Roofing

[cole.nelson782]

Got a roofing/insurance this year i was doing some check around my house one was inspection of the roof i crawled in the atic and i saw spots that there was water damage mostly the whole roof so took over 200 pictures and gave them to my insurance. They sent out an adjuster to look at it. Two weeks later i got a letter stating the roof was improperly installed i spoke with the previous owners and said they had someone do it under the table. So now its either i do most of the work all the tare down and haul away or pay $14,000 to have someone else do it. Any ideas out there?

[cole.nelson782]

Got a roofing/insurance this year i was doing some check around my house one was inspection of the roof i crawled in the atic and i saw spots that there was water damage mostly the whole roof so took over 200 pictures and gave them to my insurance. They sent out an adjuster to look at it. Two weeks later i got a letter stating the roof was improperly installed i spoke with the previous owners and said they had someone do it under the table. So now its either i do most of the work all the tare down and haul away or pay $14,000 to have someone else do it. Any ideas out there?

[Allin13]

Taking it off and putting paper on is something most people can do and save alot of moey. With cambridge shingles you could probably do it yourself. Hard work tho.

[cole.nelson782]

All the plywood has to be replaced as well.

[Allin13]

That's a bigger project then you want probably. Unless you have some friends /family to help it will take you maybe two weekends but save you probably $7,000

[cole.nelson782]

Wouldn't mind doing it myself the only problem is if i screw it up and it happens again theres no warranty

[Allin13]

Don't screw it up! Not sure how many square your roof is but im sure if some roofing company gave you a price for $14,000 then you would save half if not more doing it your self. So if you do screw it up you'll have extra money to fix it!

[cole.nelson782]

Its 2800sqft that quote was for tare off till finish.

[Xhipi1]

man your in a tough situation. have you tried contacting the "under the table" roofer? does he have his own illegal company or is it just some guy off the streets who thinks he knows what hes doing? i had a similar situation with a granite counter top guy. i purchased an uncut piece of granite for my bathroom and hired this guy who i thought was legit. until the work came back complete messed up. he wouldn't fix it and i found out he wasnt licensed bonded or any of that stuff. i ended up threatening him with contacting the BBB and the cops thats when he said ok and redid everything right. So try doing the same it may or may not work. Good luck

[cjhills]

This may be a time to bite the bullet and pay the money. Makes me wonder how the roof could leak enough to ruin the sheathing and you wouldn't know it and how they could be improperly install so they would leak over the whole roof. If this is a roof you can walk on it might work. If it is steep the equipment is expensive and there is risk involved
One big issue would be the time it would take to do it yourself. You have to keep it dry during the process. Some times we work with insurance companies and get settlements the home owner can't get. Good Luck Cj

[Allin13]

Ruf estimate for shingles and plywood would be $5075. Thats $15it for 4x8 and 43.99 for shingles. So you still have 2000 for paper, tar and vents. But this is just a ruf estimate.

[Ruffshooter]

How long has the roof been leaking?
Why do you think the plywood needs to be removed. If it is just stained you may not have to replace it maybe just areas. Or is the plywood breaking down, punky, separating etc.

Is the whole roof leaking?
Does it have Ice and water shield and paper or nothing.
Did it get new drip edge.
Did it leak during rains or just winter time with snow build up and Ice build up.

When they said it was installed improperly what did they show you or what did you find that showed that?

Dumpster: $1500
Labor to remove 28 square. From $1400 and up
Labor for new shingle install approximately $2,800.
Materials; Price it out.
Plywood is about $18.00 a sheet. Takes about 1/2 hour to remove and replace for 2 guys. $35 per hour to $40 per hour day work.

You can do it. Just follow instructions including the nailing properly. You can snap lines all the way up the roof for your exposure and to help keep it straight.

[Vonzeppelinkennels]

If you had to get in the attic to see the stains & find out it was leaking chances are the plywood was stained when the last roof was installed.If it's not leaking into your house some where it's probably not leaking.
$14000 to tear off & install 28 square? That's $500 a square sounds steep to me but it's been 8 years since I had a stroke & had to quit roofing but can't believe it has become that expensive.I don't think I ever got much more than a $100 for a tear off & reinstall plus materials.If the plywood has to be tore off & reinstalled that would be time & materials if it was me plus $100 a square to tear off & $100 a square to install new roof.It takes longer to tear off then reinstall.

When I first started roofing in 1970 we use to roof new homes for $3.50 a square,that would be $98 for 28 square & about triple that for a tear off & reinstall back then.Wow!! how times have changed too bad wages haven't kept the same pace!!
Maybe I am old & out of touch like my son says??

[Allin13]

My buddy had hail damage insurance cut a check for$22,000 for siding and roof and his house is small!its crazy how much they charge

[Vonzeppelinkennels]

The stains could also be from condensation if the roof is not vented correctly.That would make sense if you have no leaks showing up in the house since condensation isn't enough to run through to the ceiling.

