my family moved into a new home at the time and we have since worked across all projects, both expected and not, who are on our todo list. Get a new roof on the House and the garage was one of the planned projects.
just get it done
my parents just had their roof replaced and were happy with the price and service, so I thought it would be a fairly easy project to roll. I usually like to get three estimates while getting work done, but in this case, I thought that I had just go with the company that my parents had used.
the estimator that came out, even my parents had, was abrupt and walked around the outside of the House, the walls of the measure. He then wrote the price in the back of one of his business cards and said goodbye. The price was $5,000 more than my parents had paid for more or less comparable work.
take a Step Back
a little dismayed, I realized that this would be another project that would take way more time than expected. I went online and searched for roofers in my area. We live in Michigan, and I found myself on Money - a great site that allows you to search by category and location, listing clients and giving each company a rating out of five stars.
I found two local businesses more with good ratings and called to make the appointment. One - call the Roofer A - is released fairly quickly, is mounted on my roof with me and spent about 15 minutes up there. (The other one never called me back.) Then he sat with me and my wife for almost half an hour, explaining its products and services and even draw diagrams to help us understand the work he would do. Its price was about $4,000 less than our first estimate, and more or less what I expected, that it would cost.
since the second company seemed to be so much better than the first, I was tempted just to sign with him and get the roof so I could keep moving through my to-do list. In rereading his quote, however, I noticed that it had added $1,000 worth of new gutters I had not asked and does not need.
so I decided to get an estimate, that of a national company - Roofer B.
the roofer estimator B spent 15 minutes on the roof, and then sat for 20 minutes about with my wife and me, explaining its products and services and provide samples. His quote was about $ 300 more A Roofer, but he does not try to sneak in extra costs.
Wheelin' and Dealin'
Roofer B being a bit more, I was leaning towards going with A Roofer, once I called and got the price without gutters. But I decided that I do a phone call more Roofer B and ask if they fight each other offer. Roofer B quote Roofer put in correspondence and threw in a $250 peel and joined our awning. (Height of the porch was just stiff enough that it was not necessary, but it was the best way to go.)
B Roofer had immediate openings to our roof because a complex case of apartment had fallen through. So I signed the contract Monday night, and the roof was completed Tuesday night. Easy-peasy.
overall, I spent a lot of time call and roofing of the meeting, but I ended up saving money and get something a little better for the awning. Now, we have little money for a few pieces of furniture that we wanted.
life I teachings are that it is difficult to compare apples with apples because each company offers something slightly different to try to earn your business. Once you find some companies in your area, the site of the Better Business Bureau is another great tool to check the reliability of the specific companies. It shows you how many complaints and comments positive, neutral and negative the company has resolved for clients.
in addition, you will always have to do some research beforehand and don't be afraid to push a little to get the price and the services you want. Most of the time, the contractor is to make a comfortable profit and will work with you to keep your business.
, we would be delighted to hear your questions or experiences about you had with roofers. Share your comments below!