You start seeing signs that your roof is deteriorating and what's the first question that comes to mind? I wonder how much this is going to cost me.  Every homeowner asks this question and many call us to find out.  In fact it's the number one question we get.

The answer is that there is no way we could even give you an estimate without seeing your roof first.  
These are some basic factors that go into a roof estimate:

• current condition of the roof
• pitch of the roof
• square footage of the roof
• standard ventilation or ridge vents
• your choice of materials

You see, your roof is a complicated structure and you want to make sure to get several estimates. When you look at your estimates, you shouldn't always go with the cheapest and you need to make sure that all the estimates are costing out all the same elements.  

Make sure that your estimates are from licensed, insured and bonded roofing contractors, because 80% of a roof is installed where you can't see it, so it's the experience of guys on the roof that matter most, then it's the quality of the materials you choose as to whether your roof is going to last as long as possible.  Today, many companies have a 30 year or 50 year lifetime on their roofing products, so assuming you stay in the same house, you will probably never need to replace your roof again if you choose the right roofing company to work with.

Best of Luck!

I recently did a search on Google for "Roofing" and unfortunately, it led me to a number of stories of so called roofers who are scamming the unsuspecting client.  

The headline above came from this story about a pair of roofing contractors who investigators say are involved in widespread roofing and home improvement scams in Colorado and Arizona.

Then in Cincinnati there is another story of a roofing scam involving insurance claims.  This roofer got people to file insurance claims by telling them they had something wrong with their roof, and collecting the insurance money, leaving them with nothing and sometimes ruining their roof in the process.

And now in LA County where there have been major storms, the city attorney is warning people of roofing scams.  He says that "consumers should be wary of contractors who show up at their door unsolicited, ask for a large down payment in advance, or say they will do the work without a permit.

Numerous problems are associated with hiring unlicensed contractors, noting that they often are not bonded, typically do not have workers' compensation insurance and are frequently not trained to do the work.

Rick Lopes, chief of public affairs for the California State Licensing Board, said some scam artists will prey on elderly, physically infirm couples, make up a non-existent roof repair problem and then pretend to do the work before making off with an easy payment."
These scams unfortunately, happen everywhere, even here in Virginia Beach.

The moral of the story is to make sure that you hire a licensed roofing contractor, don't just hire a chuck in a truck.  Make sure that you get a written estimate and that the details are written down and that they explain what they are going to do for you.  

Check out this video on choosing a roofing contractor done by the National Roofing Contractors Association, to make sure that these things never happen to you.