Roofing Sooner Rather than Later

Almost always when I knock on a door this is what the customer says, “We were just curious if we needed a new roof. I’m not sure how old it is, it just looks a little rough.” They go on to say, “Just look at it and let me know what a ballpark figure would be, we may do it now if it is within our budget or we’ll wait until next year, it depends.”

Does any of that sound familiar?

I’ll let you in on a little secret: roofing prices don’t go down. Whatever you pay 3 months from now will be more than today. That happens for two reasons: 1) If you have a leak of any size, it will only get worse. And roofing is a lot cheaper than doing a roof and replacing your ceilings. 2) Shingles have two types of asphalt in them, and asphalt comes from OIL.

Most homeowners don’t realize that shingle prices have just about doubled since March. On a 35 square house that is significant. And that is just the cost of the shingles. Add to it the cost of underlayment, ridge vent (vinyl) and delivery and you see why the sooner you do it the better.

If you have a regular 3-tab shingle and it is older than 15 years it may very well be time to get it done. Once you know you have to have a roof, everyday you procrastinate will cost you money. I know that sounds harsh but it is the truth. Search shingle prices or roofing costs and see what has happened to them.

If you don’t need a roof then this article is not for you. I am talking to those homeowners who are simply waiting for a future arbitrary time to do it. Go a head and get your ducks in a row. Meet with the roofing contractors and make a decision one way or the other. Don’t rush and make a bad decision, but getting roofers out to your home shouldn’t take more than a week, two at the most. If they haven’t called you back or say it will be a month, then move on. If a roofer is a month out to look at your house then there is an internal problem with the roofing company. If he won’t call you back when you are trying to give him money, do you think he’ll call back when there is a warranty claim? Find someone else.

There are fantastic articles on this blog about choosing a roofer. Things to look for When buying a new roof is a great one to begin with.

Spend time with each and every roofer that comes out. Walk around the house with them, go in the attic with them. Find out how they specifically do things. If they won’t meet with you at the house or indicate it isn’t necessary to meet then hang up and move on to the next one. There are plenty of companies out there who care about customer satisfaction and want homeowners to have all of the information possible.

The more time you spend with a roofer the easier it will be to make the right decision.

Go ahead and get it done, what are you waiting for?