Negotiating Your Roofing Estimate and Contract

As I discussed in a previous post, you should get three estimates from licensed roofing contractors. The roofing estimate Queens can come in many forms. Some contractors will give you very little information, with just a few line items and a total cost for your roof replacement Queens. The best cost estimates come with each line item listed with it's cost. All estimates should specify the materials to be used for the roofing project, including the underlay, the warranty and the payment terms. The more information that is in the estimate, the easier it is to compare with other quotes. A common practice for contractors in general, is to leave items out of the quote for a lower total price. That is why it's important to review your roofing estimate Bronx and final roofing contract carefully, to be sure you are comparing apples to apples. When you have chosen a roofing contract Bronx that suits your needs, including quality, estimate transparency, and cost, the contractors will provide you with a contract. Your contractor may have provided you with roofing options, including good, better and best-and include product samples and literature. You will need to choose among these options before he or she finalizes the contract.

In general a contractor who takes the time to prepare a good proposal may do a more thorough job, because he or she has shown an attention to detail. Beware of contractors who will not put your agreement in writing, it is difficult to negotiate after the fact and there is the potential for many misunderstandings. It may seem easier in the beginning to discuss something verbally, but in the end there is too much room for miscommunication, and sometimes dishonesty.
When a roofing contract Bronx is presented, it should spell out the proposed roofing work, prices and completion date. Read the contract carefully. Misunderstandings are the most common cause of contract disputes.

Pay special attention to be certain the following points are covered in the contract. Building Permits - Do you need local roofing permits, costs, and what are the posting requirements? The start and completion date should be posted on the contract, including arrangements for rainy weather delays. Your city building department will need to inspect the roof construction, usually after all the materials are stripped off, and again at completion. This should be included on your roofing contract Queens as part of the timeline. Also, important, and a source of much chagrin for homeowners is the site cleanup. Homowners can spend months cleaning up old roof shingle debris and dangerous nails. This is often not thought of before the project - but the roofing contractor is anxious to be paid at the end and often fails to finish the cleanup of the job site as a result. Payment terms will be a part of the contract, with the majority of the fee due at job completion. Any contractor who wants upfront payment may disappear with your money, especially if they are not licensed (check their contractor's license and business license with the New York State). In addition the roofing supplier(s) and any subcontractors should be listed.

How to Find a Roofer

The first step in hiring a roofing contractor for roof replacement is (naturally) to first find a few roofing contractors who can inspect your roof and submit a bid to you. But where do you find roofers? How do you know if they do quality work? The obvious option is to ask your friends and neighbors for their experience and get referrals. The second option is to drive around your neighborhood and watch New York roofing contractors work in progress. This is often a common site on a summer day. Talk to the homeowner and find out if their roofing contractors Queens are honest, professional, and licensed.

You can also contact your local Chamber of Commerce about contractors who are active in the community. The Better Business Bureau, state and local licensing authorities, local trade associations and your local yellow page directory are also excellent sources of information. Online sources for asphalt shingle roofing contractors Bronx and other roofing installers include craigslist and Angie's List. Make sure any Contractor's you use off Craigslist and other anonymous sources like the Yellow Pages can supply you with a list of references. Local suppliers of building products can also supply you with names of quality Roofing Contractors New York. Once you find three quality roofers Bronx you can move on to the next step - asking them to submit a bid.

Metal Roofing Options in New York

Do you have an old roof with curling fiberglass or asphalt roof shingles? Maybe you've been doing small scale roof repair for a while, fixing each leak as it comes. At some point with an old roof, the cost and hassle of roof repairs becomes too great to ignore. The obvious answer is to remove your roof (if it has 2 or more layers) and replace it with yet another shingle roof Queens. However, it may be worthwhile to explore your options. There are a number of asphalt shingle roofing alternatives on the market, these include slate roofing, tile roofing, rolled roofing, and metal roofing Queens. All of these roofing alternatives are much longer lasting than asphalt roofing Bronx. But both tile roofing and slate roofing are heavy, and can only be used when your house meets load bearing standards for these materials. Your contractor can inspect your rafters and tell you what types of material are possible with your house. Chances are, if your existing roofing system is asphalt, your house will not be adequate for tile or slate. However, metal roofing is light, long-lasting and can be installed over your existing roof!

Metal roofs have a number of advantages over traditional roof shingles. The most notable benefits are ease of installation, long-life and it is the lightest roofing material which means that you don't need to remove your existing asphalt shingles Bronx. Much to many peoples surprise, metal roofs are significantly lighter than other types of roofs. Typically they weigh less than one-third the weight of asphalt/fiberglass shingles; and are as much as 75% lighter than clay, concrete or slate.

Metal roofing is also highly resistant to forces of nature. Naturally, it is the safest roof to have in fire-prone areas. Metal roofing Queens is a noncombustible roofing material with a Class "A" rating - the highest rating given. Also, Metal roofs are not noisy when it rains. The noise levels of a high quality metal roof are about the same as other roofing products such as asphalt roofing Bronx or wood shingles or clay tiles Queens. Metal roofs are also resistant to hail damage. More so than asphalt/fiberglass roof shingles. Depending on the quality, some metal roofing products have the highest impact resistance and hail rating granted by the insurance commissions in the hail belt regions of the U.S. Some insurance companies even provide a reduced rate for metal roofs. In addition, Metal roofing is wind resistant. Check the wind warranty for details on wind force resistance for your chosen brand.


Are there any any disadvantages of metal roofing? There are a couple. Depending upon your area, it may be hard to find a residential roof contractor New York who installs metal roofing. Many contractors specialize in commercial metal roofing rather than residential roofing Bronx. Check online review sites for roofing contractors as well as your Better Business Bureau. The other potential disadvantage is cost. Metal roofs Bronx cost more than a 20 year warranty asphalt/fiberglass shingle roof; however a metal roof can cost substantially less than many of the high-end architectural shingles now being sold.