Frequently asked questions and answers about roofing jobs, roof job problems & about how to resolve a dispute between roofing contractor and client:

This roofing job problem resolution article series gives advice to homeowners who have had an unsatisfactory roof repair or "new roof" installation job on their home. We describe hiring a roof inspector, what information to collect, what to report, and what to do with that information in obtaining satisfaction.

Questions & Answers on How to resolve roofing job problems, defects, disputes

These questions & answers about resolving disputes with roofing contractors were posted originally

at RESOLVING ROOF JOB PROBLEMS - be sure to see the advice given there.

On 2022-11-04 by InspectApedia (Editor) - Am I legally obligated to pay additional costs if I never agreed to it?

@Anonymous,

I am not a lawyer, but from a law school class on contracts 101 (GW University, 1966), we learned that verbal contracts are enforceable. Evidence that a verbal contract existed might be given by the fact that the contractor actually performed the work.

To be more clear, when the contractor encountered conditions that required additional work (removal of rotted roof deck or framing and its replacement), and therefore knew that the job would entail more labor and materials than originally bid, s/he needed to tell you of that discovery right away and to get your approval to finish the job.

Even then you're in a tough spot as the roof would have already been at least partly-torn-off (to discover the rot) and you certainly can't leave the home exposed to the weather (at risk of even more expensive damage).

If AT THAT TIME you negotiated a different price AND IF the contractor agreed and proceeded, then it's the agreed-on price that you owe.

OPINION: If the contractor never even discussed the cost of the added work until after job was complete, that was an error on the contractor's part, but I would want to be sure that the price you pay is not only fair to you, but also fair to the contractor: don't leave the roofer stuck with eating a big part of the cost of the job because he completed it, protected your home, but didn't know how to properly navigate work order changes.

On 2022-11-03 by Anonymous

I was quoted an amount and after the job was told 4 thousand more. I did verbally agree to 2 thousand more since they had to replace all the wood. Am I legally obligated to pay it even though I never signed a new contract?

On 2022-11-04 by InspectApedia (Editor) - no written installation warranty

@chuck,

Depending on the country/city/state/province where you live, there may be local laws that hold a contractor responsible for their work - or not.

Leave a message and notify the contractor in writing that there is a leak that risks both costly damage to the building (rot, mold contamination, etc) and dangerous damage to the heating system if water leaks into the furnace. Therefore he needs to contact you within 24 hours to arrange repairs to his original work. Otherwise you, who must protect your property and the safety of its occupants, will have no choice but to find another contractor to complete the repair work, at the original contractor's expense.

Your first obligation is to protect the safety of your building's occupants, and second to protect the building from damage. Don't get into a long delay that risks the conditions I describe above.

On 2022-11-04 by chuck

Had a new roof put on. Now I have a leak around my furnace roof vent. Contractor doesn't respond. No written installation warranty. Is the installation contractor liable to fix it?

On 2022-09-10 by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - can contractor change my gutters from hanging on fascia to hanging them onto new metal roof?

@Deannie,

I can't say what contractor "can" do but in my OPINION it'd have been smart for the contractor to discuss how the gutters were to be handled and to explain their preference and why they prefer that change. That avoids a later dispute or misunderstanding.

But I'm compelled to add that it's entirely possible that if you were changing from one roofing material to another, for example from an asphalt shingle roof to a standing seam metal roof, it may have been necessary to strip the old roof, including its drip edge and possibly gutters simply to do the job.

You don't explain why you raise the question or what is your concern: that something to be sure to explain and to ask your contractor to discuss.

Keep us posted; post some photos (one per comment) and we can perhaps offer more.

On 2022-09-10 by Deannie

Can a contractor replacing gutters change my gutters from hanging on fascia to hanging them onto new metal roof? Without letting us know? Nothing was in our contract about it at all.

On 2022-09-08 by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - need an independent onsite inspection

@Nancy K. Schweder,

I agree that you need an independent onsite inspection to diagnose the problem and describe the repair needed.

Some suggestions are at

RESOLVING ROOF JOB PROBLEMS

Please take a look at that advice and ask further questions as needed - and keep us posted.

On 2022-09-08 by Nancy K. Schweder

They say my warranty is done. This is not right. The flashing was not done properly. They came and put tar on it today but as you can see my roof is sinking in on the left side of my chimney. My bathroom leaks and the ceiling where it leaks is where the chimney is. I need help

On 2022-08-17 by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - city rescheduled inspection and cancelled three times

@Michelle R.,

Well you have my sympathy but I'm sure you heard the expression

You can't sue City hall.

My guess is you won't get to first base trying to sue a municipal official or office.

I also think that they're going to argue quite successfully that if a roofing company has been on a job and has begun work on a property is completely their responsibility to protect the property from rain and water damage during that process.

It would be helpful if you could clarify what was the condition at the building that suffered the water damage. Had no work begun, had work been partially completed, or was the job complete?

On 2022-08-17 by Michelle R.

Hi everyone, my family has a roofing company and this is the first time we’ve encountered this issue. The city rescheduled inspection 2x and we went and covered roof every cancellation.

The 3rd appointment he once again didn’t show and cancelled last minute but unfortunately there was unexpected rain while we were an hour away and damaged a room in the house.

Can the inspector de held accountable at all for multiple no shows and is having to leave the roof uncovered for them? TIA

On 2022-08-09 by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - ceilings damaged by rain before roof was covered

@Donna Gomez,

I would insist on a thorough inspection by a completely-independent expert - the roofer is by no means a disinterested party.

Inspect the entire attic space and ceilings for signs of water entry - identify what got wet.

Insulation or drywall that were wet should be replaced.

You might mention to the insurance company and to anyone else questioning being both prompt and thorough, that the longer you let wet building materials sit in place (if there are more wet materials) the greater will be the ultimate cost of the repair work to find and remove water-damaged or mold-contaminated materials.

On 2022-08-09 by Donna Gomez

My roofers just started the job today and it rained extremely heavy. They had not gotten the covering over my roof and my ceiling caved in with buckets of water in my home office. Their insurance is going to replace the ceiling in that one room but what about all my other rooms that most likely also have sitting water in the ceilings?

Should I call an attorney and ask roofing contractor to pay for inspection of all the ceilings?

On 2022-06-16 by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - worker did no work

@Mary,

You can ask for your money back.

When the person who did no work on your roof declines to give your money back you can then pursue two options.

One is to tell them that you're going to expose them publicly by publishing their name and address and photos of the work that they did not do right, posting that here on one of these pages.

The second thing you can do is the document the conditions of the roof and go to small claims court and ask a judge to award a refund to you.

Unfortunately it's not always the case that even then the court will or can enforce the refund.

