One of the roofing companies I contacted might just email me an estimate without seeing the roof??

[Siwsan]

Is this common? I mean, wouldn't they need to measure and talk about types of shingles?? I guess they could get an idea of the area from looking up info on the house but I specifically said I need someone to take a look at the condition of the roof to see if I can go ahead a book the work but wait until Spring.

I have one roofer coming by for an estimate, tomorrow. I let this company know when the other one would be here, to avoid both showing up at the same time. Momentary silence, and then she asked me to be sure to NOT make a decision until I speak with their estimator, and she will let him know I'm getting other estimates. Then she said she didn't know if their guy would be coming by, or just emailing the estimate. He'd call or email to let me know. Weird. Doesn't seem like it would take that much time.

Both places have been in the area for years and have great reputations. I've already used one for other home improvement work so they do have a bit of an edge because I want to see if I can get some other stuff done, and maybe get a bundle discount.

[LakeArenal]

1. Companies who really didn't want to do my small roof project just drove by..

Their bid was $30,000. I hired the Amish and paid $8500.

Who removed an old chimney and roofed my tool shed for no extra charge.

Got Amish?

[Siwsan]

3. Not in the Flint area, that's for sure

I think I'll take a double dose of CBD before I face the estimates.

[LakeArenal]

8. PS It was a metal roof.

We did it to sell the house. They are generally more expensive.

https://postimg.cc/crJ7DM7J]

https://postimg.cc/zLTTLdNx

[Siwsan]

9. That is a steep roof!!!

My house is a typical ranch style so not a whole lot of pitch to the roof.

[LakeArenal]

10. Yours is a more efficient roof.

It took over two years to find someone
To do it.

Those Amish scaled it like it was nothing. With the tips of their boots on this slats.

[kimbutgar]

2. They look on google images and see your roof.

That said have you looked into foam roofs they last longer than tar and gravel.

[Siwsan]

5. I've heard of metal roofs but not foam.

I figure, at my age, I'll be selling up and moving to someplace with MUCH less space and maintenance before another roof is required.

[Midnight Writer]

11. Yeah, I had a guy look me up on Google maps while I was on the phone with him.

He somehow came up with a size estimate, but not a cost estimate. There was damage to the sheathing that was not apparent in photos.

[mercuryblues]

4. It is weird

that they won't be looking at it. Covid has changed a lot of ways people are doing business.

They can easily get the info they need from public records and send one guy out there to take a look, without even having to speak to you.

I have a cousin that installs and fixes cable and internet connections. For a while he was not even allowed to go into customer homes. He would do all the outside work and tell people through a window what to do inside. It could take him over 3 hours to do a 10 minute call.

[kimbutgar]

6. I had my roof done 5 years ago they looked at my roof though goggle images.

And because they had done similar homes in my area they didn’t need to measure.


That said I am getting a new roof on my rental home and because business is slow I only am paying $2500.

[Siwsan]

7. I'll definitely be masked when the estimator comes by, tomorrow

I'm going to have lawn chairs set up for any conversation.

From the reaction I got, today, I'm hoping for some competitive, non-heart attack inducing estimates. I have money set aside for home improvements but have no idea how much a roof costs. Although it's the most critical thing, I just don't want to blow everything on one project.

[csziggy]

12. These days they can find an aerial view and get pretty close on the area to cover

Plus count all the gables and valleys. Here in Florida, they can look up the house's basic layout and square footage to confirm.

I called a company last year about getting solar panels - the guy looked my house up on the property appraiser's web site and checked on their aerial view maps. Just from that, he could tell that our big live oaks provided too much shade for us to get the full benefits from photovoltaic. Saved him a trip out here and us any regret that we should have done solar PV years ago.