Jacksonville grew up beside Little Rock Air Force Base, and many of its roof calls come from people who are not standing under the leak. A tenant reports a drip, and the owner is stationed in another state or overseas. Jacksonville is about 20 to 25 minutes northeast of central Little Rock on Hwy 67/167, and we answer the phone 24/7 for owners, tenants and property managers alike.
Little Rock Shingle Roofers connects each caller with an independent licensed roofer who finds the leak, photographs what failed and gives a written estimate before work starts. For an owner far away, those photos are often the only look at the roof they get.
Base-era homes and the roofs on top of them
Much of Jacksonville was built as the base grew from the 1960s to the 1980s, and ranch houses on modest lots are common in the older neighborhoods. About 29,500 people live here now, and plenty of these homes have passed from one military family to the next as rentals.
Rental roofs age in a particular way. Small problems go unreported until a stain appears, tenants move before anyone climbs a ladder, and fixes happen between leases. The result is a roof with mixed patches, cracked pipe boots, a few missing shingles on the windward slope and flashing that was caulked instead of repaired.
What shows up most
- Missing or broken shingles after a windy night, handled with missing shingle repair.
- Pipe boot and vent leaks over bathrooms and kitchens.
- Long-running leaks that have stained ceilings in more than one room.
Jacksonville neighborhoods and roads we work in
Calls come from the older streets off Main St and James St, the Stonewall neighborhood near the base, Northlake, and the larger homes around Foxwood Country Club, which opened in 1971. Dupree Park is a common landmark for directions, and Hwy 67/167 brings the roofer in from Little Rock and Sherwood.
Example job (illustrative)
Illustrative example, not a specific customer: a tenant in a rental off James St calls on a Saturday night because water is dripping through a bedroom light fixture. The owner is stationed out of state. Once the rain lets up, the roofer finds a cracked pipe boot and two missing shingles just above it. The owner approves a temporary seal by phone that night, then approves the permanent repair after seeing the written estimate and photos. Before and after photos go to the owner for their records.
Out-of-state owners: how a remote repair works
- The call. You, your tenant or your property manager calls (773) 207-0769 at any hour. Tell us who can let the roofer in and who approves the work.
- The inspection. The roofer checks the attic and the roof, then photographs the leak source and the damage.
- The estimate. You get a written estimate and the photos. Nothing goes ahead until you approve it.
- The repair. The work is done and photographed again, giving you a record for your files.
If the roof is open and the repair cannot be finished that night, emergency roof tarping keeps the water out until it can. Our landlord roof leak checklist covers what to ask tenants and what to keep on file.
Base-boom ranch roofs: what fails first on 1960s and 1970s houses
Jacksonville's houses follow a military timeline. The Arkansas Ordnance Plant made fuses and detonators here during World War II (its old administration building now holds the Jacksonville Museum of Military History), and Little Rock Air Force Base opened on the plant's former land in 1955. Since 1970 it has been a C-130 base, and it now trains C-130 crews for the whole Air Force. The city grew fastest in the decades after the base opened, which is why older neighborhoods such as Stonewall, Northlake and the streets off Main St have so many single-story brick ranches with long, low roofs. Even on a second or third set of shingles, that roof shape decides where they leak.
| Spot | Why it fails | Typical repair |
|---|---|---|
| Low-pitch main slopes | Water drains slowly. Code now calls for double underlayment under shingles below 4 in 12, and an older roof may have one layer. | Replace the damaged area with the right underlayment under the new shingles. |
| Carport and patio tie-ins | Many were added later at an even flatter pitch, with the joint sealed by tar or caulk. | Reflash the joint, or flag an add-on too flat for shingles. |
| Eaves and fascia | Clogged gutters push water under the first course, and older edges often have no drip edge. | Replace soft edge wood, add drip edge and reset the first course. |
Shingles are not meant for slopes under 2 in 12, so the roofer checks the pitch of a carport tie-in before patching it. See how roof leak repair traces the source from the attic.
