If you’re like most people, you probably don’t think about the roof on your home very often. So when the thought does come up, where do you start? If your roof is starting to get old, what should you do? You have basically 2 options:
- Wait for it to leak then call a contractor to fix it
- Be proactive and have someone look at it right now
Many homeowners are afraid that calling a roofing contractor for a “free inspection” will end with them being told they need to repair things – even if their roof is OK! This is a major reason homeowner’s aren’t proactive and decide to just “wait it out.” There is a way to find out the truth about your roof and what needs to be done, read on to find out how…
Should You Wait For Your Roof To Leak Before Calling?
Roof leaks can cause a lot of damage before you ever see them. In fact, almost 100% of roof leaks have been leaking for quite some time before they are found by the homeowner. And some never get found until there’s serious problems.
We are working on a home right now that has a leaking chimney that’s starting to rot and attract carpenter ants. The scary part? The owner didn’t even know about it until we cut into it to replace the flashing. After cutting into the siding we found soggy wood and black mold growing on the plywood. Even worse, if he hired a roofer that just reused flashing, that whole area would have be re-roofed and he would have never known!
That said, I would not recommend option #1 – waiting for your roof to leak before you call. If you wait it will be too late and you’ll be repairing much more than just your roof.
Should You Call Someone Now?
If you agree and decide to have someone come look at your roof right away, then who do you call?
You could pick up the phone book and browse some of the ads for a contractor to call. You’ll likely see the words “Free Estimates” or “Free Inspections” quite a bit. Sounds great right, someone will just come look at your roof for free! So should you just call for a free inspection?
I’m sure you know the saying “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” So is there such thing as a free inspection? Likely not.
If you call for a free inspection you’ll likely have a contractor come out to your home, take a quick look at your roof, then recommend how to repair or replace it. He’s going to work hard to find something to do because he can’t afford to drive around and not make any money. May sound harsh, but it’s true – if someone comes out to give you a free estimate you can bet that he’s going to try to sell you something.
Plus, what will this “free inspection” give you? Will he scribble his recommendations on his company letter head with a price to fix “everything wrong”? Will you end up with a detailed report with pictures to see what was inspected? If there’s nothing wrong with your roof will he tell you? Will you be able to trust that he’s telling you the truth? Will you end up repairing or replacing your roof when it’s got 5-10 years of good life left?
It’s hard to say…
So instead you could call out 5 contractors that all offer free inspections and see what they all agree on. But then you have to deal with 5 contractors…
Not showing up on time, telling you different things and making the whole thing confusing, calling you after meeting a bunch of times to see “when you’re doing the repairs we recommended.” (all x 5)
What Other Options Do I Have?
Or you could go with Option #3 – paying for a high quality roof inspection.
Finding a reputable company that offers this will do two things:
- The inspector is getting paid to take his time and do things right – since you’re paying for a service, the bar is set much higher
- Any inspector worth your time should give you a detailed report (with pictures) so you can see proof of what he’s saying and understand for yourself what needs to be done.
However you will need to do some hunting to find a company worth hiring to do this service for you. If you’re not careful, you may just end up hiring someone that wants you to pay him to give you a high pressure sales pitch – which is the last thing you want.
To help you out I’ve written a short guide called the “North Idaho Consumer Guide To Searching For, Screening, and Hiring a Quality Roof Inspector.”
It’s a quick read that will reveal…
- 5 KEY questions to ask an inspector before you let me step foot onto your property
- 3 Costly misconceptions homeowners have about the roof on their homes
- 1 Sure-fire way to get your roof inspector to fully guarantee their work.
Call Today For a Roof Quote
Contact New Heights today if you live in Post Falls, Coeur d’Alene, Spokane and the surrounding areas. We will gladly come out and provide you with a quote for a new roof.
