Should I pay a deposit for a roof replacement?

Question

About to get a flat roof replacement done and I'm wondering, should I pay a deposit? I've been stiffed multiple times in the past with other contractors on projects, so I've since, refused to pay anything up front outside of material costs. What has been everyone's strategy on this?

Also, if you have any roofer recommendations, please send them my way. Thanks!

John Warren · Answer

@Byron W. I almost always give a deposit on a sizable job, but it also depends on how well you know your contractor. I would think 25-30% would up front would be enough in some cases with 50% being the maximum I would do.  I am preparing to do a flat roof replacement on one of my properties in Berwyn, and I ended up getting the best pricing through the GC I have been using to do most of the unit turns.

Take your time on the flat roof research. There are multiple opinions on best materials to use (modified bitumen versus TPO) and how you should handle tuck pointing, copings, etc. Make sure your roofer has been around for a while and that your roofer offers a long warranty. It is not uncommon to get 10 years on a flat roof.

Jerry N. · Answer

@Byron W. Our advice would be to do everything you can to negotiate that down or away.  We did a flat roof locally in 2017 with a decades old company, good reviews, etc., licensed in Chicago.  50% down balance upon completion.  They finished it just a couple months ago, and 2017 is not a typo.  We wrote about it extensively somewhere, I'm not willing to put their name on here publicly.  There were two things they needed to finish and didn't finish the job due to winter weather because they started 6 weeks after the date originally promised (and that was waiting for them for 8 weeks).  Now that we are close to freezing temps consistently, unless someone is going to do a torch down, it may not even get done until the spring.  The day they 'finished' saying they would come back in the spring, we got the invoice for the balance.  We didn't pay it.  There is a lot more to the story but we will never put that kind of deposit down again.

John Warren · Answer

@Byron W. for sure. I just sent you a PM with the info.

Byron W. · Answer

Thanks John! Mind sending me a roofer you'd recommend?

Jacob Sampson · Answer

I never put a deposit down on a roof replacement, its going to take a couple of days and then I pay them in full as soon as they are done.

Should I pay a deposit for a roof replacement?

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