On 2022-06-16 by Mary

I live in a mobile home paid someone $300 to put a codeine on my roof the guy was up there and made a lot of noise but didn't do one better work there's no sealant on the roof at all what can I do

On 2022-06-09 by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - The roofing company mistakenly came to the wrong house and removed our roof

@Jessica,

My sympathy that certainly sounds like an outrageous behavior on the part of the roofing contractor.

Mistakes, even bad ones, will happen in any project including Construction and Roofing.

What marks a responsible professional is not whether or not mistakes happen, but how the professional responds to the mistake.

The response you describe sounds completely off the charts, incorrect, and unacceptable, including the offer of installing a type of roof (asphalt shingle) with significantly-less life, durability, and other properties than the metal roof that was removed in error.

But certainly do not ask an asphalt shingle roofer who doesn't know metal roofing to install a metal roof for you because you can be sure it'll be a botched job. The metal roof needs to be replaced by someone who has expertise in that topic.

And in addition to being forced to pursue legal remedy it might be that letting the sunlight of public exposure shine on the problem will motivate the contractor to make good.

However your very first priority is the safety of people in the building and the second is to protect the building from additional damage.

That means that you need to make the building weather-tight even if it's simply by using temporary measures such as tarps.

Where water has caused mold contamination in the building, not only does that increase the ultimate repair cost, it also means you need to protect people in the building from mold related illness.

If you don't take those steps and the building suffers additional costly damage you may find that it's not covered by insurance.

So get the building safe and secure.

Next: you need help from an experienced attorney in identifying and working with the insurance companies and in recovering the damages in restoring the building to proper condition. The attorney might also suggest getting help from an independent insurance adjuster.

Be sure to get and keep complete documentation, including photographs and written reports, of the events and conditions at the home including inspections by unbiased third-party experts. You may need all of that to get this straightened out.

The home insurance (or contractors’ liability insurance) adds to the reason that you need an attorney helping you.

For your own insurance company to say they're going to raise your rates is a common response but should not be a reason to fail to collect on what's an extensive damage to your home. If you’re not going to collect on your insurance policy when you suffer a substantial and covered-loss, then why are you paying for insurance? Depending on how you’re treated you might change companies later?

However, in my OPINION, and pointing out that I’m not an attorney, it seems to me that it's the contractor's liability insurance company who should be paying for this damage - if the contractor even has that sort of coverage. It may be that you will need to take legal steps to discover that information. Or your insurance company might pay for repairs and then themselves bring legal action to collect from the roofer’s insurance company. (That happens in some automobile crash cases.)

Attach some photos, one per comments but as many comments as you like, showing us the conditions at the home before and after this event, and we may be able to offer further comment or suggestion.

On 2022-06-09 by Jessica

Oh have I got a good one for you. We came home from work to find our metal roof removed from our house. The roofing company mistakenly came to the wrong house. To make matters worse it rained 4 days straight a couple days after the removal. Now we have water damage and no roof.

The company is refusing to replace the roof and expecting us to allow them to use shingles in place of the metal roof. We had to have a restoration company come and assess the damage of the water. We now need new carpet, drywall, insulation, and hardwood flooring from the flooding (when I say it rained, it was down pour for several days).

The roofing company says that the water damage is not their fault. We have contacted our insurance but they say if we open a claim they will raise our rates. The roofing company is refusing to give us their insurance information.

We had 3 bids done on replacing the roof and it was close to 73,000 to have it replaced. I know we can take them to civil court but that process will take some time. What do we do?

On 2022-04-09 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - if your skylight is leaking, it needs to be fixed

@Karl Heinrichs,

No kidding. If it leaks, it's not right and needs to be fixed.

I'm concerned as well about developing mold or rot in the roof cavity.

Find someone else and get the work done: first priority is protecting your building from more-expensive damage.

On 2022-04-09 by Karl Heinrichs

We had a leak on our north side of edition due to a broken vent pipe. The water went into the pipe and out the break into the insulation onto the floor. So we hired a contractor to redo our roof. The vent pipe was replaced and leak was solved. Contractor hired a bunch of kids with zero experience who damaged our south edition side skylights factory flashing. The north side edition skylight is fine no leaks. But now we developed a leak on our edition on the south side.

Water is dripping into our ceiling when we get heavy rain. The contractor refuses to redo the leaking section and has been looking at the work saying he can't find any problems and it must be the flashing. I don't care what the issue is. A leaking roof job is the contractors responsibility. The leaking started in the fall. It's now the spring and leaking is still occuring.

The contractor was here today and all he did was to try to apply some sealant around the flashing of the skylight. If leaking continues how do we get contractor to redo the shoddy work over? I told the contractor the only way to find where it's leaking is to tear off the shingles and find where the wood is wet. He refused. Saying his work is good.

This back and forth over the leak has been going on for half a year. Getting tired of contractors excuses. What should we do. Paid the contractor in full 6 months ago. Prior to the roof job neither skylight was leaking.

On 2022-03-27 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - soft spots on new roof calls for further information and investigation

@Sandra,

How were the soft spots discovered? How big are they? Where are they? What evidence is there from inside of leaks or roof damage? Is there an accessible attic that can permit view of the under-side of roof decking? (If so post photos, one per comment)

That said, and having nailed a shingle or two myself, I can tell you that it is usually quite easy for an experienced roofer to walk on top of a roof surface that is rotted and to feel the sagging soft spots if they are present during a roof inspection or a re-roof job. And a roofer with any sense would inspect the roof deck from the attic if there is that access.

A roofer who finds those conditions should know that the right re-roof job requires stripping off old roof covering and replacing any bad plywood or other roof decking before continuing to install a new roof covering (presumably this is a shingled roof?)

Why then would the roofer not do that? Maybe pressure from the owner to bid the cheapest job and fear of losing the job by telling the truth.

What to do now?

From your brief text I can't know enough to say with confidence just what's needed, except to have a thorough roof inspection, inside and out, by an independent, experienced, un-biased inspector: roofing contractor or home inspector, so that we know the extent and seriousness of the damage.

Armed with that information we will know if it's reasonable to live with some "soft spots" that are not leaking, and to do the properly next-time a new roof is needed, or if instead, the roof condition is poor enough that there is a meaningful risk of roof leaks, water damage to the property and its contents, so that what's needed now is a tear-off, repair, and re-roof.

On 2022-03-27 by Sandra

New roof installed. After a month. A great number of soft spots discovered. Bad plywood was not known by owner or reveLed by contractor. Not included in contract. How can I save my house?

On 2022-01-28 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - shoddy construction on new home leads to leaks and possible modal contamination

@Liz Q ,

Any roofer can install any emergency tarp to cover a roof that is leaking.

But if you've already had water leaks into ceilings and walls you need to investigate every one of those areas for mold contamination.

