- Don’t get overcharged
- Get what you pay for
Houston roof repair is really no different from similar work done in any other area of the country, in that you’re wide open for any number of rip off, and overcharge schemes. Now this is not to imply that roofing all contractors in Houston are all crooked, it’s just that if you don’t have the proper knowledge under your belt you can be taken and not even know it.
So it pretty much goes without saying that knowledge is key because unless you have taken the time to bone up on the topic, you will basically be relying on the contractor to inform you about what is going on while it’s being done. Sort of like ordering off a menu that has no prices listed on it.
Of course you’ll want to go through all the basics like making sure that they’re actually licensed, and in good standing with the Texas State Contractors Board. In fact you don’t even need to ask now because you can find out all that information online.
Then it sure does help if have some idea of the amount of damage that you’re looking to have replaced, and the first place to start is where the water is coming in. Now you see if you have, say one leak that’s dripping a little water, it’s reasonable to expect that what your looking at is some minor patchwork.
Know What Their Minimum Fee is
So your first question over the phone should be what their minimum charge is to show up and fix a minor leak. Now don’t be shocked if it’s upwards in the area of $200 because there is a lot that goes into preparation that you don’t see. Besides roofers in general don’t work cheap because it is a dirty, and dangerous job.
If you’re looking to save a few dollars, and all you have is one minor leak, you may want to keep in mind that you can always call a local handyman service and you might be able to find someone to come out for less. However; keep in mind that that’s a handyman. Not a professional roofer.
A Set Bid or By the Hour?
Needless to say, the extent of the repair work that you have plays in heavily with regards to the amount of money that you’ll expect to spend, and generally speaking you can do things two ways. One is to get a set bid, and the other is to pay a Houston roof repair man to do the job by the hour.
Either way, you’ll need to know how extensive the work is that you are going to pay to have done. So ask the contractor to draw up a quick map of your roof that shows where each patch job, or repair is needed and along with each task location should also be some brief notes on what needs to be done.
What I’m getting at here, is you don’t want a contractor to go up on your roof for a day then climb down the ladder with a huge bill for what he has done. With a preexisting map you can know ahead of time what he’s going to do, and then you’ll be able to verify afterward that that is what was done.
Now there are several new roof patch and coating products that are on the market now, and they all for the most part are a step up from standard asphalt materials. If you choose to go with one of them, it’s highly recommended that you take the time to look it up online first, so can become somewhat familiar with it.
Trust Yet Verify
Another good idea if you’re going with an expensive roof coating is to have the Houston roof repair contractor coat a one foot by one foot square piece of cardboard to the same thickness and specifications that your roof is while he’s doing the job. Then have him write a small note on the back along with his signature verifying that the thickness and specs on the piece of cardboard are the same.
Now if this sounds odd to you in any way then you should know that this is standard practice on large commercial jobs. In fact on commercial jobs, the owner will often have the contractor select random areas from the roof to cut small four inch square sections from for examination and records.
Your last bit of advice is to just be aware of what’s going on as the job is being done, and if you have to then take the day off to do it. Now it can be hot on a roof in the summer time so pick up a good shade hat and a couple of bottles of water to take with you and you’ll be OK.
Tags: Houston Roof Repair
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If we’re going with an expensive roof coating is to have the Houston roof repair contractor coat a one foot by one foot square piece of cardboard to the same thickness and specifications that your roof is while he’s doing the job.last bit of advice is to just be aware of what’s going on as the job is being done, and if you have to then take the day off to do it.