5 Misconceptions When Getting A New Roof

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In construction, there are many times that a homeowner believes they know better than the contractor. In some cases, homeowners are correct in their theories as they have either had experience or have been given information that makes sense. In many cases, however, a homeowner comes to a conclusion without having all the details in an effort to avoid being scammed. While there are many reasons to be skeptical, below are 5 common misconceptions to consider when getting a new roof that may help close the gap between homeowners and contractors.

 1.)  Square Footage of The Home:

Many homeowners are quick to let a contractor know the square footage of their home when getting an estimate. Unless the homeowner has a flat roof with no overhangs, this information isn’t necessarily useful in what contractors look at when measuring. Once the base measurements are taken, a contractor must apply both a pitch factor and a waste factor to find the true measurement of the roof. A pitch factor is the measurement to calculate how large each elevation/facing of the roof is to make sure that the right amount of material is ordered. A waste factor is the amount of extra material that will be needed to account for cut offs and unusable portions during the installation. Once these items are factored in, the square footage is typically divided by 100 (square feet) to create what is known as a Square (the measurement most contractors use to sell by), which means the roof is in most situations, much larger than the square footage of the walking square footage of the home.

 2.)  Neighbor’s/Friend’s Roof Cost Less:

As stated above, another of the more consistent rebuttals is that the homeowner knows someone with the same size roof and had their roof cost less. This is determined by the above mostly, but most roofs are different from one another in many ways, including roof style (gable or hip), shingle brand/color, the type of wood used on the roof, chimney sizes, ventilation, and much more. This is also assuming the same company is completing the roof, or you will also have to consider the company’s overhead, the tier of the warranty, and other factors. This is like buying a burger and fries from one restaurant, then arguing for a price drop because you bought something similar for less at a different one.

 3.)  Roof Cost From 10 Years Ago:

Roofing costs go up every year. If labor stays the same, there is annually a 5%-10% rise in material costs almost universally with most manufacturers. There is very little any company can do to keep these costs low, so the cost of a roof from 10 years ago will be something in the ballpark of 50% lower than current roofing costs. IN fact, if the cost is very low, it may be a sign that the company does not have a very large backing and may also require more research to trust fully.

 4.)  But Google Said… :

Google hosts numerous websites and data, which is why most people use it. While this is typically a good thing to aid homeowners in obtaining knowledge, this does not mean too much when it comes to the costs of what it takes for a specific company to offer services at their cost. Many companies must consider their overhead and operation costs for every project they complete. This is not to say that some companies don’t charge far too much in some cases, only that an individual may have a reason to charge as much or as little as they need or see fit.

 5.)  Extra Material Is Yours:

Lastly, many homeowners believe that all of the material dropped off is theirs since they are footing the bill. This is rarely the case, however, as many contractors order 5%-10% more material than charged for, just in case there is a unique situation that requires more. This means that there should be no reasonable expectation for a homeowner to keep remaining material. That being said, a kind contractor may leave some material on the homeowners request, as long as the material is already partially used or cannot be used on another project/returned.

 - In Short:

There are better ways for homeowners to obtain the knowledge they need to hold a contractor’s feet to the fire. A simple question during the initial quote and asking during other quotes to confirm suspicions or put certain worries to rest is more valuable than the assumption or worrying yourself over the unknown. While there are a lot of contractors who are looking for a quick buck, there are many more who are happy to talk about the industry and make sure their customers have all the answers they need before signing the contract.

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