On 2022-01-27 by Liz Q

@Inspectapedia Com Moderator, What can I do now to prevent further damage to the interior walls and what would be the solution overall to fix it for good. I have blown insulation in the attic which is useless as well because it allows heat to escape.

I'm both frustrated and overwhelmed. Should I report this to my home insurance company???

On 2022-01-27 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Liz Q,

I can't see enough for a complete or accurate diagnosis of your roof leaks, but the details you show look like sloppy construction.

I think we're seeing the abutment of low-slope roof, perhaps over a dormer, into the main roof that is a steeper slope.

That location is a well-known and common point of ice damming and water backups and leaks, and it's one that is hard to fix by under-roof venting (though possible). In such spots good practice would make use of ice and water shield and careful flashing. Also, the detail of open sides of the lower slope roof abutment are themselves vulnerable to leaks from wind-blown rain.

Saying that the solution is heat tapes is in my OPINION an admission that the original construction was not the best. The roof was built with a problem and then the owner is told to fix it with an add-on band-aid.

On 2022-01-27 by Liz Q

@Inspectapedia Com Moderator, this photo was taken at a year and a half after we moved in. We are the first family to live here, I believe the house was built and completed about 6 months before. The builder claims its caused by Ice and snow and I need to purchase heat racks or wires for the roof.

On 2022-01-27 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Liz Q,

Regrettably this is the same situation as Margy below, to whom I advises

1. Our first priority here is to minimize the damage to your home and the potential health risks of a mold contamination problem. So you should focus first on the corrective actions that are needed and focused s arguing about who pays for what. Molding installation and moldy drywall need to be removed. Those are not materials that can be successfully cleaned.

Separate from that is who does the work and who pays for the work.

Document with photographs and reports by un-biased expert(s) the condition of the roof as it is now, including details that make clear the cause of the leaks. If that data makes clear that the original roofer is at fault, add documentation of your efforts to obtain satisfaction from that roofer and their response. Then you'll have no recourse but small-claims court.

Unfortunately for a typical residential roofing job, if the installation problems extend over much of the roof or if a costly tear-off is required, the roofer loses so much money having to do the roof twice that they may prefer to settle in small claims court than to return to the job to do it right.

I must add that in your photo I see what looks like rotted wood and I'm unclear over what time this occurred; one would not expect to find rot on a "brand new" home.

On 2022-01-27 by Liz Q

My brand new roof on my new construction home is leaking the builder will take no responsibility nor will he even come and look at it he is claiming that it is a snow and ice damming which I disagree. once the weather warmed up I had several roofers inspected and they found exposed plywood and damage to the exposed wood.

I consulted a lawyer who basically said his fees will be more than the repairs on the roof and I should just pay for it and take the builder to small claims court.

On 2022-01-25 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - focus on minimizing damage to home and then work on who pays for it

@Margy,

Our first priority here is to minimize the damage to your home and the potential health risks of a mold contamination problem. So you should focus first on the corrective actions that are needed and focused s arguing about who pays for what. Molding installation and moldy drywall need to be removed. Those are not materials that can be successfully cleaned.

Separate from that is who does the work and who pays for the work. I don't think that your roofing company is likely to be confident or qualified to perform mold remediation. Even their comment that what insulation doesn't get moldy indicates that they're not familiar with the topic.

Accidents can happen including leaks during a roofing job but in general it's my opinion that the roofing company is expected to protect your home from damage from rain during the job. Your argument is Complicated by the fact that you didn't pay for the work.

On 2022-01-25 by Margy

We had the roof fix last year… we put the down payment. Because of Covid weather could not pay the rest of the payment.

When they did my roof it rained and my insulation got wet. I ask them if it’s going to mold they said no. They left debris inside my attic… when we check again I think there are black mold growing on the ceiling..

When we called them to fix it they said unless we pay the whole amount they won’t clean or make a schedule to come here to check…

should i call some department to complain… we told them we are not paying the balance until they fix it…..

On 2021-10-28 by inspectapedia.com.moderator - who gets to keep extra project materials?

@Alfred,

I am GUESSING that you are asking if the building owner owns and should be allowed to keep left-over materials such as plywood roof sheathing, shingles, underlayment, etc. when a roofing job has been completed.

My OPINION is

1. If the roofer bought the materials for your job and included their cost in the job estimate (and thus in what she was paid) then you own those materials and the roofer should have asked you if you wanted to keep them (some owners don 't want the extra materials and might find them in their way)

2. despite #1 above, it is quite common for a roofing contractor to cart off any unused materials for their own use elsewhere.

On 2021-10-28 by Alfred

If roofer finish job dose owner legally keep ply?

On 2021-04-22 by danjoefriedman (mod) - examine roofing contract to determine what happened

@J,

I would start by looking very carefully at the contract that you ordered and signed for roofing work and I would look for documentation that you specifically excluded the roof that was torn off. It's unfortunate when there is a miscommunication like this.

It certainly seems that a roofer wouldn't deliberately make a necessary work for themselves by tearing off a roof that wasn't in the contract so it certainly sounds like a misunderstanding.

On 2021-04-22 by J

Just had our roof replaced on a rental property. The roof over the porch was not part of the scope of work because we had it replaced recently with material that is to last a lifetime.

The porch roof was costly but beautiful and we were putting a new roof on the rest of the house in a less expensive option but similar color to match porch roof. The roofer went ahead and ripped off our expensive roofing tiles over the porch and replace it with the tiles for the rest of the roof.

My husband spent a lot of time and money for quality roofing over the porch and it was stripped away. He brought it to the roofing company’s attention and we have not heard back from them. What would be a proper and fair compensation for this unfortunate situation?

On 2021-03-29 1 by (mod) - when the contractor finally shows up to do the work and then you make them stop the job

@Crystal Stearns,

Unfortunately when the contractor finally shows up to do the work and then you make them stop the job I fear you're going to have still more trouble getting them to be willing to come back and complete it because those repeated visits make the job of money loser for the contractor.

Unfortunately when the contractor finally shows up to do the work and then you make them stop the job I fear you're going to have still more trouble getting them to be willing to come back and complete it because those repeated visits make the job of money loser for the contractor. I'm not sure exactly what's being removed from your roof but it is certainly reasonable that on a re-shingle job it may be necessary to remove some material such as Ridge or hip cap shingles.

At this point you need to reach a comfortable agreement with the contractor and to decide whether you were going to pay them for work done and stop there and then have to find someone else or whether you were going to have them complete the job. Unfortunately seeking redress through legal means is likely to be itself expensive into further drag out the re-roof work as well as to dissuade other contractors.

However it's also completely reasonable for you to want a clear statement from your contractor about what they are going to do and when and then to expect them to live up to their promise.

