Quality Service since 1979

WORKMANSHIP WARRANTY

Quality Isn’t Expensive, It’s Priceless!

Our warranty is a statement of confidence in the quality of the installer we hire. Most of our direct competition, roofing contractors that have been in business more than 20 years, only offer a 1- or 2-year workmanship warranty.In our hail prone market, it pays to be critical with regard to roofers. There are always numerous roofers who haven’t been in business very long or who come in from out-of-state who offer a 5-year or even longer workmanship warranty. The bottom line is that a warranty is only as good as the company that stands behind it. We have, on occasion, fixed problems that were way out of warranty because it was the right thing to do.

We are on the second and third roofs for many of our customers because of moves or hail damage. When you find a good contractor, auto mechanic, etc. hold onto them for life! All our installers are journeyman roofers with 15 to 25 years experience who are thoroughly familiar with the Uniform Building Code, Owens Corning’s and CertainTeed’s specifications regarding roofing. They are decent people who are paid well because they are worth it!We’ve all heard horror stories about “the contractor from hell.” But you might say, I have a contract that says the roofer will fix any problems during the next X years. If the roofing contractor is honest and cares about his reputation and product, your warranty has value.

But what if something goes wrong and your roofer doesn’t care? What if he ignores your calls and letters that plead for help? Forget all his wonderful sales speeches. To enforce the warranty, you’ve got an expensive court battle looming, attorneys who charge big hourly fees, experts called in to verify the problem at hefty costs. The bottom line is you lose. Even if you win a judgment, the legal costs usually negate any victory. Professional storm chasers may well be gone before you collect, a small company without much history may not have any significant assets, and the amount of the time involved and the emotional torment is even worse!The bitterness of poor quality lasts long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. With roofing in Colorado, the old adage is especially true – you get what you pay for.

As a Colorado native and long-time roofing contractor, I would like to offer some inside information and suggest some strategies for the homeowner to get good service under these extreme market conditions. First, if your roof isn’t leaking, or you don’t have another urgent need, just put off even getting bids until at least late winter. Watch the neighbors’ roofs. How long did their job take? What was the crew like? Were there any problems? Were the problems taken care of? The “storm chasers” that come in from out of state (and the poor quality local companies) will usually tarnish their referral base in a few months. Ask, and most insurance companies will extend the time allowed to have your roof completed another 180 days. Besides, by late winter, the contractor has had a little time off, and could be running low on scheduled jobs. The Better Business Bureau can tell you if a contractor is flagrantly bad, but can’t always tell you that someone is good. There are several well-known roofers that may have problems, but still manage to satisfy those who do actually complain to the BBB and so keep the appearance of a quality company. However, it’s still important to check your prospective roofer’s reliability report with the Better Business Bureau’s free automated service line (303-758-2100) or access their website (www.denver.bbb.org) 24 hours a day. Call your local building department and ask if a contractor is licensed and in good standing. Listen carefully, they have to be very tactful and diplomatic, but talk with them a while, and you should get some good information. Unless you’ve done your homework up-front, get two or three bids to compare with your insurance evaluation. (Sometimes insurance companies make mistakes.) If there is a consensus as to what needs to be done, and prices are essentially in line, you know you’ve found the market. If not, get three more bids until you do. Frankly, because of the regular hail we get here, insurance companies quite naturally “standardize” pricing. Every roofing contractor that knows what they’re doing, knows what insurance companies allow. We measure your roof by the square (10’x10’), plug in a unit and pricing formula and should all arrive at a similar price. The big differences are quality of materials and quality of workmanship. Unless you’re qualified to evaluate roofing work, just because a roofer has a lot of yard signs around the neighborhood doesn’t mean they do good work! As a matter of fact, some of these roofers won’t even be in business a year later! It’s just advertising.Insist on references and actually call or spot check some; it’s reassuring, but not necessarily enough that you just have a reference list. Every roofer has a dozen friends and relatives that will give them a glowing referral. Just because a roofer advertises they’ve been in business 20 some years, don’t necessarily believe them. They should certainly be listed in a 5-year-old phone book, or have many old, local references, don’t you think? 20 years experience may sound reassuring, but it’s nowhere near the same as 20 years as the same business! Make sure you purchase a quality shingle that’s manufactured for our colder climate. Many of my competitors’ bids simply state “install asphalt fiberglass shingles . . . But which brand? The one on sale? Factory seconds? One manufactured in another climate that has up to an 80-degree thermal-sealing requirement? If that shingle is installed in the winter here in Colorado, if there’s a little wind during installation, and dust gets under that self-seal strip, the roof may never be right; years of constant wind damage. In summary, be patient; watch neighbors’ roofs being done; insist on a truly local, well established, professional roofing contractor; buy a quality product, manufactured for our climate, and you’ll solve the biggest potential problems regarding roofing in Colorado.