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dennis thompson
03-25-2015, 7:17 PM
I need a new roof. What questions do I ask the roofer?
thanks

Charles Wiggins
03-25-2015, 7:38 PM
I need a new roof. What questions do I ask the roofer?
thanks

Don't have a lot of experience with this one. Our last roofer was a friend from church who is a general contractor, but these lists looks like a good place to start:
http://www.greatdayimprovements.com/15-questions-to-ask-a-roofer-before-hiring.aspx
http://www.angieslist.com/articles/6-questions-ask-roofing-companies-when-hiring.htm
http://www.certainteed.com/resources/ProfessionalRoofer.pdf

James Tibbetts
03-25-2015, 7:41 PM
license and proof of insurance; product warranty; will they remove the existing roofing?; is new drip edge included?; flashing around chimneys, vents etc.?
If it might also be time for new gutter and downspout you might get a little better package deal on both.

Patrick Walsh
03-25-2015, 9:33 PM
How far up do they bring the ice and water shield. Is ice and water also used on all valley's.

Will they make sure the sauffit and roof is properly vented and if not make sure it is on completion.

What gauge drip edge and size do they use.

20-30 year vrs lifetime shingle.

Do they remove the gutters and and overlap the ice and water onto the facia 4" then put the gutters back on. Few do but its important.

Proof of insurance!

Warrantee on both materials and workmanship.

Do they use subcontractors or payroll employees.

If you are not ok with supporting modern day slavery and slave labor you might insist the company does not sub contract out.





license and proof of insurance; product warranty; will they remove the existing roofing?; is new drip edge included?; flashing around chimneys, vents etc.?
If it might also be time for new gutter and downspout you might get a little better package deal on both.

Frederick Skelly
03-25-2015, 9:43 PM
license and proof of insurance; product warranty; will they remove the existing roofing?; is new drip edge included?; flashing around chimneys, vents etc.?
If it might also be time for new gutter and downspout you might get a little better package deal on both.

+1.

I also ask:
1)What brand and type of shingles. Then web search that a bit. Dont just let him tell you "30 year shingles". Check the brand and if its a good one, WRITE THE BRAND AND TYPE INTO YOUR CONTRACT. This reduces chance of bait and switch.
2) Check the shingle mfgr website - what has to happen to put/keep your warranty in force. This matters because sometimes you have to use an installer who is "certified" to install that mfgr's product. If so, confirm your guy has that cert and write into the contract that the work will be done in accordance with that cert.
3) Confirm (and write in contract) that the work will be done in a way that meets your insurance company requirements. Ask your agent - depending on your location the insurance (not just city) can require inspections to confirm the work is done a particlar way. If it isnt, they wont cover you.
4) Cleanup and haul off. Is that included in the price? Write it down.
5) Ask what the price will be to replace rotted decking. Document this up front or you can get gouged. Once the old shingles come off, you are at their mercy man. You have to pay whatever it takes.
6) I always ask if they are using a nail gun or hand nailing. I just want to know, and for me it can be a tie breaker. I just prefer hand nailed. Dont know its any better or worse. Its just my personal preference.

I dont mean to lecture you Dennis and I hope you dont take offense. Its just very easy to get goofed over by roofers. DAMHIKT.

Final word of advice, and some here may disagree - I NEVER use an out of town roofer, or one who is in temporary quarters like an empty storefront. Yes, their price will be lower - IMO, thats because he's NOT going to come back from Michigan to fix it if your roof leaks. I only use local roofing companies with at least than 5-10 years in the same community.

David Helm
03-25-2015, 10:08 PM
Hand nailing is better. With gun nailing you get a high percentage of angled nails that tear the shingles. Also a good idea to get high wind nailing. The difference is small, two extra nails per shingle strip.

Dave Zellers
03-25-2015, 10:25 PM
Good heavens. I doubt there is any professional roofer out there who hand nails today. That would drive the cost up to crazy levels. I hand nailed my roof 26 years ago but would never even think about doing it today. Plus the extra high wind nailing takes less than a second per shingle.

