Fall is the best time to obtain roofing quotes. Construction work slows in cooler weather and most roofers are scheduling in the next year. This gives you time to review rates negotiate options and schedule projects in the best weather.

In addition, contractors and suppliers are more likely to guarantee rates into the next year. On average, good contractors are scheduling work six months in advance.

Buyers should plan around contractor and material availability during height of roofing seasons. The best time to schedule installation is when local temperatures are above 60 degrees.

Rain is a show stopper with cooler temperatures placing quality at risk. Both cause unexpected delays in completion. A late start date can delay completion so plan accordingly installation is completed before winter.

It takes roofers about three days to install a new roof on an average 2,000 square foot residence and up to two weeks on larger homes. Commercial buildings are considerably larger and more complicated. On average installation starts at two months but large and complicated roofs can require more than six.

It’s important to understand project duration and schedule start dates for timely completion. If contractors predict four months of work and local temperatures drop in mid-October the project should start in July.

In both residential and commercial markets, consumers should sign written agreements early. This allows you to schedule the contractors work on a preferred timeline and they’ll be happy to address any deficiencies before weather sets in.

Commercial buyers often include financial penalties for late starts and delays not related to weather. Homeowners can use similar measures to assure construction is completed around other activities.

Analyzing Price Quotes

The complexity of roofing systems and loosely defined requests for quote (RFQ) confuse consumers. Contractor who define specifications intended to reduce cost often affect quality.

According to industry reports, roof system life-cycles in the U.S. last just under seventeen years. The average reduction is 17% but can reach as high as 23% and a 20 year roof lasting under 16 years.

Inconsistent price quotes confuse consumers said Anthony de Kerf, author of Structured Pricing. When technologies are too difficult to compare objectively, buyers fall back on price as the deciding factor.

Reliable price quotes on a bid specification generally fall within 3% to 8% of each other said Gary Davis, CIO at RFQGuides. Outside this range raises concern while highlighting where contractor variables affect price and quality.
Reliable price quotes on a bid specification generally fall within 3% to 8% of each other. Outside this range raises concern while highlighting where contractor variables affect price and quality.

It’s not unusual to see price differences greater than 10% between quotes. But large price variations raise questions and red flags for any type of construction job. It’s important to match the type of contractors invited to quote.

Union shops are consistently higher than independent contractors. It’s not a matter of quality or expectation of greater performance. The manpower costs at union shops are generally higher.

In complex products like roofing, significantly lower rates usually result when contractors quote different materials, system configurations or don’t understand deliverables.

Bids managed by property managers demonstrated this in three rounds of pricing between five contractors. Initial quotes could not be compared due to inconsistent configurations and price differences of $200,000 between contractors.

It followed months of confusion before CRS Roof Consultants was asked to assist. CRS qualified contractors but ownership insisted a previous vendor be included. That contractor was consistently low. Upon review, the $542,000 difference was barely enough to cover material costs.

In addition, property ownership requested an additional quote from a union roofer in a no bid situation. This contractor priced the $850K project closer to $600,000 but priced an entirely different roof system.

Unfortunately, in no bid situations it’s impossible to determine if buyers get the best price, said Kevin Cardoza a technical consultant at CRS. Admittedly this contractors’ price was substantially lower. But they replaced the waterproofing with a lower cost solution. Project success faced two immediate challenges.

The service providers’ workload and schedule delayed the project another two months. Work started in mid fall when the recommended material could not be installed due to cooler temperatures.

Within a month, Cardoza continued the entire project was shut down until spring. The existing roof system was half removed with only 60 out of 380 feet of new waterproofing installed.

The lowest price isn’t always the best contractor to choose, said Davis. Project scheduling is an important factor to meet tenant expectations or reach funding requirements. A 3% or 4% price difference can be negotiated if necessary to meet schedules.

Assuring integrity of a new roof improves property valuations. In addition, best practices eliminate the expense and disruption of annual maintenance requirements for five years or more. A labor warranty usually improves the contractors’ attention to detail during installation.

Property investors concerned about property valuations note the ROI of waterproofing has an immense impact on the sale of most property. A poorly installed, aged or failing roof system is one of the first things to be discounted from the sale price.

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