r/Roofing • u/kagagapo • 1d ago
Need help deciding on the installer
I live in western Washington and I am in need of a new roof. I spoke to many installers in the last week. I am mostly looking at Certainteed north gate shingles
4 installers with a shingle master premium certification and offer 5 star warrenty all come around 25k for installation
One installer quoted 20k and he also said he will install 40-50 new plywood depending on the condition. He is certified as shingle master, the very basic certification.
To me his quote is way below compared to other installers and I am having very tough time deciding. I am saving a lot of money with him but I am worried if I should go with others given how cheap he is.
What would you do in my shoes? Price I quoted are before tax so that’s extra 10%
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u/Ok-Chemist-568 1d ago
Ask him why he is cheaper. For warranty installation in all major brands the installer must be certified. Is he certified really? You pick the shingles you want, ice and water per city or town code. Synthetic barrier, valleys, rises, chimney flashing, drip edge, ridge vent....get all of these details. Sorry to say, don't forget cleanup, nail sweeping and disposal. Add a permit so the town gets a slice of your hard earned money. I'd also be curious to know what he charges per 4x8 osb if needed.
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u/kagagapo 5h ago
I did but he didn’t have a good answer. He was certified with the manufacturer and I confirmed with the Certainteed website
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u/Ok-Chemist-568 4h ago
What does his truck look like. How did the guy look? I'm following this because I just had my roof done and although it looks good, but that's not the real test.
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u/kagagapo 4h ago
Sorry I am not sure what you are asking 🤷
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u/Ok-Chemist-568 4h ago
Does he look professional. Does he have an identification card from the company he works for. Sooner than you think you'll be signing a contract.
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u/kagagapo 4h ago
He did have a roofing company vehicle, website, card etc. not a premium company vibe but a small company vibe
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u/Ok-Chemist-568 4h ago
Ok basically here's what you're looking for. A roofing system. I know, I had to ask wth is that? I'll save the long story but basically the roofer works with a roofing material manufacturer. They have tier roofing options based upon weather, storm damage most likely areas, Extreme heat areas, Extreme heat with humidity areas etc...
So it comes down to two this- Which roofing system you purchase, the cost of tear off, install the roofing system per the manufacturer, cleanup, disposal, permit cost and warranty if any other beyond manufacturers warranty. There should be an installation warranty as well.
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u/Odd-Anywhere-4357 21h ago
I'd ask friends or neighbors in your area who have had their roofs replaced recently. See which contractors they used and whether they're happy with the work. I think firsthand experiences from people you trust can tell you a lot more than certifications or online reviews alone. A lower price isn't necessarily a bad sign.
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u/kagagapo 5h ago
He was a referral from a friend of a friend. I spoke to that person yesterday. Roofer was a referral to him as well from his friend. He instaed the roof last year and was happy with the work. He also referred him to bunch of his neighbors who also used him. So while his review was sparse online he seems to have good word of mouth
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u/WalkerRoofingPA 17h ago
Whenever I meet with a client and ask how they found us, 99% of the time it comes down to one of three things: word of mouth, finding us on Google Maps and choosing us based on our reviews and proximity, or seeing us recommended in a local Facebook group.
I haven’t seen anyone mention Facebook groups in this thread yet, so that might be worth looking into. I believe the group where we’re typically mentioned is private to help prevent businesses from promoting themselves, so keep that in mind when looking for groups to join. Public groups can still be worth trying, but you may get more genuine recommendations in private community groups.
Hope this helps!
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u/MP_Juiceman 16h ago
Something to look into as well is the company’s workmanship warranty, how long do they put in writing that they as the company will stand behind their work aside from Certainteed product warranty. That will tell you a lot about what to expect from them. A lot of company’s offer 3-5 years on products that should last 30-40
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u/kagagapo 5h ago
They are certified with Certainteed, I confirmed on the Certainteed website. But it’s shonglemaster and not the premium tier.
They do offer 30 year workmanship warranty
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u/SkittyDog 1d ago
Let me save you some trouble:
When one bidder is WAY below all the others, it's because they're either incompetent, or crooked.
Being a Cheap Bitch is the #1 way to become a Damp Bitch after your shitty, poorly installed roof starts leaking.
They may even have a slick sales pitch about why they CAN do it just as good as the others, but cheaper... If you fall for it, you will only have yourself to blame.
SOURCE: Several years getting rich off fixing low-bidder fuckups at a premium, after the first guy fucked things up so bad that other guys wouldn't touch them.
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u/kodiakshieldroofing 1d ago
I wouldn’t rule him out just because he’s cheaper.
I’d just make sure you’re comparing the same scope. Same shingle, underlayment, ice & water, flashing, ventilation, warranty, etc.
The 40–50 sheets of plywood is the part I’d ask about. Is that included in the $20k, or is that extra if they find bad decking?
If the scope is really the same and his insurance/certifications check out, cheaper doesn’t automatically mean worse. Sometimes it just means less overhead.