On 2021-03-29 by Crystal Stearns

We hired a roofing company to replace our entire roof of the house and to overlay the shingles on the detached garage. It was supposed to take one to two weeks. We are now into the 5th month. The house has been done for a while and I know they had issues because of our solar panels and I'm having trouble with the city about permits and stuff when they put them back up. However they were supposed to be here three different times to do the garage and never showed up.

Then they told me they would be here this morning between 8:00 and 11:00. at 7:30 we wake up to hear the sounds of what we thought was the garage roof being demoed. We go out there and there's a bunch of stuff torn off of it and we're freaking out because we were told they were just overlaying it.

I made the workers stop and called my contact who told me that they have to tear off the shingles at the peak and down to the corners. But they never told us that. My son and his wife have a lot of stuff in that garage and there's dust and debris seeping down onto it. We had no idea this was happening.

Do we have any kind of recourse in the fact that they were months late and finishing this job and then showed up unexpectedly and did things we did not expect them to be doing?

On 2021-02-28 by (mod) - tar paper and shingles applied over rotted decking

@vicki,

An onsite expert might be able to document the cause of leakage and extent of rot and thus to have an opinion about its age.

Having installed roofs myself I add that any roofer with any sense would inspect the roof from the attic side if at all possible so as to avoid the risk of serious injury should a worker atop the roof (outside) step through and fall through an area of rot into the attic space, and also to avoid just the sort of upset you report.

If the area of prior leak damage and rot were trivial - so small that it didn't interfere with securing shingles and flashings to the roof, might it be covered over.

On 2021-02-28 by vicki

believe tar paper and shingles applied over rotted decking. roofer took no pics before installing shingles. discovered rotted decking and supports 3 years later. appears they would have been rotting at time. 1930 house

On 2021-02-25 by (mod) - My roofer ruined my siding

RG

With all due respect it looks to me as if both the bottom course of siding and the bottom and a vertical wood trim on your roof are rotted. That takes time and weather exposure. It's not simply mechanical damage.

Rot damage (if I'm correct, as the photo is not totally clear) is not something that would be caused by the roofing contractor during roofing installation although it might have been the case that the roofer disturbed and therefore further exposed the rotted wood.

The underlying problem is that the wood siding was brought down too close to the roof surface.

Often a condition can be present on a home for years but nobody noticed it. When it's finally noticed, we might think it's new damage. But if it's rot, the problem has been going on for some time, often years.

You will want to inspect that area with care to be sure the proper flashing and counter flashing have been installed or at least check inside to be sure that there are no leaks.

On 2021-02-25 by RG

My roofer ruined my siding while getting rid of my old shingles and putting on a new roof. Can I hold him liable? Here's a pic.

On 2021-02-10 by (mod) - my new roof leaks

If you have active roof leaks you need to take some steps immediately to protect your home from water damage and mold contamination.

At the very least that might require temporary tarp over a section of your roof. If your roofer is not going to return to fix that you need to find someone else to protect your home. A delay could lead to water damage and mold repairs that are more costly than the roof repair.

On 2021-02-10 by Eileen

I had a new roof put on last year. I noticed the ceiling in my garage is leaking in some areas. I called my roofer and left a message. I waited over a week. I text hem and he immediatly called me back. He asked when did you call me? He apologized and said something about emailing me. How much time should I wait?

On 2021-01-27 by (mod) - The roofer fell on a skylight and broke it

First protect the house from leak damage -perhaps you've done that sufficiently so as not to worry about water damage

Second review your home owners policy - seems to me that if your policy covers broken windows then the insurance company is simply dodging what they owe: who broke a window isn't part of such insurance.

Time to give the insurance co a call and insist on some clarity - or at least an unambiguous reference into your HO policy that lets them off the hook.

On 2021-01-26 by J Davis

The roofer lost his balance and fell on one of two skylights on my roof and broke it. I now have a hole in my ceiling covered by a tarp. My homeowner's ins. says it is not covered. I requested a quote to replace both with discount of broken skylight included. They keep asking me to sign forms to force my ins. company to pay. What can I do to get my roof fixed?

On 2021-01-22 by (mod) - remove old roof decking?

IMO no, as the labor cost to remove the old sheathing as well as disposal of demolition debris cost have been avoided.
But in your lawyer's opinion, everything depends on the terms of the contract that you signed.

On 2021-01-2 by Dave

in an insurance roofing claim the carrier states that the sheathing should be an R&R and the contractor only goes over existing decking should the contractor be paid all the money that was allowed by carrier if they didn't remove old decking.

On 2020-07-20 - by (mod) -

That sounds aggravating indeed and you have my sympathy. You may need to contact your state attorney general or Department of Consumer Fraud. The first make sure you've made every effort to contact the roofer.

On 2020-07-16 by P. Dean

Homer Construction installed a new roof for my home 9/4/13 with a Lifetime Warranty.
My roof now leaks. I have been trying to contact Homer Construction but no one ever answers the telephone nor return calls. When dialing the number all I get is voice mail that does not even state the business name.

On 2020-07-20 - by (mod) - homeowner has the right to have inspector examine roof

Mireya

What you were told sounds like nonsense to me

what might void the warranty on a roof is improper installation or damage by people walking on the roof

So that can be a legitimate concern.

But no one can honestly tell you that you have no right to have an independent inspector examine your roof.

On 2020-07-16 by Mireya J. Molina

I have problems with a relatively new roof placed about 1 and a 1/2 year ago. Can I have somebody else checking and fixing it? I was told I will loose the warranty if somebody else goes on the roof.

On 2020-07-12 - by (mod) - further roof repairs can be costly

I would ask the roofer to tell me everything that in his opinion should be done to make the roof weather-tight, not leaking, and durable. Whatever of that work is not included in his warranty repair is work that I would certainly consider.

Unfortunately, don't be surprised if it's costly. It is a lot easier (and less costly) to install roof flashing properly during re-roofing than to retrofit it later.

To be clear, on some re-roofing jobs, when the new roof is being installed atop an existing layer of shingles, some flashing such as step flashing along an abutting wall cannot be re-used without tearing off the old shingles. In that case I prefer to leave the old flashing in place and install new flashing integrated with the new shingles.

Some roofers might, instead, try using roofing mastic to "seal down" the new layer of shingles atop the old roof shingles and flashing. In my experience relying on sealant alone is, in most locations on the roof, bad and unreliable practice.

On 2020-07-12 by Anonymous

Thank you so much. The contractor who did the roof told us that he will fix the leaks but not the flashing, can we ask him to fix the flashing as well or do we have to pay him for that? When we bought the house in 2019 we were told that the roof is brand new so I am assuming that if the contractor put a brand new roof to seal the flashing should have been part of the job.

We leave in Georgia can we legally ask the contractor who did the roof to fix the roof and the flashing at no cost since the roof was put in 2018.

On 2020-07-12 - by (mod) - who is responsible if flashing is not replaced during roof repair?

