New rood Needed- What should I do?
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.
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
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.
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.
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
An experience roofer/company should be able to handle the carpentry work. Yes, you need to tear the edge of the roof and sounds like places in the eaves apart. Must be sure that the rafters are still solid, or "sister" on extensions to them. Then repair/rebuild the eaves, then install the new decking where needed (probably 7/16" osb), then the NEW roof can be put on. (if you have questions of any of this, message me)
IF you feel comfortable doing any of this, congrats! If you, or a carpenter you know, is handy.. You should be able to do the repairs, then Dry It In (tarp over it maybe? the upper end tucked "under" some shingles!) And a roofing co can come and replace the roof then. Or again, if experienced, the co can do all this for you. The repairs happen first, or at the same time but done first before the roofing portion in that area is done.
JsRoofing.com
But again if you have questions, don't hesitate to send a message or email me. :)
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!
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.
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.
#3 Managing Your Property Contributor
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.
Quote from @Henry T.:"The instructions are right on the package." LMAO... yeah, good luck with that!!! (still laughing)
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.
Will say, as Theresa said above, a new roof (even common shingles) usually gets a small discount on the premiums, but it tapers off quickly. if you use a Class 4/hail resistant shingle (costs more!), you also "usually" get a big discount for using those (same as if you used metal, tiles, slate ... All are in the Class 4 category). BUT, you have to check with your ins agent, to see: "what discount would I get for having a Class4 material on the roof?" They will tell you if it's 8%, or perhaps 15-30%. If it's lower, then it may not warrant the extra cost, because it would take too long to recoup it! (hope that makes sense)
Can the quoted price that a company gives you usually be bargained down? Or should you just take the initial quote from each roofing company and not try to haggle them down?
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@Sam Zawatsky YMMV but I’ve found the guys who know what they are doing have their price and stick to it.
Quote from @Sam Zawatsky:Sam, Like most times or when people try to Bargain, the question comes to, WHY!? Oh, I'm $200 higher than the other quote? I guarantee that we are 10x that $200 better than they they are (by the provided warranty, workmanship, CARE of the job, ....). Now, if we are $2K higher than another, then ... "let me see the other quote please." If everything is the same, then maybe we made a mistake on the calculations. Not common, but it does happen. But then, would you trust a company that tries to come down $1-2K from their initial quote!? "I" wouldn't! hahaha (other companies do that all the time!)
Can the quoted price that a company gives you usually be bargained down? Or should you just take the initial quote from each roofing company and not try to haggle them down?
Basically, if the person/company is being honest (and yes you need to make sure of that), their ESTIMATE shouldn't be that far off from others. If you want to Negotiate pricing, remember ... you want lower pricing, people usually cut corners! Or, they don't care as much for the job or end results. Example: We pay our crews, that we've had for a long time, (that do full roof replacements) very well. Could we pay them less and still be in the same range as others, definitely! But, by paying them more, they are more inclined to: show up on time; DO the extra steps needed to do a job/details correctly, not just fudge things; and actually care that the job goes well and not to just hurry it up to get to the next one.
As is always said, you DO get what you pay for. Yes, it's a balancing act and yes, you SHOULD be cautious to pricing and be aware of what things generally costs. But, you want cheap, you'll get cheap! Want quality, quality doesn't come cheap. :)
JsRoofing.com
Let me know if you have questions or if I/we can help in any way!