Cautionary Roofing Stories: Shop Reputable / Shop Local

 
graphics to shop local shop reputable.jpg

When it comes to a new roof, price is a consideration, of course. But with new roofs as well as other purchases, the old adage usually holds true: you get what you pay for.

The type of roof you choose is important, but the quality of any installation is the responsibility of the contractor. Here are some tips to when it comes to choosing the right roofer for your project, whether for a residence or commercial facility. At a minimum, the contractor you are considering should:

  • Have a solid reputation in the community and references for completed projects that you can contact directly;

  • Evaluate your current roof to uncover any problems and/or potential challenges, and then discuss findings with you;

  • Be experienced with all aspects of the roofing system that’s right for your home or building. For commercial installations, the contractor should be authorized by the roofing manufacturer to install its products;

  • Have employees that are professional in their appearance and treat you with proper respect;

  • Have a strong reputation for business integrity and installation quality, and stand behind their work after the roof is installed;

  • Respect your budget and not add “surprise” work items or materials that were not part of the original quote;

  • Give you a sense of confidence that they are the right contractor for the job. It’s a big investment and you should be able to trust your instincts.

At UNITED, we can address all these issues to your satisfaction. We have 40 years of experience in establishing our reputation in this area, and you can trust us with your roofing project – large or small.

Here are two examples of how UNITED was called in to resolve roof problems after a customer’s initial installation experience with other contractors.

1: The Out-of-Town Contractor. When it was time to replace his roof in the Bryan/College Station area, this customer was convinced by a referral agent to hire an out-of-town roofing contractor instead of a local company. Low price was a factor but, not knowing a lot about residential roofing, the customer trusted the agent who assured him that the contractor was knowledgeable and trustworthy.

According to the customer, that decision came back to bite him, because the new installation looked shoddy, not only to him but to his neighbors as well.

In the weeks and months that followed, he tried to get things resolved but the installing contractor was neither helpful nor responsive. Roof problems continued, but the customer couldn’t get satisfaction. He finally determined that the roof had to be replaced again.

At that time, he reached out for help from UNITED to provide a thorough inspection and report. According to the customer, UNITED’s professionalism, communication and responsiveness were the determining factors in choosing UNITED to install the new roof.

It took months of frustration and emotionally draining effort, but this customer finally reached a settlement on the original installation that allowed him to put the bad experience behind him and get a quality roof installed.

Here’s what he had to say: “I talked with other local roofing contractors but finally chose UNITED based on their 42-year reputation and 5-star reviews. I was not disappointed. My family and I now have a roof to be proud of, instead of one that would make my stomach churn whenever I looked at it.

I learned two valuable lessons: First, don’t choose a roofing contractor based on price alone, and second, working with an established, local contractor, who cares about maintaining their reputation locally, makes all the difference in the stress related to such a big home improvement project.”

 
 

2: The Lowest-Priced Contractor. This customer was in the process of purchasing a rental property, but the house he was considering needed to have a new roof installed before he could obtain the financing to buy it. His objective was to get a low-cost, serviceable roof and he made phone calls to several local roofers. He eventually selected one who gave him a quote that was considerably less than others, which “should have been a big red flag,” according to the customer.

Problems began to appear from the outset. Although the job was supposed to have been completed within two or three days, it took two weeks. And rather than there being a single crew on the project, there were different workers every day.

Almost immediately after the installation, leaks began to appear. The customer tried to contact the contractor several times to have the problem corrected but was unable to reach him. Eventually, frustrated by the continued lack of response, the customer looked for help.

Having been burned by his experience, this time the customer did extensive research on local contractors, including reading online reviews. His investigation led him to UNITED.

The UNITED representative came to the property and found several problems with the roof installation. The roof’s valleys (where roof sections of different angles converge) were not shingled correctly, leading to the leaks. Also, the original contractor had removed an attic ventilation fixture, but didn’t re-seal the roof opening properly; it was covered only with tar paper and shingles. The fixture was then improperly re-installed over a hot-water-heater exhaust pipe. The contractor had also removed the roof’s ridge vent, preventing proper air flow through the attic.

UNITED made the necessary repairs, and the customer is expecting that the roof will have a normal service life. But he learned a valuable lesson in the process. “The initial low cost was attractive, but having the roof done properly the first time by UNITED would have saved me money and aggravation. In my experience, the value you get by using reputable local businesses far outweighs any dollar savings from using a low-cost roofer.”

 
Guest User