Doina

There are several separate issues here. First of all don't try to make the roof or do something he doesn't want to do or you'll end up with a further botched job and a denial of any further responsibility.

Secondly correctly installed flashing doesn't rely on being sealed to work properly to keep water out of a house. Instead it relies on proper physical location and installation. So whoever told you that the flashing needed to be sealed it seems to me is not as experienced and expert as we would like. Nevertheless they may have correctly identified leak problem.

In my opinion I blame both the original consumer and the roofing contractor. The consumer is to be blamed for not wanting to pay for a proper job and the roofing contractor is to blame for not making clear, in writing, to the consumer that if the flashing is not correctly installed or replaced during a re-roof jobs the roof is likely to leak.

I ran into exactly this problem at the house of a pediatrician, initials h l, in Poughkeepsie New York years ago. The pediatrician called me in a panic to ask why his new roof was leaking. I found that the flashing had been completely omitted around the chimney, and the next time it rained the roof leaked like mad.

When I pointed this out to the homeowner he said

" the roofer told me that flashing would be extra so I told him not to do it, because I didn't want to pay the additional cost "

On the other hand in my opinion the roofer should have made clear to the homeowner that although he wanted to charge more for re-working the flashing in the re-roof job, which is perfectly appropriate thing to do, nevertheless if he wasn't allowed to do that, it was certain that the roof would leak.

On 2020-07-12 by Doina

Hello, We bought our house 6 months ago and we have leaks in the house and front porch, our insurance inspector came and determined that even though the roof was installed in 2018 the company did an improper installation and they did not seal the flashing throughout.

We found the company that installed the roof and the roofer came out to take a look, he basically told us that he will only fix the areas where the leaks are and will not do the flashing because the previous owner did not want to pay for flashing.

My question is if a roofer changes the roof can he legally leave the flashing as is( in bad condition). How can I get the roofer to fix the roof and the flashing? Thank you.

On 2020-07-01 - by (mod) -

AE

Search your state for "roof inspector"
Or see our page top EXPERTS DIRECTORY to see if an experienced home inspector can be acceptable

Also see advice at

https://inspectapedia.com/roof/Roofing_Contractor_Dispute_Resolution.php

On 2020-06-30 by A E

I’d like to hire an independent inspector for my recently installed PVC roof. Who would I contact in the San Diego area?

On 2020-05-17 - by (mod) - replace rotted roof decking

Skeeter


I agree with you that rotted roof decking should be replaced. I would make an exception for very small areas of damage - inches - and for decking that is discolored but not actually rotted or delaminating.

The risk of roofing over rotted decking is shingle blow-off, leaks into the building, costly damage.

If the roof actually sags and/or is soft - easily depressed in comparison with other more-sound roof areas, that's an indication that the job could have been better. If the area is small - say half a foot or a foot at most, and if the depression is slight, you might live with it. (Ugh.)

On 2020-05-17 by Skeeter

The decking near the gutter is grey cracked and bowed, their is a place in the front of my house where the contractor laid new GAF 3 tab over rotten decking. Shouldn’t any dilapidated plywood be cut out and replace?

On 2019-08-21 - by (mod) - roof life depends on many variables

Anon:

Thanks for a great succinct question on roof life.

Just how long a new roof should last depends on some variables including

• the type and grade or quality of roof material
• the workmanship in the roof installation
• the pitch or slope of the roof
• the climate where the roof is installed
• the sun exposure, particularly for some materials such as asphalt shingles

And "last" in this case is confined to the roof material itself; I am ignoring leaks due to storm damage, mechanical damage, or flashing errors or ice dams etc.

The roof life varies enormously by material alone. For example an asphalt shingle roof may have a 15-40 year warranty (that's how long the manufacturer says the roof shingles should "last") while in contrast, a high quality roofing slate can last for hundreds of years.

If you look in the ARTICLE INDEX given on this page and search that list of roofing articles (Ctrl-F in your browser) for the word "LIFE" you'll find each of our articles on roof life for various roofing materials.

On 2019-08-21 by Anonymous

How long should a new roof last?

On 2017-10-13 by (mod) - Opinion: often BBBs do a better job of promoting businesses than of protecting consumers

LJ

I have to say I agree with you. I have found most BBBs do a much better job of promoting businesses than of protecting consumers, and I am also aware of some rather questionable contractors (charging 300% of actual job cost on an asbestos renovation for example, failing to pay subs, or doing shoddy work and under litigation that yet look just perfect at their local BBB website.

Still you should register your complaint with your local BBB and then let us know what the BBB posts publicly at their website. Be sure that your complaint is accurate, supported by evidence, and thus entirely credible.

Moderator

On 2017-10-13 by LJ Stacker

Using BBB reviews or contacting them about a terrible job completed by one of their AAA rated companies is an absolute waste of time.

I used their perfectly rated company with no history of complaints only to lose $16,400 and end up with a leaking roof which is still causing interior damage months later. I have had three other roofing companies evaluate my disaster and a paid roofing inspector at an additional cost of $700 but apparently that is not enough for the bbb to condemn this company.

There have been other complaints including a small church who has a poor roof installation and no money left.

I am facing a $25k replacement on a roof that was applied at the end of Feb 17. The company denies any liability AND has made me out to look like a difficult customer that they just cannot please. I have a tongue and groove great room ceiling that has been ruined. Repair of that is not included in the $25k. TheBBB is outdated and useless

On 2017-09-09 by Tonya Johnson - roof replaced by America's Choice Roofing now leaks

We had our roof replaced by America's Choice Roofing this past July. After the rain, on Monday, August 28th, I noticed water stains on my living room and closet ceiling. I called the roofing company and shared the water damage about my ceiling.

I was told, "I will let Mike know. Everyone has been calling today."

When Mike arrived later that evening he met my husband outside and they looked at the roof and chimney.

My husband stated Mike said that they were hired to do the roof and not the chimney. The water leak was from the chimney because it was rot and not the roof. My husband said that Mike said, “I will give your wife a call on Wednesday with an estimate for the chimney repair”.

I was not aware that Mike had come by the house until my husband came in telling me that Mike said he would get me a good deal and call me on Wednesday. I questioned my husband asking him why had they not said anything because they had to know. I was puzzled because at no time were we told about our chimney issues.

Also wondering why a well-known company like America’s Choice would allow their workers to put flashing around a rotted chimney. I know that they had to see that the chimney was damaged and never said one word. And we had no water stains on our ceiling prior to the new roof.

The removal of the old roof and the replacement of the new roof some how had not worked to keep the water from getting on to my ceiling. And I asked what about the water stain on the ceiling in the closet.

After a week and no call from Mike, I called on yesterday Wednesday, September 6th and let the receptionist know that I was still waiting on him to get back with me and that we still had three - different water stains on my ceiling. No call back was returned.

