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Needing to get new shingles on my single-family residence (two-story, approx. 1,300 sq. ft.) and wanting some general guidance and dos and don'ts. How many estimates would you recommend I get in advance? What's a reasonable range of cost? Assuming good weather, how many days should I expect it to take? How and when should I involve my insurance company? Is it better for me to be out of my house when work occurs? And what questions should I ask potential roofers?
Any help you can provide would be much appreciated.
I interviewed five - Scro's, Baker, Artisan, 1st National Roofing, and Feazel.
Here is a solid truth - the vast majority of roofing companies are shell corps, and use folks contracted out to do the work, and simply act as middlemen. In my list above, the first three do contract but they use the same people every time. In my neighborhood I have watched Feazel sell a bunch of insurance bought roofs and have seen all sorts of stuff go bad, including a bunch of call backs with them up on the roof with a hose looking for leaks. I also saw a few 1st National just completely **** up the install, it was pure comedy.
I went with Artisan but Scro's was a very close second, Baker if you have $$ to burn. I was extremely impressed with Artisan. I loved how they showed up that morning with the material, and didn't dump it in my driveway three days prior, along with a dumpster. I loved how they arrived in two matching white vans in good repair and looked like a team. The whole thing was well organized. They started at 7am and were done by 2pm, and Feazel had a crew a few houses down take two entire days as they didn't have enough staff on hand. I wonder why...
Only involve insurance if there is damage. If your roof is old and worn out, that is *not* an insurance claim.
Cost is going to depend on roof pitch, height, shingle type/grade, etc. All legit companies will be within a bell curve.
^ I assume Scro's is still estimating based on a satellite photo? Which is fine, they'll tell you, and it saves them time and $$ of estimators scheduling and roaming the county.
- At least 3 estimates.
- Cost is obviously dependent on size/structure/shingle.
- Should be done in one day.
- Insurance should only be involved if you have damage and your roof is not end-of-life. Don't be the person that tries to get your neighbors to pay for your 20-30 year old roof.
- If you want quiet, you'd be better off out of the house. Otherwise it doesn't matter.
My house is about that size, and I replaced the shingles with standing seam metal roofing. There's a large pecan tree near the house and the pecan hulls and dead twigs would wear out shingles ahead of their normal life. Metal roofing costs more, but it's a bearable expense for a small residence.
I got 3 or 4 quotes. Went with ProBuilt Co (Bill Asher) in Cary. Very happy. I got upgraded shingles, new gutters, replaced old skylight, and added a ridge vent for what the base Baker price would have cost.
Needing to get new shingles on my single-family residence... and wanting some general guidance and dos and don'ts. ... Any help you can provide would be much appreciated.
Ask questions, lots of questions. Ask "what makes your roof job worth more than those of your competitors?"
The lower-cost firms may use power nailers; the higher-cost firms boast of hand nailing. Ask them to explain why hand nailing is better. What type of underlayment (sometimes called "felt" or "tar paper") will be used? Is a ridge vent really better than a gable vent? Is that included in their price? How do they handle shingling in the valleys and crickets? What kind of flashing do they use? What kind of vent stack boots?
A good estimator will patiently explain all of these things, and more. A "free estimate" should provide a "free education."
When the old roofing material is stripped off they may discover hidden damage. Deteriorated sections of roof sheathing, rotten rafter tips, crumbling fascia. How much do they charge for such repairs?
All of this is very helpful. Thanks everyone, and I may give an update on it when it's done later as well as any lessons learned.
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