Last Updated on March 2, 2021
Why would we recommend our competition?
It’s simple. We want you to know that we want you to be happy with the decision you make about who to use for your roofing company. We also know that sometimes we’re not a perfect fit for everybody, nor should we be. No one can be everything to everyone – that would simply be a fallacy.
With all the things that could set us apart, we don’t want price to be a factor, though. That’s why we have an Apples to Apples Guarantee.
What’s that? Well if our estimate is higher than our competition, but all other things are equal – i.e. an actual business, comparatively equal scope of work, and products – we will match their price.
We don’t buy or pay for insurance deductibles, though – ever. It’s illegal, and it’s fraud.
What are your options when searching for “roofers near me?”
There are roofing companies that we get called in to clean up after. If, however, you feel you need to consider multiple options for residential roofing in Springfield Mo., we would suggest that you call, or visit:
A-1 Guarantee Roofing (a1 roof)
For residential roofing services, any of these fine companies are capable of servicing your roofing needs – from wind and hail, roof maintenance, or just simple roof repairs. They are each well-established companies, run by great, reputable owners who simply want to provide a service for a fair price.
If you’re looking for a Commercial Roofing Contractor, then we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend:
Both are equally great companies. These companies are owned and operated by individuals who know what it takes to get a large complex roofing project completed. Each offer great service and quality workmanship. The most difficult thing about choosing between these two companies will just be deciding which one to use.
Do you need Roofing in Branson?
Plumlee Construction may or may not be a viable option. Perhaps searching for Best Roofing in Branson will find other good options. Today, quality roofing is readily available, if you know what to look for. Even if you just choose someone blindly, you can get lucky.
Of course, you can also get unlucky, if you don’t know the difference between a good roofing job and a bad roofing job. Many people research expensive purchases thoroughly, rather than choosing based solely on the cheapest option available – yet those same people might choose a roofer based only on who gives the lowest quote. We hear about those results all the time.
Here is what you really need to know about Roofing.
Roofing Material Manufacturers
We all use basically the same roofing products. Of course, there is a small difference between different brands of product, but not much. Most roofing materials today are all manufactured to meet certain requirements as set forth by ASTM https://www.astm.org/ABOUT/history_book.html and UL https://ulstandards.ul.com/standardsmatter/ .
Installation of these products are outlined by manufacturers as to the necessary installation procedures:
- for the roofing system to remain useful and perform through its lifecycle
- for the roofing product’s warranty to apply.
A failure to follow manufacturers’ installation guidelines, or to use all of the required materials, will most certainly result in a voided warranty, and perhaps a costly roof repair.
Roofing Labor
Sub-contracting is the new Roofing Labor Solution
Today, most contractors have a core group of employees. Many contractors, however, utilize subcontractors, who may also use their own subcontractors, who again may also use subcontractors. Now what gets better is that all the subcontractors, in one form or another, all work for multiple companies.
Oh, I know it sounds confusing – because it is. It’s unfortunate, but in today’s competitive world and short supply of labor, most companies have no other choice than to utilize this type of labor force.
Now, don’t believe any contractor who tries to tell you, “We only use our own employees.” Because it’s simply not true. We have all used these subcontractors, and will continue to do so until the labor markets find a new path to correction.
What’s most important about my roofing job?
That’s simple – that it gets installed correctly. How do you know if it was installed correctly? Your first clue would be visual aesthetics. The second is when it doesn’t leak after a few rain or storm events.
A Roofing Company You Can Trust
Other than that it getting installed correctly, the most important thing would be trust. You need to feel confident. You need to trust your roofing contractor you’ve hired before, during, and after the job – that they’ll show up, that they’ll do the job right, that they’ll complete the job, and that if anything goes wrong, they’ll be there when you call after it’s done.
The Cost of a New Roof
Price alone should never, ever, be a determining factor. In fact, multiple bids can simply be confusing and lead you to making a bad choice simply based on price. If one bid is significantly less, you should ask yourself why. Even in roofing, you get what you pay for.
With an insurance claim, insurance will typically pay for the cost of your new roof, minus your deductible. Unless you upgrade materials, your deductible should be the only thing you owe, no matter the shape of your roof, or the cost of the new roof. And that’s an important point people miss.
Example of Why Cheap Is Not Better
As an example, let’s say you have an adjuster come out and insurance offers you $10,000 for your mid-sized roof. After the deductible of $1,000 for example, and recoverable depreciation of $4,000 (which you should receive once your roof is completed), they send you a check for $5,000.
First Inspection
Let’s say we come out and see that you have a lot of things insurance missed. They left off flashing, ridge cap, starter, valley metal, and damaged gutters. We warranty our workmanship life, so we install everything the right way, using all the appropriate materials. Even when there’s no enforcement of building code, we install like there was. We don’t want to come back out and fix a roof leak (that’s embarrassing, and not good for you that you had a leak due to poor workmanship).