The next morning, I called the office back and told them that I needed someone to return my phone call higher up since Mike had not. Also expressing that I felt as if they had taken advantage of us by taking our money and not making sure our roof was in the best possible condition and now we didn’t matter.

All of the attention was only on the front end and our water stains had no interest to them. I was told that Francis would give me a call back. I gave her my cell number and explained that I was a teacher and I couldn’t always answer my cell doing class time. She reassured me that I would receive a call from Francis. I did not receive a call from Francis.

Would you believe Mike decided to call back and leave a message after avoiding contact for over a week?

When I called Mike back I was floored when Mike stated you remember, "We talked about your rotted chimney.“ “Your chimney has been leaking for awhile before we did the roof” - I could not believe the words that I was hearing. Anyone who knows my husband or me – they know that we would not agree to put a roof on our home with damage to the chimney. Better yet, agreeing to put flashing down around a damaged chimney. Who does this?

Any way, I still have a not received a call back from the owners of the company. I am not going to be quiet about this matter.

My insurance company suggested for me to keep calling. And really what do I have to lose and word of mouth. People need to be aware of this company's treatment after they cash the check from the insurance company.

Their interest is not in damaged chimneys but to quickly replace a roof and move on.

Do you have any other suggestions in this matter.

On 2017-08-29 by Barbara Stanley

Who do I call to get some help? Dennis from Green river roofing so the cost to fix the problem is $2,000.00

We hired ALL PRO ROOFING 0n 7/14/07 to replace our roof. We still have a leek in the kitchen.

when we call Rubin owner of all pro he doesn't answer the phone. He has come out a couple of times but he never gets the problem fixed. Dennis from Green River Roofing took pictures of our roof and said the flashing was the original flashing from when the house was built in 2008. we have holes they should of fixed.

On 2017-05-27 by johnhopewellindia

I want to see if my roofer has done some leading work on my roof correctly can any body help?

On 2017-05-01 13:57:56.130148 by Joan

II had a new roof installed and after a two day heavy rain and wind storm the carpet in one upstairs bedroom was soaked on the exterior wall side of the room.

On 2017-04-01 by (mod) - roof decking or sheathing installation abutment joint tightness

Michelle, it's not absolutely essential that the roof decking or sheathing abut tightly against vertical walls that it meets.

In fact too-tight abutment between roof sheathing can result in buckled roof plywood decking and a wavy roof surface.

As long as the sheeting is close enough that shingles and flashing can be nailed. Therefore to be clear we should emphasize it's the metal flashing at intersections of walls and roofs that prevents leaks.

Therefore if you had a leak in that area the flashing was not correctly installed. It doesn't seem fair to me that a roofer who installs or roof and then gets a call back for a leak would charge you to look at it. In my opinion the roofer should come diagnose the problem confirm that it is indeed part of his area of work that is problem is a week at the flashing, and it should fix it at no charge to you.

On 2017-03-30 by Michelle

Had a roof put on in 2012 because we had a leak. Home was built in 1996 and we are the second owners of the home. When the crew was putting on our new roof, in the area where the leak was, they said that when the house was built there is a board on the roof that does meet up with the house the is a small gap.

We are going to put the roof felt over the area and it won't leak. Well here we are just under 5 years and the roof is leaking in the same spot. We have had 2 bad wind storms lately and I noticed water mark on the ceiling two days after the last wind storm. We called the owner of the company who put the roof on and he said he would have someone stop out next week to look at it and it would be a $75 charge. Said something must have come loose during the wind storm.

The owner does not do the work he has a crew of construction workers do it. Well it is the end of the week and no one has come out so we called and left a message for him to call us. I think he is avoid us because we had issues when the roof was installed. His crew took off our gutter guard which was installed 5 months earlier. I thought they took it off because they put up be sheets of plywood up against the house to protect the home when the removed the old roof.

They left and did no put the gutter guard back up the clean up crew threw it away. The clean up crew also did not do a good job of cleaning up. We found a ton of nails in the yard and flowerbeds. We rented a rolling magnetic sweeper to pick up the nails. When we were done we had a softball size amount of nails and staples we picked up.

We called the owner about the gutter guard issue and the nails we collected. He said he talked to the crew and they said the gutters were full of dirt and leaves and that is why his crew removed the gutter guard. We argued with him about this there is no way the gutters had leaves in them.

We cleaned the gutters and installed gutter guard just 4-5 months ago in the late spring and our roof was put on in the summer so there is no way there were leaves in the gutters. We argued with him on this matter. When he stopped at the house to get the rest of his money for the job I told him I wanted reimbursed for the rental of a magnetic rake.

We showed him the trash bag containing all the nails and staples we picked up. I also told him I was not happy that his clean up crew urinated in our yard.

He denied they did such a thing. We know this because we have a security camera system outside and we looked at the video of the guys who did the clean up. We wanted to see if they used a magnetic rake to pick up the staples since we saw so many in the yard. Said to the owner I would be happy to show you the video footage of the act. He refused to look at the video.

My gut tells me this guys does not want to come and look the leak.
So my question is what else should I do regarding this leak? What other course of action should we take?

On 2017-03-23 6 by (mod) - options for handling poor roof repair

You can

- complain to your better business bureau (which in my experience does almost nothing)

- ask your local building department to inspect the roof and to tell you what's permitted in re-roofing

- hire an independent inspector to examine the roof for signs of improper workmanship, particularly that would affect roof reliability (leaks) and life expectancy, such as uneven surface that might be caused by sloppy layering of sheets of OSB atop existing sheathing on part of the roof; if you see lines of sheathing telegraphing through the shingles that will probably be an early-wear area.

Keep in mind that the roofer will lose so much money by having to do a tear-off and re-roof that there will be great reluctance to deal with the matter - IF a problem is actually demonstrated.

It's possible that the decking was adjusted (e.g. by shimming) in such as way that even with layering new sheathing over rotted old (a sloppy rush-job in my OPINION) the roof durability may be unaffected.

On 2017-03-23 by Inez

I had a new roof put on using asphalt shingles. The rotten wood on the eaves of the roof were to be replaced.

In some areas they replaced the rottened wood and in other places they did not. In some places they put wafer board on top of rotten wood and you can see it through the holes in the rotten wood. I have reported this to the company that did the job,but they insist that the work was done correctly. Is there another recourse that I can take concerning this matter?

On 2017-02-09 by (mod) - Cindy posts an opinion on choosing GAF

Cindy Tesler said:
Thanks for the tip to choose a roofing contractor that only sells quality singles, including GAF. You also said that your roofer should have a great reputation and plenty of experience. I think it's a good idea to choose a roofing company that can give you advice as far as roof shingle color so that it matches your siding.

