Roofing and exterior contractor for Sylvania homes

City of Sylvania or Sylvania Township?

A Sylvania address doesn't tell you which government you live under. The City of Sylvania, about 10 miles west-northwest of downtown Toledo, is entirely surrounded by Sylvania Township. The township is the larger of the two, with about 50,000 residents to the city's roughly 19,000, and it runs its own zoning department.

The city itself grew up where Ten Mile Creek and Ottawa Creek meet to form the Ottawa River. Its name comes from the Latin for forest land, a nod to the woods that once covered this part of the Great Black Swamp.

We work in both the City of Sylvania and Sylvania Township, so either way you are in our area.

Which permits apply to your project

In the city, a zoning certificate comes first. The City of Sylvania says that before you can get a building permit from Lucas County Building Regulations, you need a zoning certificate from the city's Zoning Administrator. The city's zoning office covers additions, accessory buildings, remodeling and pools, among other projects.

In the township, Sylvania Township zoning requires permits for additions, remodeling and accessory structures such as garages, fences, gazebos and decks. Township zoning is reachable at 419-882-0031.

Building permits for both the city and the township come from Lucas County Building Regulations. The county says a building permit is needed for any new construction, addition, alteration, repair, replacement or demolition, except unattached residential structures under 200 square feet. Call the county at 419-213-2990 to confirm what your roofing, siding or window job requires.

We pull the permits for the work we do, in every community we work in.

A lot of homes from the 1960s and 1970s

U.S. Census Bureau survey data puts the median year built for homes in the city at 1975. About 4 in 10 were built between 1960 and 1979, and close to 8 in 10 occupied homes are owner-occupied. Housing in the surrounding township is slightly newer, with a median year built of 1981.

Many houses from that period have already been through a round of roof or window replacements. The question now is often what went on last time and how well it was installed. We look at the whole exterior and give you an honest recommendation, not a sales pitch.

Exterior services for Sylvania homeowners

• Roof replacement, installation and repair with upfront pricing
• Siding to update and protect an aging exterior
• Seamless gutter installation
• Window replacement with energy-efficient units
• Insulation for better comfort year-round
• Custom deck building
• Storm damage restoration, including help with the insurance claims process

Recent exterior work

Most Sylvania homes we look at were built between the 1960s and the 1980s, which means roofs on their second or third life and siding that has taken thirty-odd winters.

Here is a sample of recent Blackridge work on homes of about that age.