What to look for in a roofer

Question

What should I look for in a roofer other than the standard contractor “licensed, bonded, insured”? What’s a reasonable price for Seattle or other HCOL markets? I have 4 layers of roof. Over read J Scott’s estimating rehab costs but my roofing bids are higher than the upper limit he describes.

Brian Pulaski · Answer

4 layers will be a premium. Usually more than 2 layers and they upcharge. More labor and more weight for dumping. Typical remove/reroof near me is $350/SQ. Additional layers would be more.

David Tyrawa · Answer

Every roof bid we do if different. We do anywhere from 40 to 100 a year depending on the year. Your job sounds like a nightmare. There difficult to tear off and clean up is worse. You need to hire someone your comfortable with. Highest bid isn't correct and I wouldn't trust lowest if it's way off others.  Look for someone you feel isn't "selling" a roof but telling you what to honestly expect

David Tyrawa · Answer

Jess.

i forgot to mention PVC is a good thick system. I have seen it but have absolutely no experience installing it. If I had to guess on a difference ( only going off my thoughts here) torch down might be better long term. I can coat torch down with a aluminum finish to reflect sun. I'm not sure if PVC allows that. The sun will destroy any roofing product long before rain and snow.

David Tyrawa · Answer

Jess.

i would prefer the osb but I think it's a discussion of market preference. In Chicago cdx is everywhere. In Rockford it's all osb. 70 mile difference changes market preferences. The weight I wouldn't worry about. Your taking off about 750lbs per 100sq ft and putting back roughly 275 with wood. As far as flat roof goes both are good products. We prefer torch down but thats what I grew up with. I don't like epdm unless there's a huge fire hazard with the torch down. Epdm is thin and I see squirrel and racoons tear them up by walking on them. Osb should be lot cheaper ( almost half) the cost for the contractor to purchase so it might save you some money.

David Tyrawa · Answer

Jess Hass.

i prefer osb. Cdx will delaminate if exposed to moisture. ( Leak, poor ventilation). I would rather have spot of osb rot than have entire sheet fall apart. You need starter shingles, perimeter metal, lead pipe flashing ( rubber ones last 10 years, lead is forever) ridge vent if the building can utilize enough of it. That could be plastic ( Omni roll, snow country etc). The mesh ridge vent clogs.  I would use Owens Corning duration shingles if available. Good seal and denim nailing strip. Finally feel good about who you hire. If you don't trust them price doesn't matter. It's expensive to fix mistakes

Michael Noto · Answer

@Jess Haas You are going to pay a huge premium to get 4 layers of roofing removed. It may even be tough to find a roofer who will take on a job like that because of the labor/cleanup involved.

If it is not an emergency maybe try getting it replaced during a slower time in your area for roof jobs to be completed. That may increase the amount of roofing contractors who would be interested in the job.

Do you know what the 4 layers consist of? Some materials are harder to remove than others.

Tim Mcbee · Answer

@Jess Haas

Depending on what those four layers are this could be pretty extensive in the tear off portion / removal. This could drive the price up by what I would expect as 30%-50%.

When looking for a roofer first get a local to recommend someone. Whether you have that or not then the next thing is vital. FIND A GUY WHO IS THE ROOFER. What I mean is not a "paper" contractor, as in he will be up on the roof with HIS crew. Now that the industry is so busy there are a lot of guys out there pimping out labor. This is where the middle man markup gets inflated, repairs to bad work gets delayed, and where quality goes out the window.

Great job in seeking advice. Keep researching the pit falls and decide with confidence and you will do great!

John Barrett · Answer

@Jess Haas 4 layers is definitely going to result in a higher charge.  It is more labor but the dump fees could also be quite high. The tough part of your question is that it really depends on the amount and type of work that needs to be done for your roof.  Specifically does your roof have dormers or other complex features, is it really large or have some other challenging feature that makes working on it dangerous or difficult?

The simplest path forward is to request itemized bid from your contractors so you can see where they vary in cost.  Also, don't forget to ask the contractors for suggestions/ways to be cost effective in replacing the roof.  They are the experts and often can give you the great ideas/suggestions.  For example, if you find out a large portion of the cost is for dumping the materials within the city of Seattle, you might be pay a little more in trucking and have the material disposed of outside of the city limits.

Best of luck,

John

Jess Haas · Answer

@David Tyrawa

Also a question. I have a low pitched section(2/12). Half of the contractors recommended PVC the other half torchdown. Which do you recommend?

Jess Haas · Answer

@David Tyrawa

Isn’t CDX more expensive though? Why would most of my bids have CDX? Because OSB is heavier?

What to look for in a roofer

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