It’s hot outside, and that means roofing season is in full swing. But you don’t want to get hammered by a bad deal.
“Our undercover shoppers at Checkbook.org got bids from roofing companies for three different re-roofing jobs here in the Puget Sound area and found huge price differences from company to company for the exact same work,” Kevin Brasler with Puget Sound Consumer Checkbook said.
Brasler said not getting multiple bids can cost you thousands.
“The lowest bid we got was less than four thousand dollars than what the highest bid was,” Brasler explained.
Brasler said call at least five companies for bids to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal. It may sound like a pain, but it’s much easier than you might think.
“Our undercover shoppers found that you actually don’t even need to be there most of the time,” Brasler said.
Some companies can even give bids without coming to your house at all.
“They were looking at satellite images of the neighborhood,” Brasler explained. “So if your roof isn’t obstructed by trees or anything, they may be able to do it on their own using software that’s been developed for that purpose.”
Another important tip: Don’t overlook the warranty.
“Pay attention to what the shingle warranty is,” Brasler said. “But really, pay more attention to what the roofers warranty is.”
Most roofers will give you a warranty of three or four years for defects and workmanship. But Brasler said you need to be covered for longer.
“What you want to see on that contract is that within five years, and even preferably ten years, that if you have a leak, they’ll come back and they’ll fix it,” Brasler said.