I disagree that nail guns are any kind of a problem. Professional roofers will know how to use them correctly. You want to hire a roofer whose business is dependent on word of mouth referrals, and as others have said,

PROOF OF INSURANCE!

Ken Fitzgerald
03-25-2015, 10:28 PM
Dave,

I had a new roof installed 3 years ago. My contractor said he doesn't like gun nailing as it tears the shingles. He and his crew hand nailed it.

Frederick Skelly
03-25-2015, 10:29 PM
Good heavens. I doubt there is any professional roofer out there who hand nails today. That would drive the cost up to crazy levels. I hand nailed my roof 26 years ago but would never even think about doing it today. Plus the extra high wind nailing takes less than a second per shingle.

I disagree that nail guns are any kind of a problem. Professional roofers will know how to use them correctly. You want to hire a roofer whose business is dependent on word of mouth referrals, and as others have said,

PROOF OF INSURANCE!

You're right Dave. There are definitely fewer and you pay a bit more around here. Thats why I called it a tie breaker for me, rather than a must-have.

Dave Zellers
03-25-2015, 10:48 PM
Dave,

I had a new roof installed 3 years ago. My contractor said he doesn't like gun nailing as it tears the shingles. He and his crew hand nailed it.

It doesn't tear the shingles if you take the time to set the pressure correctly and hold the gun flat to the shingle.

I've had to battle with guys who didn't care that their sheathing guns were shooting the nails halfway through the sheathing. They thought it didn't matter. Of course it matters. Nail guns just require some time learning how to use them. After that, they are amazing.

Ken Fitzgerald
03-25-2015, 11:16 PM
Dave.....I wasn't debating using the nail guns rather just stating my roofing contractor doesn't like them and chooses to hand nail roofs. I got 3 bids from 3 different contractors. The guy I chose wasn't the cheapest bid nor the most expensive bid. His bid was the middle bid as far as expense. Some contractors still nail by hand.

Chris Padilla
03-26-2015, 12:29 AM
If it matters to you, I would insist upon plywood sheathing over OSB. My original quote came with OSB. The upgrade to 1/2" plywood was $400. I sleep better at night now. :)

Dave Zellers
03-26-2015, 12:30 AM
I hear ya. Differences in location I suppose. Where I live it would truly be hard for a hand nailer roofer to make a living competing against the other guys.

Lee Reep
03-26-2015, 12:38 AM
Permit! We used a licensed roofer, and his office manager was to get the permit. Apparently it was forgotten. Shame on me to not notice that it was not posted on house. I called him and he called and got it done. We have online permit lookup on city website, so we can see permit status, and inspection status.

Finally, don't pay final bill until it passes inspection! (Our insurance company gave the roofer a "down payment" to cover materials and part of labor, which is typical.)

Andrew Hughes
03-26-2015, 12:38 AM
Most of the guys I work with in my roofing days could hand nail,I could hand nail about 7 squares of field on a good day,With a Coil nailer I could double that,easy.
Never know when the compressor is going to poop out so I would think any decent roofer could hand nail.If he wants to eat.
Plywood instead of OSB is better in my opinion holds nails better.Aj

Malcolm Schweizer
03-26-2015, 1:22 AM
Just hire this guy. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2JNmOJNTsdE

Charlie Velasquez
03-26-2015, 2:05 AM
?....Finally, don't pay final bill until it passes inspection! (Our insurance company gave the roofer a "down payment" to cover materials and part of labor, which is typical.)yes and no. I have paid for materials up front, but now I only pay directly to supplier by credit card (allows you to not actually pay till cc pay date, which gives you time to dispute charge if something goes wrong) and have materials delivered to my house.

I learned the hard way the first time. Thought I did everything right. Went with a young local roofer, got recommendations/references -one from the president of a local bank, went out to look at the guy's work at several other houses. Talked with those homeowners. Spelled out everything in the contract. Gave him a check for materials up front.
What I didn't know was the roofer was going through a divorce, was financially in the hole, and ready to skip town.

