A new roof is an investment that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The unfortunate truth, though, is the cost of a quality roof causes sticker shock.
This is when homeowners start hunting for the cheapest roofing company they can find. Well, I guarantee they’ll find the cheapness they’re looking for once it's known they want the lowest price.
This leads to getting a price that seems too good to be true and signing a contract before considering why it’s so cheap. However, a lot of risk is involved when hiring the cheapest roofing company.
For over 30 years, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has taken pride in trying to combat the roofing industry's bad reputation. Unfortunately, bad roofing companies taking advantage of homeowners haven’t made this any easier, and it seems more are popping up every day.
Here, you'll learn the 7 risks you take when hiring a cheap roofing company so you can avoid the dark side of our industry.
1. You open yourself up to be taken advantage of by a bad roofer
The first risk when hiring a cheap roofing company is that you open yourself to be taken advantage of by a bad roofer. You put a massive target on your back if a bad roofer learns you’re looking for the lowest price.
They’ll lower their prices to win your business by leaving off necessary items, using low-quality materials, and using cheap labor to install the roof. Every roofing company has different overhead costs, prefers certain products, or whatever else impacts their pricing, so a lower-priced estimate isn’t always a red flag.
However, there are always reasons why when you get a roofing estimate that’s too good to be true or much lower than the other(s).
2. Cheap roofing companies don’t offer long-term protection
A workmanship warranty protects you against problems if an installation mistake leads to a roof leak. However, I guarantee a cheap roofing company will offer a short workmanship warranty that doesn’t offer long-term protection.
They’ll usually offer something long enough to get your roof through the warranty period before something happens, and they’re on the hook to fix it. That’s why a roofing company that uses cheap material and labor is unlikely to offer more than a five-year workmanship warranty.
In my opinion, roofing companies should offer no less than a 10-year warranty if they take pride in their work.
3. The roofing company may not be around if there’s a problem
A roofing company needs to be around to honor their warranties if there’s ever a problem. Unfortunately, selling cheap roofs isn't sustainable in the long run.
This usually leads to the cheap roofing company shutting down, which leaves you with no long-term protection. You’ll find newer roofing companies are generally the ones able to offer the cheapest prices.
What they don’t know is they need to price jobs correctly to have retained earnings to get through the slower months. This isn’t to say young roofing companies don’t do quality work, and every successful roofer has to start somewhere.
However, you want to make sure they’ll still be around if problems ever come up. That’s why it’s crucial to hire a local roofing contractor that’s established and has a strong history in your area.
4. You’ll get the quality roof you pay for
A roof investment costs more for quality labor, roofing materials, and components. On the other hand, a cheap roof equals using the cheapest components and cheapest labor available.
When hiring a cheap roofing company, you get the quality you paid for, and it definitely shows. Not only are you looking at roof leaks, but it sets your roof up for premature failure right off the bat.
I fully understand that most homeowners have a set or tight budget, but I promise you that going with the cheapest price shows up in the final quality of your roof.
5. You’ll spend more money in the long run with a cheap roof
As I just said, a roof that reflects the quality of cheap labor and materials leads to roof leaks. They might not show up immediately, but you’ll eventually pay for repairs.
And because you can’t get the roofing company to answer the phone or your warranty expired, you’ll have to pay another company to take care of the issues. This means you’ll spend even more on a roof you tried to save money on by hiring a cheap roofing company.
Unfortunately, this gets costly, and they’ll likely find other issues. While the lowest price is tempting, hiring a cheap roofing company risks spending more of your hard-earned money after the initial investment.
6. Your roof investment won’t last as long as it should
Other than the increase in home value, the ROI you get on a new roof is how long it lasts. Well, just like going cheap affects final quality and costs you more money in the long run, it also affects your roof’s lifespan.
I guarantee your roof’s lifespan won’t reach its full potential when you hire a cheap roofing company. Even if you invest in quality materials but look for the lowest labor price, you’re still risking cut corners and incorrect roofing techniques.
And because materials are only as good as the installation, this poor workmanship leads quality materials to fail before the end of their lifespan.
7. You won’t qualify for the best material warranties
Every roofing material and component comes with a warranty to protect against manufacturer defects. While your shingles and other components have an individual warranty, there’s also an enhanced warranty when using a specific shingle manufacturer’s roofing components.
The enhanced warranty guarantees the manufacturer covers labor, materials, dump fees, non-prorated for 50 years if the materials and/or components are defective. To actually get the warranty, a roofing company must be certified.
Well, it’s highly unlikely a cheap roofing company has any certifications or the credentials to offer enhanced warranties. This is because improper installation or inadequate attic ventilation voids all material warranties, so they won’t certify a company they don’t trust to do the job right.
How do you find a great roofing company?
After reading this article, you now know the 7 risks you take when hiring a cheap roofing company. I guarantee this will help you avoid wasting your hard-earned money on a roof that won’t reach its full potential.
Hiring a roofing company based on the price alone always comes with headaches and unnecessary stress from the problems your roof will face. That’s why you need to know how to spot the qualities of a reputable roofing company.
To help you do this, I wrote another article with the tips every homeowner needs to hire a reputable roofer in their area.
Check out 7 Tips to Find a Great Roofing Contractor to hire a high-quality roofing company to take care of your roofing needs.