So, after a thorough inspection, we give you an estimate for $17,000. We use Xactimate, the same software the insurance companies use. And the measurements are right. Now what happens?
We suggest for you to call and ask for a re-inspection if needed. Insurance needs to pay for everything that should be on your roof, installed the right way. And generally, once we show what’s needed and why, insurance will send a supplement. We’re not ripping off insurance, we’re getting you the most value for your policy, and getting paid fairly to do the work right, with everything that’s needed to do a good job and give you a beautiful, warrantied roof that will give you peace of mind for many years to come.
Second Opinion
But in our example, let’s say you got a second estimate from Jimbob’s Roof Jacks. Jimbob came out, looked at your insurance estimate. (did he lick his lips and wipe some drool? no, you must have been seeing things) Jimbob says why, $17,000 is robbery! In fact, he can do the job for $7,000! Jimbob is gonna let you keep $2,000 of that other $4,000 check, and you won’t even have to pay a deductible! He tells you that insurance never checks if you paid it. (this is not always true, sometimes they ask to see a cancelled check. And Jimbob is exposing you to fraud. Yes, you, not just him. Isn’t that neighborly of ol’ Jimbob? And keeping the extra $2,000 is called “enrichment,” which is also fraud, unfortunately.)
Reality Check
So, with visions of a new sofa, you tell Jimbob to go ahead. Here are things that can happen (and we’ve seen them all)…
You give Jimbob a deposit check, and never see him again. Yes, this happens sometimes.
Jimbob calls up a buddy who has a “crew” of 4 who will do a roof for $100 a day, each. They’ve all been on a roof before, every single one of them. And one of them has his own hammer. Of course, none has ever had any roofing training. But they need work.
Jimbob shows up. He only ordered felt and materials. Maybe he puts it over the top of the shingles you have (no tear off). Maybe he tears off the old roof, and they slap the new one on. Maybe they know how to slip it under the old flashing (which now has nail holes and is bent and won’t lay flat, but who’s gonna go on the roof and check? You?).
They can just bend that damaged gutter back, and put those vents back on (the ones that insurance might have paid for new replacements, but who’s gonna notice? You?) We’ve even seen ridge vent installed, when there was no opening in the plywood, and the roofers didn’t cut it. The vent, vented nothing. True story.
They finish the roof
Jimbob gives you a completion invoice, and you send it to your insurance. Either a) he falsifies the invoice for $10,000 and they send you the full $4,000 remaining, or… he gives you an invoice for $7,000… and they send you a check for $1,000. They only owe you the cost of the roof. If you had to pay more, they send more (if it’s legitimate). If it costs you less, an insurance claims manager gets a bonus and the company saves money. Who got ripped off here? But wait, there’s more…
So you now have a new roof. But Jimbob’s crew didn’t know how to do flashing right. And they nailed too high on the shingles and instead of nailing through two shingles with each nail, they only got one shingle. And the over-drove the nails so the nails cut halfway through the shingle. It looks ok the next day but…
Meanwhile, two months later…
Two months later, a thunderstorm comes through. No hail, no wind really. But you notice shingles on your front yard. What?!?! You look on the roof and are horrified to see that whole sections of shingles are sliding down. And you see water spots on your ceiling. Now what are you going to do? Insurance (again)? But, this time, it’s not storm damage. It’s faulty installation.
You call Jimbob, but he’s now in another state (if the number still works at all). You get us to come out and look at your roof – the whole thing needs to be reinstalled because just about everything that could have been done wrong, was done wrong. You need your roof reinstalled, and you’re going to have to pay for the whole thing yourself. Or buy yourself a hammer and watch a lot of YouTube videos.
Going cheap on a roof claim only hurts the homeowner.
Roof Financing
Many people cannot pay cash for a their roof, and almost as many even struggle to pay a deductible. There are many options though. If you know that you don’t have the money to replace your roof, then simply disclose this up front. Letting your contractor know that some sort of financing will be needed to move forward, will certainly make your future roofing project easier.
Conclusion
Quality roofing isn’t always the objective by those acting as contractors. We certainly didn’t list all the contractors around (though not for any particular reason). The ones we did list are those we bid against almost daily. We are certainly not in the business of bad mouthing anyone, and we certainly wouldn’t recommend you to some who isn’t capable. Any of the contractors listed above are capable and will give you a great product.
Ask the right questions, so you’ll feel comfortable with your decision. Roofing today is very expensive, and can be extremely costly when a roof is not done properly. Insurance may pay for the roof to be done the first time, and done right. We hope this information finds you well and helps you in making a sound choice when you a need a great roofer in the Ozarks.
