Terrace Roofing Contractors
Putting (a new) roof over your head
Some purchases hit your wallet but yield a little joy. A smart new suit. A really big TV. A shiny new car. And then there are things like a new roof. Absolutely necessary, but no fun. And downright painful if you use the wrong roofing company. Bay Area Consumers’ Checkbook and Checkbook.org evaluated local roofers and found significant company-to-company differences in customer satisfaction. Some of the businesses were rated “superior” overall by 90 percent or more of their surveyed customers. Unfortunately, lots of customers of some of the outfits regretted their choices: Several of the companies were rated “superior” overall by fewer than 60 percent of their surveyed customers
Checkbook’s undercover shoppers also found big price differences when they asked companies to bid on several different, carefully specified reroofing jobs. For one project, prices ranged from $12,500 to $28,590 — a difference of more than $16,000. For another job, quotes ranged from $7,727 to $19,073 — a difference of more than $11,000. For the third, prices ranged from $9,460 to $19,340.
Checkbook recommends that you get at least three bids for any job. And get more bids when labor constitutes a large part of the cost. All contractors pay roughly the same amount for materials, but hourly labor rates and productivity may vary substantially.
When the bids come in, don’t assume a low price means you’ll get lesser
quality. For each of the jobs, our shoppers received low prices from firms that received top customer ratings. Metal Roofing Contractors found no price-quality relationship for roofing work — highly rated companies were just as likely to quote low prices as companies that earned low marks for work quality. Also, Checkbook’s experience with roofing bids is that there is often no consistency: Some contractors charge high prices for some jobs and low ones for others.
In addition to getting the estimates, Checkbook recommends:
• Ask for proof that it is licensed and carries liability and workers’ compensation insurance.
• Get a copy of the warranty from the manufacturer of whatever roofing materials are used. Also get a warranty on the roofer’s work, ideally for five years or more; have the roofer write into your contract: “In addition to all other warranties, if roof leaks within five years (or, better still, 10 years), except as a result of accidental damage, contractor will bear the cost of labor and materials to eliminate all leaks.”
• Get a fixed-price contract. Specify exactly what roof areas are to be covered and other details, such as whether old shingles are to be removed, whether flashings are to be replaced, who is responsible for cleaning up and hauling away debris, and exactly what types and weights of materials are to be used. Metal Roofing Contractors should be able to obtain a binding contract at the estimate price, but most roofers will insist on provisions for extra charges if they find damaged fascia, sheathing, or structural lumber. Most contracts state that required carpentry will be performed on a “per-foot” or “time-and-materials” basis. Make sure your contract states how charges will be computed, typically per square foot or per linear foot.
• The contract should make clear that the company is responsible for a complete cleanup. Request a daily cleanup, so the area won’t become a mess over the course of the work. Poor cleanup is a problem cited again and again by subscribers we survey.
• Indicate in the contract when work will begin and how long it will take.
• Avoid firms that require big initial payments. A 10 percent deposit to secure a spot on a company’s schedule is reasonable, but beware of scammers who demand a large deposit to buy materials. Reputable contractors have credit accounts with their suppliers that grant them at least 30 days to pay.
• Arrange to pay for all or most of job after the work is complete. Most roofers allow customers to withhold all payments until the job is complete. Try to arrange to withhold at least a portion of the price until your roof has been tested by stormy weather.
Finally, report problems immediately. Negotiate directly with Steel Roofing Contractors to start. If that doesn’t work, complain to the state’s Department of Consumer Affairs, the state’s contractor licensing board, or the Better Business Bureau.
Some purchases hit your wallet but yield a little joy. A smart new suit. A really big TV. A shiny new car. And then there are things like a new roof. Absolutely necessary, but no fun. And downright painful if you use the wrong roofing company. Bay Area Consumers’ Checkbook and Checkbook.org evaluated local roofers and found significant company-to-company differences in customer satisfaction. Some of the businesses were rated “superior” overall by 90 percent or more of their surveyed customers. Unfortunately, lots of customers of some of the outfits regretted their choices: Several of the companies were rated “superior” overall by fewer than 60 percent of their surveyed customers
Checkbook’s undercover shoppers also found big price differences when they asked companies to bid on several different, carefully specified reroofing jobs. For one project, prices ranged from $12,500 to $28,590 — a difference of more than $16,000. For another job, quotes ranged from $7,727 to $19,073 — a difference of more than $11,000. For the third, prices ranged from $9,460 to $19,340.
Checkbook recommends that you get at least three bids for any job. And get more bids when labor constitutes a large part of the cost. All contractors pay roughly the same amount for materials, but hourly labor rates and productivity may vary substantially.
When the bids come in, don’t assume a low price means you’ll get lesser
quality. For each of the jobs, our shoppers received low prices from firms that received top customer ratings. Metal Roofing Contractors found no price-quality relationship for roofing work — highly rated companies were just as likely to quote low prices as companies that earned low marks for work quality. Also, Checkbook’s experience with roofing bids is that there is often no consistency: Some contractors charge high prices for some jobs and low ones for others.
In addition to getting the estimates, Checkbook recommends:
• Ask for proof that it is licensed and carries liability and workers’ compensation insurance.
• Get a copy of the warranty from the manufacturer of whatever roofing materials are used. Also get a warranty on the roofer’s work, ideally for five years or more; have the roofer write into your contract: “In addition to all other warranties, if roof leaks within five years (or, better still, 10 years), except as a result of accidental damage, contractor will bear the cost of labor and materials to eliminate all leaks.”
• Get a fixed-price contract. Specify exactly what roof areas are to be covered and other details, such as whether old shingles are to be removed, whether flashings are to be replaced, who is responsible for cleaning up and hauling away debris, and exactly what types and weights of materials are to be used. Metal Roofing Contractors should be able to obtain a binding contract at the estimate price, but most roofers will insist on provisions for extra charges if they find damaged fascia, sheathing, or structural lumber. Most contracts state that required carpentry will be performed on a “per-foot” or “time-and-materials” basis. Make sure your contract states how charges will be computed, typically per square foot or per linear foot.
• The contract should make clear that the company is responsible for a complete cleanup. Request a daily cleanup, so the area won’t become a mess over the course of the work. Poor cleanup is a problem cited again and again by subscribers we survey.
• Indicate in the contract when work will begin and how long it will take.
• Avoid firms that require big initial payments. A 10 percent deposit to secure a spot on a company’s schedule is reasonable, but beware of scammers who demand a large deposit to buy materials. Reputable contractors have credit accounts with their suppliers that grant them at least 30 days to pay.
• Arrange to pay for all or most of job after the work is complete. Most roofers allow customers to withhold all payments until the job is complete. Try to arrange to withhold at least a portion of the price until your roof has been tested by stormy weather.
Finally, report problems immediately. Negotiate directly with Steel Roofing Contractors to start. If that doesn’t work, complain to the state’s Department of Consumer Affairs, the state’s contractor licensing board, or the Better Business Bureau.
