The roofing business is booming right now, especially due to the hail damage we get here in the Hill Country. Roofing companies are moving into the Hill Country by the hundreds, okay, by the handful. How do you know whether to go with them or not? What type of materials do you want to use? How do they manage their crews and jobs? Have they ever even put a roof on? Are they just a roofer or wanting to be a general contractor too? Just a few questions to set you on your way to investigate before you hire someone.
Hail damage occurs more than we like, but it’s one of the prices we pay to live here. You can get hail damage on all types of roofs, whether it is composition shingles, wood shingles or shakes, metal roofs, or tiles. If you get hail damage, notify your homeowners’ insurance. They will send an adjuster out to determine if you have hail damage. They will either give you a list of roofers they recommend or ask you to get quotes.
If you are interviewing your roofers, this is where you need to dig in with questions for them, along with getting a quote. If you have a composition and you want to change to metal, there probably will be an additional cost to go this route. If the roofer is asking for a lot of money up front – RUN. Call the roofers’ references. You might even want to look at some of their work. Always get everything in writing. Make sure they come to the job site and at least check on the work being performed by their people. Make sure they will clean up the site too.
We have come across stories, like the following; 1) I have a roofing company, but count on my guys to do the job. I don’t have a clue how to put a roof on. 2) I have a roofing company, but I can do all the additional work for you too. Meaning, changing boards, painting, windows, etc. 3) I have a lot of homes I am doing right now. Hummm. All three of these scenarios are scary.
Roofs are a big investment, especially if your insurance is not covering them. So please, check out the companies, before you sign on the dotted line, that is, if they give you a paper to sign. Also, ask about the warranty they give too.
Any catastrophe can bring people in to get money and/or do a job. Hail definitely is one of those areas. If you trust a builder, contact them for assistance if you are having trouble. Hail can affect not only the roof, but damage windows and screens, fascia boards, siding, and A/Cs. If you have this much damage, it would be best to hire a general contractor to oversee all the areas that need repairs.
For ALL Your Real Estate and Building needs or questions, call Debbie at (830) 833-4249 / (713)818-6658 or debbie@vallonerealestate.net.
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