Tropical storms and hurricanes bring out all kinds of new kids on the block when it comes to construction and remodeling companies. Roofers are smack dab in the middle of this sudden rise in experts. Patience goes out the window when homeowners are trying to patch up leaks and get whole replacements. They just want the cheapest price possible and the job to be done yesterday!
Nobody wants to hear the four famous words months or years after an install: “I told you so!”
That’s where my company and literally a couple of hundred other roofers come in to play. Reputation is key from customer to customer and quality of work is measured by both returning business and referrals. When you choose the lowest price over waiting an extra week for the best company to install then you are sacrificing materials quality, install expertise, and maybe even years off your warranty.
Today’s biggest issue is the materials. Most shingle products are on a level playing field although some come with better manufacturer warranties than others. However, what’s happening in Houston is slightly alarming.
Unlicensed roofers, who honestly have great skills but zero business sense are not going to promise you a warranty besides giving you their phone number. They are purchasing thrift shop nails and partially used underlayment and shingles and installing roofs across the city with basically items that have been taken from job sites or fallen off trailers.
They walk around with signs saying roof installs as low as six thousand dollars and people never think to ask where they purchase their products. Customers don’t ask for insurance or licensing from these crews.
The craftmanship is probably on-point even with the lower quality materials. The person behind the labor is a huge factor in how any roof is installed. But if you don’t know where the materials were purchased originally and if you have a defect or issue with leaks within a couple of years after replacing your roof and you can’t contact the original installer, then the four dreaded words come back into play.
A few of the major roofing brands have given homeowners a product which provides peace of mind and less responsibility at the hands and feet of insurance companies. Manufacturers’ warranties are sometimes more reliable than your insurance provider’s. So, if you’re still waiting to replace or repair your roof, understand that the price shopping needs to come with caution.
Estimates are free from most companies. If you want to compare an estimate you received from cheap company “A” with three or four other companies who have five stars on Google or they are Grizzy Hood News certified, that’s great. But if you see a trend of three companies with prices that are compatible and one that is extremely low, you have to ask the question WHY!
Don’t settle for the quickest or cheapest bidder. Your home deserves better.