One of the last houses I roofed was my sisters,it was 33 square plus flasing a chimney.I tore it off & reroofed it flashed the chimney for $3000 the insurance company gave her a check for $7200,Her husband & brother in law did help with the tear off.I was working on it the day 9/11 occurred & new nothing about it until my sister came home early from work.She worked near Wright Pat Air Force Base in Dayton,Oh & all employies were sent home.

[cjhills]

If you had to get in the attic to see the stains & find out it was leaking chances are the plywood was stained when the last roof was installed.If it's not leaking into your house some where it's probably not leaking.
$14000 to tear off & install 28 square? That's $500 a square sounds steep to me but it's been 8 years since I had a stroke & had to quit roofing but can't believe it has become that expensive.I don't think I ever got much more than a $100 for a tear off & reinstall plus materials.If the plywood has to be tore off & reinstalled that would be time & materials if it was me plus $100 a square to tear off & $100 a square to install new roof.It takes longer to tear off then reinstall.

When I first started roofing in 1970 we use to roof new homes for $3.50 a square,that would be $98 for 28 square & about triple that for a tear off & reinstall back then.Wow!! how times have changed too bad wages haven't kept the same pace!!
Maybe I am old & out of touch like my son says??

You will run close to $300 a square for material now. In Mn. you need to be licensed and bonded. So prices rise. I too have a problem with the cost of things, but that is how it is. We make a pretty good living replacing do it yourselfer's roof jobs that don't work.
That moisture damage could be condensation if the roof wasn't properly vented. Modern houses are systems that need to work together, at least in our climate. Cj

[Vonzeppelinkennels]

I can buy shingles for less then a $100 a square & metal roofing almost as cheap.I know things aren't cheap but give me a break.When I roofed my sisters house & figured my time I made about $33 an hr.tell me a roofing company that pays his men anything close to that.

[cole.nelson782]

Ok the roof when last done was not vented do to the fact the house has ceiling heat stupid i know. The house was built in 61 has never had the plywood done. The guy who did it before replaced a couple pieses of wood and left 1/2 gaps between the new and the old. Has far as flashing ice guard and all that i have no idea. On the covered patio last winter you could see the water coming through the nice knotty pine ceiling. I took that off all the plywood had allmost completely decomposed most parts you could look up and see the paper. Thats not how bad it is all over yet. But you can see where everything is starting to sag on the main part of the house.

[cjhills]

I can buy shingles for less then a $100 a square & metal roofing almost as cheap.I know things aren't cheap but give me a break.When I roofed my sisters house & figured my time I made about $33 an hr.tell me a roofing company that pays his men anything close to that.

There is A lot more to material than just the shingles.Shingles are about 1/2 the material. dumping costs about $30 a square. Workmans comp on roofers is about 50% ,fica is 7% for our 1/2, unemployment is about 20% license,bonding and liability insurance Cost $4,000 a year and we feel we are intitled to a profit since we are running a business. I'm sure if you are a fly by night roofer who takes the money and runs you can get by but it costs money to run a reputable business. I find it very upsetting to have my integrityb insulted by somebody who obviously don,t have a clue.
To the OP if you are capable of cousre you can save money doing it yourself. Be aware it is hard dangerous work and may very well be wor and th having somebody that knows what they are doing and will be there if there is a problem and can get the job done in a timely manner. Thanks Cj

[Vonzeppelinkennels]

I did roofing from 1970 until I had a stroke in 2005,worked for 2 or 3 different companies but the last 12 yrs or so worked for myself mostly by myself but ocassionally hired a teenager to clean up & my brother helped once in awile.
I would also help out the other roofers I had worked for when they needed extra help & once in a while would sub contract a job from them.You can call me a fly by night all you want but I gave better service than most of you so called reputable companies.Most of the jobs I did were by refereral from past employes or customers so maybe I have a BIGGER CLUE then you realize!!You are an uppity SOB! Mr.CJHILLS

[Chukar12]

There is A lot more to material than just the shingles.Shingles are about 1/2 the material. dumping costs about $30 a square. Workmans comp on roofers is about 50% ,fica is 7% for our 1/2, unemployment is about 20% license,bonding and liability insurance Cost $4,000 a year and we feel we are intitled to a profit since we are running a business. I'm sure if you are a fly by night roofer who takes the money and runs you can get by but it costs money to run a reputable business. I find it very upsetting to have my integrityb insulted by somebody who obviously don,t have a clue.

I think the confusion is that most of those items aren't materials per se...
30 year comp is =/- $70 a square loaded
Felt is $10 a square on the high side
Sheathing for 5-ply is maybe $50 a square

then you add mastic, fasteners, flashings and ventilation and you are spending $150 a square for material...in round numbers making quality assumptions
tear-off disposal and application are all in addition to the above

[Vonzeppelinkennels]

When I did my sisters house for $3000 the materials were about $1200 plus dumpster $200 for a total of $4400 so she ended up with about $2800 in her pocket after her $7200 insurance check.Did I get Rich,no but was more then happy as was my sister & that was 11,12,yrs ago no leaks,no repairs,not bad for a fly by night even if I do say so myself.I have never been sued took care of my customers & sleep dam good at night hope you can say the same.

