New rood Needed- What should I do?

Question

Hello,

I currently have two rental properties in Tallahassee, and one of them I have been unable to get insurance on due to it needing a new roof. The decking has rotted on the edge of the roof, causing the roof fascia soffit vents to rot and fall out in two places. There is no water coming into the house, as the leaky areas are on the edges near the gutters. I have been instructed by an insurance inspector that I must replace the roof in order to qualify for insurance. What is the most cost effective way to get a new roof in this area? The house is only 1300 sq ft and has a very basic roof design.

Scott Mac · Answer

Hi Sam,

The cheapest way would be to rent a ladder and a trailer (for the shingles) and go up there and nail it on yourself.

About half of the job is getting the old shingles off and into a dumpster.

They make a tool called a "Shingle Spade" to help remove the old shingles.

Or start calling around for bids, but realize sometimes you get what you pay for in terms of installation quality.

And the prices of plywood in FLA are pretty high right now.

But DIY lets you know it's been done correctly according to the instructions and code, as well as pocket all of the labor money to use twords another investment.

Good Luck!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw5n-5uoGbU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlB1ysSnfjQ

Jon Martin · Answer

Roofs aren't cheap but they aren't terribly expensive either. If you have to replace, just bite the bullet and do it.

I like the idea above about doing some of the work yourself, just be sure that your quotes reflect that. I would get an all in price first and then negotiate down based on doing your own demo.

Kevin M Finley · Answer

I personally wouldn't attempt doing my own roof. 1300sf with a modest pitch should be roughly 16 square.

You should be looking at about $300/sq for tearoff and shingle and add $100 per sheet for sheathing replaced and $5/LF for fascia. Ie when you're getting quotes, if they're completely re-sheathing, anything over $6500-7000 is a con artist, and anyone $5k or below likely doesn't know what they're doing. Don't listen to bitching about material prices either. Materials make up 30% of the job and have only gone up around 11% in the last two years. Sheathing is a different story. Hope that helps ballpark it.

Jai Blue · Answer

I reside in Tallahassee and I have replaced 4 roofs this year on my rentals (with a great local contractor). Please do not try to replace the roof yourself unless you are experienced and feel comfortable with also handling the permitting process.

I would also warn you not to remove the roof before having roofing companies come out to give you their estimates because some companies will not want to do work behind anyone else - including you...also get about 4 to 5 estimates. We have had issues with contractors targeting this area due to the storms or hurricanes...they are the "Run and Hide" contractors (which means they run to get business cards and signs on their vehicles so they can take advantage of homeowners desperately needing new roofs and then they hide or leave after ripping them off - most times they don't pass inspection or even get the final inspection done  which means the owners still can't get insurance coverage and they have a hard time getting another roofing company to complete the job without wanting to rip it off and re-do everything).

Good luck and don't be afraid to reach out if you need help.

Theresa Harris · Answer

Call a couple of roofers who have been in the business for a while and get quotes.  My insurance company also gave me a small discount for having a new roof put on when I did it.

Henry T. · Answer

Roofs are often done by ex-cons. It aint rocket science. The instructions are right on the package.

Its good physical work. If the pitch is not steep, they're pretty easy.

If you want to get bids, get many because they vary widely.

No such thing as a 50 year roof. I just did a metal one myself, 5 years still doing great. I think I like metal.

Need special cork shoes if its steep pitch.  Its a fun workout.

Isham Zabala · Answer

My wife and I are in the same situation. In order to get insurance in our house we have to replace our roof. We are going with Tadlock roofing, they have great customer service, can get the roof replaced quickly and efficiently. They also offer a 6 month 0% interest loan. So if you can’t afford it right now, but know that you’ll be able to pay it off in 6 months, it’s definitely worth it!

Patricia Berman · Answer

Hello Sam,

Just call a few roofing companies to get them to come out and give you bids, see if they have reviews on google.  Then choose the one with the best cost and reviews.

New roof is an important thing to have and will save you repairs in the future. It is a large expense and that is hard to deal with, but it will be worth it.

Thanks,

Patricia

New rood Needed- What should I do?

Most Popular Reply