Getting a Roofing Estimate

Getting a damaged roof repaired can't really be done until you have completed one very important step first. That step is to get a roofing estimate. Getting an estimate is more than simply opening the phone book and picking someone out at random. To make sure that you get the best possible estimate you need to do a little bit of shopping around. Use these guidelines to help you out.

• Contact a roofer. The first step in getting a roofing estimate is to actually contact a few roofers. While you can always pick a couple of names out of the phone book, you should also get a couple of recommendations as well. Talk to your friends and family to see if they know of anyone that they had worked with in the past that they would recommend. Contact your local better business bureau as well. Use this list of names to choose a few roofers from.
• Have them do an inspection. Contact the first name on your list and schedule an appointment with them. Have them come over to inspect your roof and see what condition it is in. While they are inspecting the roof for damage, have them also tell you how much it would cost to repair the roof.
• Know the questions to ask. Once the roofer has completed their inspection, sit down with them and discuss things. Part of discussing what is going on is to know what type of questions to ask. Some of the questions that you should ask are things like how many layers of shingles )if you have them) are going to be torn off, what type of damage is there underneath, did the chimneys, skylights, or similar structures show any signs of water damage, and other questions. In fact, this is the time when you should ask any type of question that you can think of that is related to getting your roof repaired.
• Get a second or third opinion. After you have finished talking things over with the roofer, get another opinion. Repeat the process of having them doing the inspection and discussing everything with you. Do this with a few different roofers to get a good idea of the type of work that you need done, and a decent representation of the costs.
• Compare the costs and make a decision. Once you have finished with the last roofer, sit down and begin comparing the different estimates. This is not a decision that needs to be made too quickly, in fact it is one that should not be made too quickly. Carefully make your decision, and then make your decision.