[cole.nelson782]

I think what I'll end up doing is tare down and have them come in and install the roof although around here I'm not to sure if any of the contractors will go for that cause its money out of their pocket. But its a huge amount out of mine to have it done from start to finish.

[cole.nelson782]

The guy was the old owners son inlaw who come to find out was a worthless piese of poo he use to do jobs under the table often but most times people would pay him for materials up front and he would take the money and run. And he is in and out of jail all the time so threatening him wouldn't work.

[ezzy333]

I think what I'll end up doing is tare down and have them come in and install the roof although around here I'm not to sure if any of the contractors will go for that cause its money out of their pocket. But its a huge amount out of mine to have it done from start to finish.

I had my 30 by 40 shed done last fall and it cost me 5800. That was everything, taking th old shingles off, cleanup and bew shingles in stalled. Took three guys about 4 hrs to do it.

Ezzy

[wems2371]

I think what I'll end up doing is tare down and have them come in and install the roof although around here I'm not to sure if any of the contractors will go for that cause its money out of their pocket. But its a huge amount out of mine to have it done from start to finish.

Profit is relevant to labor and materials spent, so if you find a contractor that gets p.o.d about you putting in some sweat equity before he arrives, I'd move on. My husband and I built our house, from the excavating with a trackhoe through to finish. We paid very few contractors along the way. But when we did, we always did as much prep as we could, had all materials on site, did our own clean up, and pitched in where we could for sweat equity. We had lots of friends pitch in along the way too, and several pizza parties.

I'm not sure if anyone uses steel out your way, but I love our steel roof. We don't have a lot of complicated roof angles, and it's a berm ranch, but it went up slick and looks sharp (figuratively ).

[Rdfhunter]

Insurance took your money & insured the house. If it was installed wrong they should have done a better home inspection.

[DougB]

Insurance covers storm damage, not sloppy installation. On a fairly new job, you might have a claim against the installer, which is why you use an experienced company that has been around a while. If you know what you are doing or have a friend who knows what they are doing, you might want to try it. Maybe discuss your insurance coverages before you have a friend or non licensed people working on your roof. The best of friends, after falling off the roof, will be looking for a lawyer. Same with a non insured independent contractor.

[Wildweeds]

You guys are way off base on the plywood,I live in washington and 1/2 plywood sheeting is 21 bucks a sheet right now,I bought the high grade plywood a couple weeks ago 1/2 inch 30 bucks a sheet.

I used to be a roofer before a back injury fixed me from roofing for a living,Shingles are easy to put on correctly if you can read the package and follow instructions.I primarily did flat roofs from hot mop to single plys from a multitude of manufacturers.

Cole Nelson, you will save yourself a ton of money if you do it yourself,If I lived closer I would be glad to come and help supervise,it's a young fellows sport.Many hands make light work,enlist a couple of carpenter buddies if you have some,get a couple of equipment operators,rent a small telescoping forklift with reach and capacity enough to help save the backs,have a dumpster hauled in and get hot after it,do one side one weekend and the other the next.5 years ago I helped a coworker get hot on his roof that was 32 squares,rambler style house,we stripped it off 2 layers and had a new skin on it in 2 days with the help of 1 carpenter/3 crane operators/2 pipefitters/3 laborers and 2 ex roofers and a whole lot of beer.

things to consider for a job that will last longer, buy 40 year shingles they will last 30,consider two plying the felt if the pitch is low,use the snow and ice dam material on the gutter edges,and vent the entire ridgeline with vent a ridge,make sure that you have venting draw under the eaves or the venting won't work.If I lived in your neck of the woods I would go for a metal roof if the pitch is 5/12 or greater,however more skill is required in the installation around vents/skylights/valleys and hips for a leak free job. Chances are you will not have to replace all of the sheeting the problem areas will be localized to certian areas.I would also consult a mason and have the chimmeny inspected(I'll assume a 1961 house has a brick and mortar chimmeny) and repairs made,replace the flashing around the chimmeny as well.

Even if you feel uncomfortable with the install of whatever direction you choose,an option for cost savings is to remove the existing roof into a dumpster yourself,the only skill required for that is not falling off the roof.The eastern washington local you live in is a great weather area in the summer with limited rain risk for extended periods of time.

[yogi]

15000 to 16000 with wood replacement from a preferred contractor like myself. Lifetime shingles 3d owens corning tru-def (50yrs) with 10yr labor warr.
12900 shingle 30sq. 430.00per sq., could be as low as 375.00
3150 wood 90 sheets= 35.00