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We have just a basic 3 tab, single layer mild sloping roof were looking to have replaced by a licensed contractor. If you would like to share your experience , good or bad we would like to hear, thanks Grant
Roofing contractor advice
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5,116 Posts
Last summer we we went with the 30 year Architectural Shingles. I love the look much better. Be sure to get the ice shield they can add underneath to prevent ice dam water from seeping underneath the shingles. Shop around, ask around, get bids...we got 6. We added 5 additional roof vents and also added gable vents. Huge difference in the heat of the eastern Oregon summer. Good luck.
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Where are you located?
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691 Posts
Be very wary of so called" home improvement contractors" that do windows, siding, roofing, sun rooms---those guys are always overpriced and the quality is suspect. I know--I was in the industry.
STAY AWAY FROM THE BIG BOX STORES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you are in the Portland metro area I would say a CERTAIN COMPANY IS THE BEST-- is a top notch company--yup, 700 to a grand more--but done to the highest standards--and done right the first time. Best there is. If you are planning to stay in your house--what is 700-1000 dollars over the course of time? Do the math. A good composite roof ,installed correctly, maintained, will go 30 years--that is as long as most house loans are. But, the fact is, most are not correctly installed, inferior materials, not maintained and they last 10-15 years.
The roofing business is full of flakes--be careful. That goes for the entire home improvement biz!
pm me for the name of the company-unless they pay to advertise on here--I don't think I can say their name.
In the end--if you are staying in the house for at least 10 years it will cost you less.
STAY AWAY FROM THE BIG BOX STORES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you are in the Portland metro area I would say a CERTAIN COMPANY IS THE BEST-- is a top notch company--yup, 700 to a grand more--but done to the highest standards--and done right the first time. Best there is. If you are planning to stay in your house--what is 700-1000 dollars over the course of time? Do the math. A good composite roof ,installed correctly, maintained, will go 30 years--that is as long as most house loans are. But, the fact is, most are not correctly installed, inferior materials, not maintained and they last 10-15 years.
The roofing business is full of flakes--be careful. That goes for the entire home improvement biz!
pm me for the name of the company-unless they pay to advertise on here--I don't think I can say their name.
In the end--if you are staying in the house for at least 10 years it will cost you less.
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5,116 Posts
I agree. We didn't go with the cheapest bid. We used the guy with the best reputation, and he KNOWS roofs. A good one can diagnose any issues offer options for repairs before roofing. Be sure to get a quote on any sheeting that may need replaced. Just because it looks good from the top doesn't mean there's not issues under the shingles. Our guy, and most reputable companies will clean up magnetically to find any nails etc that got away during tear off. I found zero nails in the yard and driveway etc. when they left I couldn't tell they had been there except for the beautiful new roof they left behind. Ask for referrals. If they don't provide any, move on. They also cleaned all the gutters and they were spotless when done. But I doubt they travel your direction. I have given them 2 referrals since, and that was to my advantage also.
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5,950 Posts
I know several people that have used Interstate Roofing and have been very pleased with the outcome.
The three things I was told about them...
1) On time
2) On budget
3) Quality work
I agree that the quality of the roofing material is a big factor. When I did my own roof, I used 30 year architectural and love it. I bought it through Dealers Supply in Portland.
Other peoples mileage may vary
:flag2:
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507 Posts
When we did our roof, I asked a couple roofer buddies for advice. They said to go w/ the company with the fewest digits in their ccb number. The guy that ended up doing our roof had a ccb # in the 60k range. Been in business for 25+ years and it was all done by hand. Super tight. We found zero nails or debris after the tear off.
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That's not always true. A guy can buy out a company (with old CCB #) and run it into the ground. Also if a company changes entities (goes from LLC to INC or similar) they are required to get a new license number. The number of digits and or low number means very little.
Check the history of your contractor on the CCB's website. Also check references.
If you check Interstate Roofing's history you may be unpleasantly surprised.
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Definitely check history and references! As for Interstate Roofing, not endorsing them, I just know what I was told by friends. I did my own roof.
I can tell you, there are few things worse than a leaky roof! :twocents:
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44,052 Posts
Don't know your house but if you've got the old style (ugly) vents, talk to the roofer about the alternative.
Great point. The last roof we had put on the contractor suggested additional roof vents and I like the result. The house stays cooler in the summer but not any colder in the summer; less humidity in the attic.
I have a 6 figure judgment against a roofer who won't pay up. Horrible situation. Couple pieces of advice----caveat: my situation involved a lot more than what I am mentioning.
The advice about the ice/water shield is spot on.
So is the advice about ventilation. Trying not to type a novel, make sure your attic is properly insulated. Do your calculations to determine the correct ventilation for your attic--again, google it, but you'll see 2 standards: 1 sqft/300 sq ft of attic footprint vs. 1 sqft/150 sq ft of attic footprint. I went with the higher standard, there is no reason not to. . You have to get enough ventilation going out to match that standard, with enough ventilation coming in. Snow will cover whatever you use, so ask your roofer to explain how you deal with that.