Guess he did this to several people before he left.
Sued him and won in absentia, but he never returned to Iowa, and was out the check AND the court cost.

Jim Matthews
03-26-2015, 7:03 AM
Hand nailing is better. With gun nailing you get a high percentage of angled nails that tear the shingles. Also a good idea to get high wind nailing. The difference is small, two extra nails per shingle strip.

Hand nailing means the roofer can't afford the current equipment. They charge more for this and there's no evidence that it makes for a better roof.
Any roofer worth their fee has a pneumatic system and moves quickly - they're also more experienced.

Unless they're putting on wooden shingles, this is not a credible assertion.

*****

Proof of insurance for the job and the roofer's crew is vital.
If someone takes a fall or is injured, your homeowner's policy is at risk.

Plus one on making sure the soffit vents are clear.
I used vents built into the drip edge and had ice dams
over every gutter this year - all the vents were sealed,
which created a feedback loop.

When the soffits are exposed, insulation must be pushed back into the attic
to allow a pathway to prevent this sort of problem.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,1131346,00.html

Larry Frank
03-26-2015, 7:45 AM
Ask for references and go see some roofs that he has done and ask them about how he did along with cleanup. Check how the shingles are laid out along with overhang on gutters. Check your gutters and see if they need replaced.

With my last roof, I walked the yard with the head guy and he was really upset with his guys leaving so many nails in grass and beds.

Rich Riddle
03-26-2015, 7:57 AM
Most of the guys I work with in my roofing days could hand nail, I could hand nail about 7 squares of field on a good day,With a Coil nailer I could double that,easy. Never know when the compressor is going to poop out so I would think any decent roofer could hand nail. If he wants to eat.
Plywood instead of OSB is better in my opinion holds nails better.Aj
Plywood is better for many reasons. If it gets a bit damp it won't deteriorate. Its structurally stronger. It holds nails better. Ask if they tarp the roof if rain is near/present. Ask the price to replace bad plywood or OSB per sheet.

roger wiegand
03-26-2015, 10:32 AM
Pay the slight extra to double the ice and water shield so that its 4 ft rather than 2 ft up from edges and valleys. On a low slope roof just cover the whole thing with ice and water shield. Its cheap insurance. Avoid guys who use staples at all costs.

Ole Anderson
03-26-2015, 10:36 AM
Had our roof done last year, along with 600 roofs in our neighborhood after a hail storm. Ask how many crews the company has and pick one with more crews, and one that has been in business locally over 5 years. Get insurance certs (including workman's comp) and a contract. Get a better quality shingle with a longer warrantee. We went with GAF Timberline dimensional shingles with a lifetime warranty from GAF and a 10 year warranty on labor from the installer. Lifetime GAF warrantee only applies if a minimum number of GAF products are used, in our case shingles, felt, ice and water shield and ridge vent. Almost everyone uses a nail gun. We ended up making final payment before the township inspection as they were 3 month behind and that wasn't the installer's fault. Have them form the ice and water shield down the fascia enough to just be covered by the drip edge. Make sure they ice shield the valleys and 6 feet up the eaves, or further as may be required by code.

A huge item is: will they do a complete tear off? That is the only way they will be able to do the ice and water shield properly. Don't try to save a few bucks by going over your existing shingles, it isn't worth it. Now is the time to make sure you have proper attic ventilation, a good roofer will verify if it meets code, if not, the warranty is no good.

Larry Edgerton
03-26-2015, 11:43 AM
Just hire this guy. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2JNmOJNTsdE

He is very fast. Faster than I was in my day, and I could hand nail 15 sq. a day on a good roof. That being said, he is going over the old shingles, so in my book that makes him a hack. A fast hack, but a hack just the same.

Read the fine print in the warranty on most shingles. It is void if done over old shingles, and for good reason. They will last roughly 1/2 as long and the next roof will cost you three times as much for tearoff.

