FAQ & Answers

When should I re-roof?

The short answer is late spring, early summer.

In my experience I’ve noticed, for the most part, people feel the need to begin
the planning process of re-roofing in the summer. Before they know it summer
has passed and winter is on the way resulting in purchasing their new roofing
system in the fall. Fall for roofers is like summer for air conditioning repairmen.
We get overwhelmed.

For the best price and best service always buy a roof in the late spring, early
summer.

Why should I re-roof?

No short answer here. Most roofs get neglected and are only maintained when a
problem arises and the damage to your home has already accrued, substantially
increasing the repair costs.

There are three factors in determining a roofs life expectancy.

Age, Environment and Installation

Answering the following questions will help make a good investment.

• What is the age of your roof?
• How long will you live in your home?
• Are there water leaks?
• Is the roof deck damaged or rotting?
• Is there granular wear?
• Are there loose, broken or missing tiles or shingles?
• Are the shingles blistered, buckled or curled?
• Is the flashing damaged, corroded or missing?
• Does your roof have proper drainage?
• Are the gutters and drains working correctly?
• Is there good attic ventilation?
• Is the roof installed per code?
• Is your roof energy efficient?
• Are rodents getting into your attic?
• Is the roof top equipment sealed correctly?
• Can I afford a new roof or should I finance?

If you decide that you need to purchase a new roofing system do your homework.
A common mistake a lot of people make is focusing on what will the job cost. This
is important; however, if you hire the wrong contractor you stand to lose your
investment.

A few pointers to consider

The State of California requires all licensed contractors to carry Worker’s
Compensation Insurance and have a Surety Bond for $12,500.00. A Surety Bond
is a contract by which one party agrees to make good the default or debt of another.
This bond is great leverage to persuade a flakey contractor to do the right thing.
But it will only cover up to $12,500.00 in damages.

The State Contractor’s Board does NOT require contractors to carry public liability
insurance. Many contractors carry 2 million dollar liability insurance but at least
half DO NOT.

There are many types of roofing products and systems. All that can be installed
using quality top notch accessories and skilled installers with supervision or you
can cut all kinds of corners. The industry standard is to cut every corner and most
people don’t know the difference until it is too late.

The most important day in the life of a roof is the day that it is installed

Making payments

State law states that a contractor can only take a 10% deposit or a maximum
deposit of $1,000.00. If a contractor asks for more than that up front he may not
be the contractor for you.

The second payment should be made when the roofing materials are loaded on
the roof. This payment should be made directly to the supplier of the materials.

This is important! Most contractors have 30 day accounts with their suppliers.
All suppliers send out what is called a 20 Preliminary Lien Notice. This notice will
inform you that in the event your contractor fails, for any reason, to pay for your
roofing materials that you the home owner will by law be responsible to pay the
supplier even if you have paid the contractor in full.

The final payment should be made only after you receive a final inspection from
the City or County along with both labor and material releases and a copy of any
warranty you may have been promised.

Warranty’s

The State of California requires all contractors to give at least a two year
warranty. Most contractors offer a 5 to 10 year warranty on new roofs.

On the surface, a 10 year warranty looks attractive but the reality is any
warranty is only good as long as the contractor stays in business. I firmly believe
that long term warranties are a gimmick. There are quite a few things that can
happen to a roof in one or two years, and for this reason W.A.R. give a two year
warranty and offer you the opportunity to extend your warranty through bi-
annual inspections at minimal cost.

A manufacturer’s warranty is only as good as the installation. All manufacturers

will void any warranty if the installation is incorrect. Most manufacturers offer
long term product warrantees. These types of Warrantees are called Material
and LABOR Guarantees or NDL Warranty’s. Most manufacturers charge for this
and require an inspection from a manufacturer’s representative.