Roofing in Washington, LA
Roof repair and replacement for Washington homes, from steamboat-era cottages on Main Street to newer houses off LA 103.
A roofer who knows Washington.
Washington is one of the oldest towns in Louisiana and one of the closest to our Opelousas base, about six miles north up LA 182. In the 1800s it was a busy steamboat port on Bayou Courtableau, shipping cotton, cattle, sugar and molasses, and many of the homes and warehouses from that era are still standing.
That history is why roofing here takes more care than it does in a new subdivision. The Washington Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, takes in about 80 percent of the town and 200 contributing buildings, from Acadian cottages to Queen Anne and Craftsman houses. Every job starts with a free inspection and a written estimate, with photos of what we find.
What wears out roofs in Washington.
Old houses, old roof framing
Washington's homes range from board-and-batten cottages to large houses with full galleries, many built in the 1800s. Roofs that old often sit on decking and rafters patched over many decades, and gallery and porch roofs tie into the main roof at low pitches where water lingers. We look at all of it before we price a re-roof.
Live oaks over the roof
Many of the town's old live oaks are on the Louisiana Oak Society register. They shade a lot of roofs and drop limbs and leaves in every storm. In the April 2024 storm, fallen limbs blocked several Washington streets and brought down a long stretch of power line on Highway 182 toward Nuba. Clogged valleys and gutters hold water against shingles.
Spring storms, not just hurricanes
On April 10, 2024, the National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado just north of Washington, with winds up to 95 mph. It caused minor roof damage to several buildings and destroyed a carport. A 63 mph gust was recorded at the St. Landry airport south of town. Lifted shingles from a storm like that can leak for months before anyone notices.
Permits in Washington
Inside town limits, Washington requires a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Washington Historic Preservation District Commission before a building permit, and that step covers alterations and repairs to buildings in the historic district. Once it is approved, you apply for the permit at Town Hall, and the Town uses a third party, Building Code Inspection Services LLC, for permits and inspections. Outside town, the St. Landry Parish Permits Office in the Opelousas courthouse issues permits. Louisiana's Act 239 requires permits and inspections for reroofing on projects started on or after August 1, 2025. Requirements vary, so confirm for your address.
Where we work in Washington
We work all over Washington: the brick storefronts on Main Street (LA 182), the older homes along St. John Street and DeJean Street (LA 103), out Prescott Street toward Magnolia Ridge, the streets around Cedar Hill Cemetery, and the homes along Bayou Courtableau near the old Steamboat Warehouse. We also cover the rural roads around town and the homes near the I-49 exit at LA 103.
Free estimate in Washington
Inspection on the roof and in the attic, photos of what we find, and a written estimate.
Get a Free EstimateRecent work by our crew.
Photos from Delta Roofing & Repair projects across our service area.
Steamboat-era homes and what they mean for your roof
Washington was incorporated in 1835 and grew on its bayou trade. Steamboat traffic faded after the railroad arrived, and the last steamboat left in 1900. The historic district still covers 210 acres. Brick commercial buildings on Main Street keep their 19th-century storefronts, and homes like the Paradis House (c. 1852) and the Landreneau House (c. 1891) still stand on DeJean Street.
On a house that age, the roof you see is rarely the first one. Board sheathing instead of plywood, more than one layer of old roofing, and flashing that was tarred over instead of replaced are all common on older homes, and each one changes how a tear-off goes. Your written estimate spells out what we found.
Storm history in and around Washington
Hurricanes reach this far inland. When Hurricane Delta came ashore in October 2020, the National Weather Service recorded a 75 mph gust at the Opelousas airport, a few miles south of Washington. Winds like that lift shingle tabs and loosen ridge caps without tearing them off, so the damage is easy to miss from the ground.
The April 2024 storm showed what spring weather can do here too. Much of Washington lost power, a storage building at a local mill lost its roof, and limbs came down across town. After a storm like that, a free inspection tells you whether you have a problem before the next rain finds it. We document the damage with photos and a written assessment you can give your insurer.