Phil Thien
03-26-2015, 2:37 PM
He is very fast. Faster than I was in my day, and I could hand nail 15 sq. a day on a good roof. That being said, he is going over the old shingles, so in my book that makes him a hack. A fast hack, but a hack just the same.

Read the fine print in the warranty on most shingles. It is void if done over old shingles, and for good reason. They will last roughly 1/2 as long and the next roof will cost you three times as much for tearoff.

That video is 15 square a day. So you apparently went that fast.

Agree w/ going over old shingles. Doesn't make financial sense to anyone but a buy flipping a house.

Andrew Hughes
03-26-2015, 3:09 PM
I worked with guy who was really fast and he didn't use a nail stripper,He also had a helper feeding him shingles.
He was only good for production his details were horrible.Since I was a foreman I would keep away from the tin shingle runs or valleys.
Whats wrong with a re cover? If the shingle aren't curlying should be good.
One thing always wondered why don't the Midwest roofers break the key ways up. Scratching my head Aj

Larry Edgerton
03-26-2015, 5:50 PM
Andrew, our climate is diametrically opposite of yours so what you experience may not be that same as us. I am working in about as bad a climate as you will find for houses. Temps swings of about 150 degrees, and moisture off of the great lakes constantly, with a lot of freeze/thaw cycles as temps jump back and forth across the 32 degree mark for 7 months of the year.

I talked to a GAF rep about it and what he said was two fold, one in our climate moisture gets trapped in the old shingles below and they degrade, compromising the shingles above. Shingles are water resistant contrary to what would seem logical. They can become waterlogged. Probably not a problem in So. Cal. I have seen this when I have torn off roof overs. Moist shingles below all crumbly.

The other thing is heat buildup and this would be an issue where you live. His claim was that without being able to pass heat through to the bottom side of the roof it would essentially boil the tar out of the shingles. Not sure I buy all that factory reps say, so I am just repeating.

Here is an interesting discussion on venting and shingle temp.

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/building-science/insulated-rooflines-and-shingle-temperatures

I think a more important consideration is color. The lighter the better. I did two identical houses 16 years ago at the same time, one in black and one in tan. One is my parents house and when I recommended a lighter color my dad picked black of course. I did mom and dads roof last year and I should have done it the year before. There was no tar left in the shingles, even on the North side that does not get sun at a very steep angle. The house next door was still in fine shape in the tan color. My dad wanted black again until I told him to do it himself.........

This will also help bring down attic temps a bit as well.

I just built a house for myself, did a lot of searching and decided to go with GAF lifetime shingles. That way "I" will never have to put them on again. When I did a search for class action lawsuits, GAf did not come up. Tamko and Certianteed had a ton of them. I have a couple of house I built about 14 years ago with Certianteeds best shingles that are failing. I went and looked at them, but what can I do at this point. Makes me look bad.

If all goes well I will never shingle another roof, but I'm sure I will. I only shingle my own work because it is so hard to find good subs. A bad shingle job can make a straight house look crooked, and I do not want leaks in a new house.

Phil Thien
03-26-2015, 6:18 PM
I worked with guy who was really fast and he didn't use a nail stripper,He also had a helper feeding him shingles.
He was only good for production his details were horrible.Since I was a foreman I would keep away from the tin shingle runs or valleys.
Whats wrong with a re cover? If the shingle aren't curlying should be good.
One thing always wondered why don't the Midwest roofers break the key ways up. Scratching my head Aj

I just ran into this on my daughter's house. The seller wanted to just toss a 2nd layer on there. I declined.

And good thing, too. Tore it off and found problems with step flashing that was installed incorrectly, and some other problems that resulted in some rot.

Tear it off, I say.

Lee Schierer
03-26-2015, 7:07 PM
I just re-roofed my 16 x 24 pole barn. It had one layer of 3 tab shingles that were old, but very flat.