On 2016-10-28 by (mod)

Re-posting without link

Sarah Smith said:
My roof is in desperate need of repairs. A reputable contractor is important, and I agree that you should check a contractor in regards to the BBB. Something else to do is to get a roofing company that is affordable for you, so that you don't spend more than you have.

On 2016-05-16 by (mod)

Sarah Smith said:
I need to get a new roof on my house and love the idea of setting up roof inspections so that your roof can stay in top condition. I agree that you want to find a roofer that has a good reputation and has references. I'll have to make sure to follow your advice to help me get a good professional roofer.

On 2016-03-11 by (mod)

Sam Wilkins said:

It makes sense that the business you choose should have a lot of experience. That way you can be sure they know what they're doing and hopefully won't damage anything. My husband needs to find a roofing contractor, so I will make sure to have him ask about experience.

On 2017-02-21 by (mod) - California rains, leaky roof, contractor foul-ups cause major leak damage

Diane,

Global warming means weather pattern shifts such as California has experienced this year, with more severe weather to come.

But I can't quite make sense out of what you were told by the contractor.

To me a "collapsing roof" would mean that the structure is failing - rafters rotted, broken, disconnected. That's very serious as not only is the home exposed to severe water damage in a future storm but occupants could be injured by the falling roof structure.

So first let's get straight on identifying the problem. I suspect from the price you're quoted for a re-roof $12,500. is for tearing off old shingles (or whatever covers your roof), putting down a new underlayment, and a new layer of shingles with necessary flashings.

If the contractor finds that the roof decking (plywood typically) is damaged and needs replacement those costs are normally extra, as unless there is good access from the attic side the contractor can't see the decking until she does the tear-off.

I agree with doing the roof now - that $4500. is a rather big, non-warranted patch job to pay for just one winter.

The damage you describe sounds as if it occurred because the roof was left un-protected and partly or all torn-off when more rain came.

A warning sign is your remark that "he's been working periodically..." that's an invitation for disaster unless
the roofer leaves the roof well protected at the end of each work day

When I contract for repairs I am so worried about half-baked work that I insist that once the contractor starts he stays on the job until it's completed.

Priorities of action: with only one call to warn your existing roofer that he's in deep and expensive trouble and to give him one chance to show up (tomorrow) to start straightening out this fiasco you will probably have to

1. Find another roofer who will make an emergency, temporary dry-in seal-covering of your roof to stop further damage. That might be tarps held in place by furring strips or something equivalent

2. Remove wet upholstered furniture and carpets from the home - you're asking for an expensive mold contamination issue

3. Remove fallen debris and ALL drywall and insulation that got wet

4 Dry out the house.

These are damage control steps to prevent losses from being still greater.

Contact your insurance company to let them know what's going on and to see if they have advice or contractor recommendations. Most likely these leaks are not covered by your insurance, and from your description of the roofing contractor I suspect she has no insurance - though that's worth asking.

After protecting your home and health then when the house is dry and safe you an consider asking for help from an attorney expert in construction issues - not a course of action I like to follow unless absolutely necessary.

On 2017-02-21 by diane moore - my kitchen ceiling caved in

i live in northern ca where we are having lots of rain this year. i had a contractor look at my roof and he told me that my roof was collapsing, that i needed a new roof soon. he said he could patch it enough to last the winter for $4500 but than i would have to pay for a new roof after the rain for $12500 or do the new roof now for $12500.

we decided to do it now and save $4500. he said if after the roof was removed if it got caught in the rain that it was no problem covering it and sealing it until it stops, well hes been working periodicaly for about 3 weeks. So far my couch got wet my new carpet got soaked in the living room and hall and all my ceilings are stained from leaks.

My kitchen ceiling caved in, he doesn't show up until noon if at all. I'm still sitting here with no roof and no roof in sight my living room and kitchen are all tore apart trying to dry them and still no ceiling in kitchen and i already payed him half the money.

On 2017-02-19 by (mod) - skylight blew off the roof

Dan

This sounds rather goofy, I agree, but I can't diagnose what the contractor did or should have done from just your brief text.

In general, a skylight is mechanically fastened to the roof surface. If it blew off it was not properly installed.

On 2017-02-19 by Dan Tumbry

Had roof replaced in the fall and first spring storm the skylight literally blew off and landed on roof. It did not break and no screws were found. My question, I believe the roofer had to unscrew the skylight to put on the new skylight flashing. As a result, failed to reattach. Is this a correct assumption?

On 2017-02-08 by (mod) a ridge vent is continuous along the ridge to within a foot or so of the gable ends

Lisa,

On most roof situations, to be effective a ridge vent is continuous along the ridge to within a foot or so of the gable ends, and of course unless the vent opening is cut through into the roof cavity or attic the ridge vent is a "faux" or more directly a fake - it won't be doing a darn thing except showing that some installer was lazy.

On 2017-02-08 by Lisa

My 85 year old mom had her house reroofed. The ridge vents are not centered.

One ridge vent is only cut out on one side. The other ridge vent is not cut out at all. Roof tacks are in the gutter. My brother has collected at least 3 bags of tacks on the ground. A nail is exposed, not under the tab. what should we do? The owner of the roofing company says everything is done correctly.

On 2017-01-25 by Joseph - ripples and cracks in ceilings and walls

recent new roof installation has caused ripples and cracks in ceilings and walls on a newly painted interior house.

On 2017-01-19 by (mod) - Kickout Flashing - Diverter Flashing Proper Installation vs roof flashing "destroyed by wind" ?

@Bibi:

Absolutely, metal components can be blown off of a roof IF they are not sufficiently fastened down or if there were installation errors OR if there was unusual weather such as a hurricane or tornado or severe wind-storm.

See your question and our detailed reply now at

DIVERTER KICK-OUT FLASHING

On 2017-01-19 by Bibi A - Can the kickout diverter flashing be destroyed ?

1. Can the kickout diverter flashing be destroyed by wind or rain and how can you tell that this has happened?

2. What damage would this do to the roof if this has happened?

On 2016-12-12 by (mod) - Roofer didn't finish the job - I've got the check in my hand, ready to pay, but I can't send it !

How frustrating.

I once had a plumber do terrible work, leaving an incomplete repair of a well pump that didn't work and with the fittings he was fumbling with leaking all over the floor.

I called the owner of the company and said,

Hey Mike, I've got your bill right here next to my checkbook, and my pen is in my hand, and I'm anxious to pay you but I can't write the check.

Why not, Mike asked?

Well, the fellow you sent over busted up some stuff, left my water pump not working, and left pipes leaking all over the floor.

Mike came over and finished the job himself, doing good work this time, and left with his check after helping me mop up the floor.

On 2016-12-12 by Angela E

We hired a roofing company back in June, we jumped through hoops for them to come out and actually put our roof on. We paid them half up front as they requested. They finally came out at the end of July and finished our roof on Sept. 1 / 2 - or so we thought.

