and the city clerk, who maintains all the city's records.
Terms of office are for four years, and the number of terms a member may serve is unlimited. There are seven councilmen, each representing a separate ward.[37]
^Hammett acted as mayor until about July 1, 1864, when the city was invaded by the Federal Army and was occupied by them until they evacuated on November 15. In the meantime, a large portion of the city had been reduced to ashes.
^On reestablishing order, Winn was elected mayor for 1865. He served until October 1, when he resigned. A. N. Simpson was elected to fill the vacancy.
^T. M. Brumby Sr. was elected for the 1898–1899 term, but he resigned before taking the oath of office. A special election was held on January 8, 1898.
Dobbins Air Reserve Base on the south side of town and a Lockheed Martin manufacturing plant are among the major industries in the city. The Lockheed Georgia Employees Credit Union is based in Marietta.[39]
Into the 1950s the Louisville and Nashville Railroad operated the Midwest-Florida trains, the Cincinnati-Florida Flamingo and the Chicago-Florida Southland, which made daily stops in Marietta Depot. Into the 1960s, the L&N's Chicago & St. Louis-Florida trains, Dixie Flyer and Dixie Limited also made stops there. The final train was the L&N's St. Louis, Missouri - Evansville, Indiana - Atlanta Georgian, which ended service on April 30, 1971. (Until 1968, the train also had a northern leg from Evansville to Chicago.)[42]
All of the public schools in Marietta proper are operated by the Marietta City Schools (MCS), while the remainder of the schools in Cobb County, but outside the city limits, is operated by the Cobb County School District, including all of the county's other cities. MCS has one high school, Marietta High School, grades 9–12; a middle school, Marietta Middle School, grades 7 and 8; Marietta Sixth Grade Academy; and several elementary schools: A.L. Burruss, Dunleith, Hickory Hills, Lockheed, Marietta Center for Advanced Academics, Park Street, Sawyer Road, and West Side.[44] Many residents of Marietta attend Cobb County public schools, such as Joseph Wheeler High School, Sprayberry High School, Alan C. Pope High School, and Walton High School. These schools are known to compete fiercely in athletics, especially basketball, as both Wheeler and Marietta High School frequently produce D-1 players. The town of Marietta is also home to the Walker School, a private pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade school. Walker competes in the Georgia High School Association Class A (Region 6) athletic division while Marietta and Wheeler compete in Class AAAAAA (Regions 4 and 5, respectively).
The school system employs 1,200 people. MCS is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School district. In 2008, MCS became only the second IB World School district in Georgia authorized to offer the IB Middle Years Program (MYP) for grades 6–10. MCS is one of only a few school systems nationwide able to provide the full IB (K-12) continuum.[45]
The Marietta Campus of Kennesaw State University, formerly known as Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) before being merged into Kennesaw State, and Life University are located in Marietta, serving more than 20,000 students in more than 90 programs of study.
Downtown is the town square and former location of the county courthouse. The square is the site of several cultural productions and public events, including a weekly farmers' market.
The Marietta Players perform semi-professional theater year-round. The historic Strand Theatre has been renovated back to its original design and features live theatre, concerts, classic films, and other events.[12] The Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art is in the old Post Office building.
The Marietta History Center exhibits the history of the city and county. The center is home to thousands of artifacts including items from Marietta residents and businesses. The Marietta Gone with the Wind Museum is located in the Historic Brumby Hall and houses a private collection of memorabilia related to Gone with the Wind, both the book and the film.[12] The William Root House Museum and Garden is the oldest wood-frame house still standing in Marietta, built c. 1845. Once owned by William Root, one of Marietta's earliest citizens and merchants whose drugstore was located in the Square.[47]
The Big Chicken, which currently sits on top of a KFC restaurant, has been a landmark on U.S. 41 and Roswell Road since 1963.[48]
The city includes the Kennesaw House, one of only four commercial buildings in Marietta not burned to the ground in Sherman's March to the Sea. The Kennesaw House is home to the Marietta History Center[50] which tells the history of Marietta and Cobb County.
^"On this date in Civil War history: The Great Locomotive Chase – April 12, 1862". This Week in the Civil War. April 13, 2012. cite web: |access-date= requires |url= (help)CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^PRISM Climate Group Oregon State University, Agricultural Research Center. "USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map". USDA. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
^Elvena B. Tillman (1971). "Alice Josephine McLellan Birney". In Edward T. James; Janet Wilson James; Paul S. Boyer (eds.). Notable American Women, 1607–1950: A Biographical Dictionary. Harvard University Press. pp. 147–148. ISBN0674627342.
^"Melanie Oudin". Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Archived from the original on August 28, 2009. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
^Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th ed.). New York: Billboard Books. p. 478. ISBN0-8230-7499-4. Born on 9/3/75 in Marietta, Georgia. Pop singer.
^Rhodes, Cyrus. "Marco Restrepo". RockNRollView.com. Blackwell. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
^"Cody Rhodes". Accelerator3359. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
What is the best roofing material for a Georgia home?
For most Georgia homes, architectural asphalt shingles offer the best balance of cost, appearance, and a 20- to 30-year life, and algae-resistant versions handle the humidity well. Metal roofing lasts longer and reflects summer heat at a higher upfront cost, while tile offers a very long life but needs a structure built to carry its weight. Summit Roofing helps match the material to the home, the budget, and the roof during a free assessment.
Do I need a permit to install a new roof in Marietta?
Yes. Georgia does not license roofing contractors, but Cobb County and local jurisdictions require a building permit and an inspection for a roof installation or replacement. The permit and inspection are the accountability step, and skipping them can cause problems at resale or with insurance later. Summit Roofing pulls the required permit and works to local code on every installation.
What makes a roof installation last?
The workmanship more than the brand. A roof reaches its rated life when the shingles are nailed to the manufacturer's specifications, the flashing is new and properly integrated, starter and ridge-cap shingles are used, and the attic is ventilated correctly. Those hidden details are where most premature failures start. Summit Roofing installs to manufacturer specifications, which is also what keeps the shingle warranty valid.
