Deciding On A Roof Replacement?: Three Things You Need To Do Before You Start

As the home ages, there will be more and more maintenance projects that need to be done. A home’s roof is one of the more expensive projects that you will need to take care of, and one that requires some preparation if you want to have the work done correctly. There are three things that you need to do before you get started on a roof replacement project to make sure that you get everything done on time and on budget.

Inspection

Before you even decide to replace roof, you must first check the roof for any damages that may exist. Even though it might seem like it is time to have the roof replaced, it may still be strong enough to make it through another year or more. The inspection can be done by you if you climb on the roof and take the time to walk around and check for loose shingles or shingles that seem to be out of line. Shingles that are loose or out of line are probably damaged and they will have weakened the integrity of the roof. If there are several shingles that have this problem, or the problem exists in multiple areas, you will be looking at a roof replacement, and not just a roof repair. At this point it is time to move to step two.

Insurance

The next thing that you need to do is talk to your insurance company. Most homeowner’s insurance policies will cover roof repairs and replacement when there is damage to the roof, as it is much cheaper for the insurance company to pay for a new roof than it is to pay for repairing damages that can occur to the structure of the home if the roof fails. You will need to set up a time for the insurance adjustor to visit the home. The adjustor will walk over the roof and check for the damages that you saw before, and they will decide whether or not the insurance company or home loan will cover the cost of the replacement. Even if the insurance company denies your claim, you can still move forward to the next step, but it is always a good idea to check with the insurance company before you hire a contractor.

Estimate

Finally it is time to find a contractor to do the work. You will need to call several different contractors and schedule a time when they can come by and give you an estimate for the work that you want to have done. The contractor may come and decide that the work will not require a full roof replacement, and that they can fix the problems that you see with a repair. If your roof is more than ten years old, even a repair is probably not going to be enough, and you should proceed with a full replacement. At this time you should also discuss the timetable that the contractor has for the project, including when they can get started and how long they think the replacement will take. Take your time when you choose a contractor and understand the importance of workmanship guarantees and the quality of the work that is being done; hiring the cheapest contractor for a roof replacement is not always the best idea for your home.

A roof replacement is a big job, and there are several things that you need to do before you are ready to get started. When you take the right steps and you are ready to start the project, you will have a better idea about what it will cost to have the roof done and how long it will take to have the project completed.

I am Mark Summers, and I am an insurance adjustor. I wrote this article to talk about what homeowners can do to keep their roof replacement costs under control and the importance of finding the right roofers for the job. I recommend Zimmerman Exteriors (www.zimmermanexteriors.com) to the homeowners that I come in contact with because of the pricing and the quality of the work.