I told each roofer that came what I wanted, which was:

1. Remove old shingles and take them away.
2. I want at least 30 year warranted shingles to closely match the color on the house.
3. What type of under layment will you use.
4. New drip edge all the way around.
5. Ice and water shield on the upper portion which has a low pitch since it is a Dutch Gambrel style roof.
6. The cupola is functional so I don't want a ridge vent. Remove and re-shingle the cupola.
7. How would they handle the angle change between the upper roof and the lower roof.
8. How long will it take.
9. When can you do it.
10. What is your insurance.
11. What down payment if any do you want. (This ranged from nothing to 1/2)
12. How long have you been in business.
13. Can you provide recent references.
14. I need a written quote of what you are going to do.
15. I gave them a rough time frame of when I wanted the work done by.

I had five roofers give me quotes. One guy wrote his estimate on the back of a business card...he didn't get the job. They ranged from $2350 to $3800 for the same roof. I went with the next to lowest bid, they came 2 days after I said go ahead, finished in a day and a half. They tar[ed the roof over night even though it wasn't supposed to rain and they had the under layment in place. Yes they used nail guns. Yes I watched them work, I didn't observe any crooked nails or torn shingles. The shingles had a white tape nail stripe that they put all the nails into. They put tarps on the ground to catch the old shingles and nails as they came off the roof and cleaned up any debris and nails that missed the tarps. They also swept my driveway where they had parked their truck and did some trimming of shingles. It looks really nice.

Andrew Hughes
03-26-2015, 7:44 PM
Yeah I see your point, with your climate it's best to get it right.Ive never had to chase leaks on a half frozen roof leaking in the spring.Sounds like a pain in the ass.
Im glad I don't have to roof anymore to make a living,But I still have some of my tools and make a buck or two now and then plus someday I'll have to do my house.
Shingles were really not my specialty I did lots two piece clay,Spanish style.All kinds nail on,100 percent cement,and wire tye.Still have my nippers.Kinda miss that work.Aj

Larry Edgerton
03-27-2015, 5:34 AM
I have been thinking of selling off all the construction equipment just so I can't used it. Especially the roofing stuff!:p

I HATE working with the harness/safety lines!

Lee Schierer
03-27-2015, 7:54 AM
I HATE working with the harness/safety lines!

First time you slip on a roof and nearly fall off you'll have a new appreciation for the harness and the safety line.

Ole Anderson
03-27-2015, 9:13 AM
Steepest pitch on my roof was only 4/12 so it was easy to work on, but many newer homes are up to 12/12. I asked the roofer how they work on steep pitches, he showed me his special roofers shoe's with a replaceable sole that was a lot like a soft grippy foam rubber. He said it takes a while to be able to trust them. I noticed most crews around here aren't tied off as they should be.

Curt Harms
03-28-2015, 8:13 AM
Steepest pitch on my roof was only 4/12 so it was easy to work on, but many newer homes are up to 12/12. I asked the roofer how they work on steep pitches, he showed me his special roofers shoe's with a replaceable sole that was a lot like a soft grippy foam rubber. He said it takes a while to be able to trust them. I noticed most crews around here aren't tied off as they should be.

There were lots of roofs replaced here in the wake of Sandy. Lots of different roofers and NObody used any safety gear. These roofs aren't 12/12 but they aren't shallow, either. I know I wouldn't have been comfortable walking around like they were.

Roy Turbett
04-04-2015, 6:06 PM
...... I have a couple of house I built about 14 years ago with Certianteeds best shingles that are failing. I went and looked at them, but what can I do at this point. Makes me look bad. .....



I had the same problem with Certainteed shingles on my shop and was able to get about $650 back from Certainteed on 18 squares of 15 year old shingles. I had my original receipt which helped.

Jim Andrew
04-18-2015, 10:39 PM
Having been a contractor, would never allow any contractor to furnish material on my job. You never know if he is about to file bankruptcy, flee town or what. If he charges material to your address and does not pay for it, you are stuck for the bill. Even if you paid him for the material up front. Better to pay the supply house.