For me I mounted a $10 wireless thermometer as high in the attic as I could to make sure I won't get Ice dams and see how hot it is in summer. Also, for snow, I think a few years ago discussing this Baltz mentioned a "snow rake"....I won't be without one again.....keep snow off roof, keep vents clear. Also, gutter heaters might be good but that might be overkill. Bottom line: hit your roofing prospects with these questions....any vent system that doesn't get covered w snow is great, but might be ugly....lots to consider.
Moving on: easy first check= The CCB check and BBB checks (do it yourself on line, google it) are easy, but it doesn't begin to tell the whole story but that doesn't mean you shouldn't check both. Under Oregon law you have appx 1 year to deal with any issues thru the CCB....after that, you have to find a way to sue civilly. If you win in CCB they go after his bond. What good is his bond if its miniscule??? CCB WILL TELL YOU THIS but you have to click your way to his bond amount. My problem child had a $15k bond, and trust me, that ain't enough unless you are roofing a chicken coop.
What DOES tell the story (and it is a headache and is not easy) is to find a way to go check OJIN which is free at your local county courthouse, for civil suits against the roofer/company. OJIN is a looney system not easy to use....but.....after my experience, I found my roofer has been sued more times than you can count. I also learned he refuses to even go to court, and is an expert and ducking and dodging collection attempts. Long story, but the guy is a pro at being a con man. Fair sized outfit, been in business for years. OJIN is overkill, and you shouldn't have to do it, but if you REALLY want to find out all that you publicly can, that is where you have to look. And of course, references.
You could always contact the Associated Roofing Contractors of Oregon (check their roster by the way too), the guys here will probably recommend some too.
Look at a job in progress....that will tell you a lot too as far as reference checking goes... if you don't know what to look for find someone who does. Also, the best are rarely cheap. :twocents:
GD
The advice about the ice/water shield is spot on.
So is the advice about ventilation. Trying not to type a novel, make sure your attic is properly insulated. Do your calculations to determine the correct ventilation for your attic--again, google it, but you'll see 2 standards: 1 sqft/300 sq ft of attic footprint vs. 1 sqft/150 sq ft of attic footprint. I went with the higher standard, there is no reason not to. . You have to get enough ventilation going out to match that standard, with enough ventilation coming in. Snow will cover whatever you use, so ask your roofer to explain how you deal with that.
For me I mounted a $10 wireless thermometer as high in the attic as I could to make sure I won't get Ice dams and see how hot it is in summer. Also, for snow, I think a few years ago discussing this Baltz mentioned a "snow rake"....I won't be without one again.....keep snow off roof, keep vents clear. Also, gutter heaters might be good but that might be overkill. Bottom line: hit your roofing prospects with these questions....any vent system that doesn't get covered w snow is great, but might be ugly....lots to consider.
Moving on: easy first check= The CCB check and BBB checks (do it yourself on line, google it) are easy, but it doesn't begin to tell the whole story but that doesn't mean you shouldn't check both. Under Oregon law you have appx 1 year to deal with any issues thru the CCB....after that, you have to find a way to sue civilly. If you win in CCB they go after his bond. What good is his bond if its miniscule??? CCB WILL TELL YOU THIS but you have to click your way to his bond amount. My problem child had a $15k bond, and trust me, that ain't enough unless you are roofing a chicken coop.
What DOES tell the story (and it is a headache and is not easy) is to find a way to go check OJIN which is free at your local county courthouse, for civil suits against the roofer/company. OJIN is a looney system not easy to use....but.....after my experience, I found my roofer has been sued more times than you can count. I also learned he refuses to even go to court, and is an expert and ducking and dodging collection attempts. Long story, but the guy is a pro at being a con man. Fair sized outfit, been in business for years. OJIN is overkill, and you shouldn't have to do it, but if you REALLY want to find out all that you publicly can, that is where you have to look. And of course, references.
You could always contact the Associated Roofing Contractors of Oregon (check their roster by the way too), the guys here will probably recommend some too.
Look at a job in progress....that will tell you a lot too as far as reference checking goes... if you don't know what to look for find someone who does. Also, the best are rarely cheap. :twocents:
GD
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40,978 Posts
Roof vents or Jacks are a cheap solution and they look like junk. Better to have gable vents and soffit vents. If you have your attic insulated (you do, right?), then make sure there are air ducts to allow the soffit vents to feed air to the main attic space. Give your heat source a call for an energy audit (Gas, Electric, etc..) to see what sort of grant you can get. I got R24 in my attic for about $250 after grants.
I have used JBC roofing for six or seven of my jobs, both remodels and whole houses. They are knowledgable, respectful of your property and reasonably priced. I have received bids on the whole house rip, sheath and shingle application, and they have always been the best price. Brad will also review venting needs and options, along with underlayment types. 503-968-1235
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11,395 Posts
hands down, sawtooth roofing. Amazing experience! Have recommended them to numerous others with good results.
Hello. sorry to bother you. Can anyone recommend a good/fair/honest roofing contractor in the area? We need a new roof on our cabin and fish cleaning house, which would around 1000 sq ft. I've had horrible luck with contractors around the cities & just need someone who is fair. They also have to be mindful of the fact that we share an rd with a resort (not speed, spill garbage, etc). Thanks.
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These post are 9 years old… might want to start a new thread to ask your questions.
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