Turns out, the drip edge was not finished and they never finished putting on the rain diverters. I called them a few times to complain about the materials left in our driveway and a ladder left behind in our backyard. I was told someone would come back out - he finally showed up in Oct (after another phone call from me).

He proceeded to look at my roof, take the materials left in my driveway, left the ladder. He informed me he would call me back in a week. Well.. it's December.

The most call back I've gotten from them was a request for me to pay the rest of the amount owed for completion of the job. The job is still not complete and I have not paid them.

I've called them multiple times - I still can't get anyone to return my phone calls.

Can I just mark this as a voided contract and not owe them anything? They got the half they asked for up front. It's been officially 6 months since this all started. Can I use the rest of my funds to actually find another company to finish the job?

Please help!

On 2016-10-26 by (mod) - Bad roof, incomplete tear-off, expensive lawsuit, let the sun shine on bad work or dishonest contracting

I'm sorry for your infuriating roofing experience, Rick.

Your story proves the point that I so often come-to, admittedly with disappointment: when a contractor isn't up to the job or doesn't do what they promised, and when the repair will involve alot of work and expense to the walking-off or bad contractor, the contractor may prefer to take their chances in court, settling for something less than would have been the cost had the job been done, or re-done, properly.

So we are left giving people the advice of

1. Fix the problems first to protect the property

2. Pursue the contractor, if you choose, in small claims court if that is suitable

3. Get a realistic opinion from an experienced attorney about the chances of success if you bring more-costly litigation

4. Next time you need work done, see if you can get a better referral.

Sometimes, though rarely, letting sunlight shine on bad behaviour will motivate some people to make the job right.

We know, just taking a look at U.S. politics in the past years, that sunlight on dishonesty doesn't deter everyone.

Sometimes an exposure at a website like the WEB THEFT HALL OF SHAME has been effective at website content thieves - but only sometimes.

On 2016-10-26 by Rick S

Hello, I purchased a home in Kent WA, closed escrow 12/15. prior to the close the home was inspected and the one thing that was called out was that it had a bad roof - the seller agreed to have the roof replaced but he was just going to do a lay-over.

I contacted my agent and asked if I could contact the contractor to see if he was open to doing a complete tear-off and I would pay for that. the contractor gave me a quote to do the tear-off and I agreed, just wanted it done right.

After being in the house for a few months, talking to neighbors - I found out that the contractor just tore off about the last foot and continued to do a lay-over. in may 2016 I had the roof inspected (603.00)to find out that's exactly what he did. the roofing inspector's report said this was the worst reroof job that he has seen on 30 years.

I hired an attorney to go after him, it's been over 8 months and 3500.00 out of pocket for attorney fees and it looks like I'm going to spend a lot more to get a judgement to go after his bond and I'll still be out either the roof or attorney fees. this guy's moral clock is way off and there is nothing protecting me the consumer. this was a bonded, insured contractor and either way you look at it, it sucks!

On 2016-08-26 by (mod) - roofing contractor walks: did not install skylights properly

Watch out: First priority is to protect building occupants from injury. I don't know how badly your skylights are mis-installed, but if one falls and bonks somebody there'll be hell to pay.

Second priority is to protect workers on the home - same point should someone go up onto the roof to repair it - they need to know your concern.

SO I would find another contractor to fix the job.

You need to keep careful and complete records, photos, reports, documents, and then you might get some financial relief from the roofer who walked-off the job with falling skylights.

On 2016-08-26 by Kathie

Oh my goodness! We are having an experience similar to what you described above. The roofing contractor installed our skylights without proper support and we only discovered it because he broke our sheet rock and we had to replace it. In addition, instead of re framing for the new skylights, he forced the new skylights over a larger curb than he should have.

When we discovered the problem he wanted us to get a final inspection anyway. He said the country wouldn't care if the job wasn't done right. His office help actually hung up on us when we refused to get the inspection until the job was done.

Then when he came back to correct the skylight installation, he decided that he didn't know how to make the repairs. Just like your story above, he walked off the job and told us we needed to re frame the holes ourselves and then call him when we were ready. Now we have three open skylight holes in our roof, the new roofing has been torn off around those holes and we are in a mess.

We also poked our head through the skylight holes and looked at the exposed nailing in the areas where he tore off the roof. It is not nailed according to industry standards. There are nails outside the nailing strips, some are set too deep into the shingles, the spacing is not consistent, etc.

We have no idea what to do. The job has been a nightmare of bad scheduling, broken promises and deception. We paid for our own materials and yet the contractor took all the leftover materials when he left the job.

There were quite a few materials left and we got no credit for them. If he had bid the job and included the materials, they would be his to take but the big box store we contracted with ordered all the materials and we paid for them ourselves. We have damage to our home as well. The roofers cut some of our house trim to make it easier for them and left exposed wood, tore off a piece of our crown molding and then screwed it into the sheeting and roofed over that so we can't get the molding off to correct the problem.

The molding is unbelievably crooked and the flashing is not right. We have gaps in other flashing areas as well. And last but not least, we have areas where the shingles are not laying down.

The contractor told us the roof would settle down but the roof has been down for about a week and a half in 90 degree heat and there are still problem areas. We are senior citizens and are just sick about what has happened.

We actually contracted the job through one of the local "big box" stores but they aren't being very proactive. They told us they have worked with the contractor for 8 years and have never had a problem. If that is true, there are some very bad roofing jobs out there that unsuspecting people are living with. They tell us that they can't get another contractor out here because state licensing regulations prevent that.

What are we supposed to do? We are waiting to hear from the big box store but they seem very nonchalant. They are now looking for skylights that will fit the existing framing but the contractor ripped out all the supports so those will still have to be replaced by someone.

There are other problems as well. This has just been a nightmare for us with no end in sight.

Thanks for hosting this site. It is great and so helpful and necessary. We had no idea how badly things could go. Wish we had found your site before we hire the contractor!

...

Continue reading at RESOLVING ROOF JOB PROBLEMS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see ROOF JOB DISPUTE FAQs-3 - more-recent questions and answers about resolving disputes with a roofing contractor

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• BEST ROOFING PRACTICES
• ROOFING CONTRACTOR CERTIFICATIONS
• ROOFING CONTRACTOR, FIND & CHOOSE
  • STEP 1: FINDING A ROOFER
  • STEP 2: CHOOSING A ROOFING CONTRACTOR
  • STEP 3: CHOOSING ROOF MATERIAL
  • STEP 4: NEGOTIATE ROOFING CONTRACT
  • STEP 5: LETTING THE ROOFER ROOF
  • STEP 6: RESOLVING ROOF JOB PROBLEMS
• DISPUTE RESOLUTION on ROOF JOB PROBLEMS

Suggested citation for this web page

ROOF JOB DISPUTE FAQs-2 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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