Between military tenants: using the summer PCS gap for roof repairs
Most military moves happen in the Defense Department's peak season, May 15 through August 31, so many Jacksonville rentals sit empty for a few summer weeks. That gap is the easiest time to fix a roof. There is no tenant schedule to work around, every room and the attic are open, and the repair is done before the next family moves in.
What to ask the roofer to check while the house is empty
- Every ceiling, closets included, for stains the last tenant never mentioned.
- The attic over bathrooms and the kitchen, where a pipe boot leak can soak insulation long before it shows below.
- Loose or missing shingles on the back slopes you cannot see from the street, fixed with missing shingle repair.
- Old tar or caulk patches that need real flashing work.
Shingles soften and scuff on hot July afternoons, so roofers often work early in the day. The photos and written estimate reach you by email or text, and the landlord roof leak checklist lists what to keep in the rental file with them.
Shingle and leak repairs in Jacksonville, AR
- Roof Leak Repair in JacksonvilleLeaks in older base-area homes and rentals traced to the source, with photos of what failed for owners who cannot be there.About roof leak repair
- Emergency Roof Tarping in JacksonvilleTarps that keep water out of an occupied rental when the full repair has to wait for daylight, dry weather or the owner's approval.About emergency roof tarping
- Missing Shingle Repair in JacksonvilleMissing and broken shingles on Jacksonville's older roofs, matched as closely as the faded roof allows.About missing shingle repair
- Emergency Roof Repair in JacksonvilleAfter-hours calls from tenants and property managers, with the roofer going up once lightning and wind allow.About emergency roof repair
Why Jacksonville owners and landlords call us
Stationed somewhere else, the roof still has to be fixed and documented.
- Photos you can trust from far awayBefore and after photos of the leak source and the repair, so an absent owner can see exactly what was done.
- One number for tenants, managers and ownersThe phone is answered 24/7. Jacksonville is about 20 to 25 minutes out; arrival depends on the hour, the weather and open calls.
- Approval first, in writingEvery roofer we send is licensed and insured in Arkansas, and work starts only after you approve a written estimate.
Roof repair questions from Jacksonville homeowners
Can you repair a rental roof while I am stationed out of state?
Yes. Your tenant or property manager lets the roofer in, and the roofer photographs the problem and prepares a written estimate for you. Nothing is done until you approve it, and you get photos of the finished repair for your records. Our roof leak repair page explains how the source is traced.
How fast can a roofer reach Jacksonville?
Someone answers 24/7. Jacksonville is about 20 to 25 minutes from central Little Rock on Hwy 67/167, but that is a drive estimate, not an arrival promise. When the roofer gets there depends on the hour, the weather and how many calls are open. If water is coming in, have whoever is at the house call right away.
Do you tarp roofs in Jacksonville at night?
Yes, when it is safe. The phone is answered 24/7, but no roofer goes up in lightning, high wind or on ice, and a steep, wet roof in the dark may have to wait for first light. Until then, catch the water inside and switch off power to wet fixtures. Our guide on tarping a leaking roof safely explains why a tenant should not climb up.
What should my tenant do while waiting for the roofer?
Move belongings away from the drip, set out buckets or towels, and switch off the breaker to any wet light fixture or ceiling fan. If a ceiling is bulging with water, a small hole at the lowest point lets it drain into a bucket instead of letting the drywall give way. Photos taken by the tenant add to the record for the owner, and emergency roof repair explains the rest of the visit.
I live in on-base housing at Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville. Should I call you about a roof leak?
No, family housing on the base is privatized and has been managed by Hunt Military Communities since 2008, so a leak there goes to that housing office as a maintenance request and the repair is arranged through it. If you own or rent a house off base in Jacksonville or a nearby city, call (773) 207-0769 at any hour.
Page reviewed by Little Rock Shingle Roofers.
