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I was prompted to call a roofer due to a leak at the pipe boot over my bathroom. I have 3 non-functioning attic ventilator fans, so I decided to get a quote to replace them at the same time. I have gotten different recommondations and wildly different pricing from 3 companies. All have high recommendations on Google reviews.
!. First company came out and went up on the roof. Quoted $499 for the pipe boot and $2,389 to replace the 3 fans. I asked whether a ridge vent was possible, since I went from a power fan to ridge vent at my prior house. He said no.
2. Second company came out and went up on the roof. Without me asking, he recommended going to a ridge vent. He checked to make sure there were ventilation holes in the soffit. His price to replace all of the fans and fix the pipe boot, $2,450...but I would have to hire an electrician to connect the fans. OR leave the fans in place until the next time I replace the roof (they don't work), but add a ridge vent and fix the pipe boot. Total cost for ridge vent and pipe boot, leaving fans in place, $2,300. Fixing the pipe boot alone is $275.
3. Third company quoted without coming out. $199 labor to replace the pipe boot, plus $89 for lifetime materials or $29 for non-lifetime. He recommended a ridge vent. He said it would be $1,000 to replace the 3 fans or the same price, $1,000, to remove the fans and install a ridge vent. My thought on this is that I would have very noticeable patches of shingles where the fans had been. And the price is so much lower....??!!
I like the idea of the ridge vent, since those attic fans seem to need replacement every few years. In my former house, I could replace the motor in them from inside the attic, but that is not possible in my current house and I am not getting on a roof.
The price for the third company seems low....but they seem to be a big company with a good reputation. They have a shorter lead time than the others....not sure if I should take that as good or bad.
I already spoke to a 4th company, but got no follow-up from them. I also have a call into a 5th company. Obviously, I am not sure what to do. Any advice?
A hailstorm came through in 2011 and everyone here got new roofs. It was before I lived here, but I think that is the last time it was done. A neighbor said he decided to just replace the fans and not do the ridge vent. We are in Tennessee....it gets pretty hot, but he said his fans have already lasted 9 years. I would be okay with spending $1k now and $1k again in 9 years for fans if I am still here.
Well then, there is your answer, go ahead and replace the fans and replace the vent boot since it’s obviously leaking and needs to be fixed and then forget about having a ridge vent installed even though they are worthwhile!
"when you run a power attic ventilator in a typical house, yes, it will cool the attic down. A significant amount of that cooling is likely to come from conditioned air being sucked up from the house below. Most ceilings aren't air-sealed well, so putting a negative pressure on the attic will do that" link.
Ok, so I’ll cut to the chase. Roof vents, yes. Roof exhaust fans, in the south, yes.
In our past two houses we have found that there is a ****ting contest among roofers in which they do not want to put in roof vents, for fear of leaking. Yet, roof vents would have prevented attic mold for us, it a northern climate. We had to spend $3400 in remediation when we sold our house.
In a hot southern climate, we had roof vents, but put in attic fans in an 18 year old house, because the uninsulated attic was too hot to store things.
One of the roofers said he would put in a ridge vent and I could just leave the inoperable fans until I replaced the whole roof. The other roofer said that it is a code violation to leave those fans in with a ridge vent and that the fans needed to be removed and the openings closed if I decide to go with the ridge vent. I am starting to think the way to go is the attic fan replacements for now and go to a ridge vent when the whole roof is being replaced. I can't really see how patching the roof won't be an eyesore at this point. Wouldn't new shingles really stick out? What to do??
the ridge vent is cheap, just cutting the hole, where the money is is getting the roof to look good and not leak after it installed, if you was getting a new roof they would install the ridge vent almost free. with the fans not working, you can buy the same fans and just swap the guts out without messing with the roof, just pull the top off swap everything, wires right day. Diy in couple hours, maybe $100 in parts
Well then, there is your answer, go ahead and replace the fans and replace the vent boot since it’s obviously leaking and needs to be fixed and then forget about having a ridge vent installed even though they are worthwhile!
I'll agree. Last time I replaced a roof vent, I used the lead style lifetime vent covers. Just took me a few minutes to install it and tuck it up under the shingles. I got tired of the cheap vent covers' rubber aging and leaking.
And often the attic fans can be replaced from inside the attic. They do make the house smell much better and really cut down on a/c electricity bills in the summer.
I'm pretty upset with the state of the roofing industry right now. I'll be needing a roof in the future, and I've received preliminary estimates in the $20K range. It's just a 2 day job. The different estimates received here on roofers is another example how good, reliable roofers at a fair price are so hard to find.
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