Roofers questions, answered straight
The questions below are the ones homeowners ask right before they hand over money — and the ones the internet answers worst. Most of what comes back is a lead form or a sales page. These are plain answers with nothing to sell.
- How long does a roof replacement take?
Most single-family roofs are a one to two day tear-off and install. Here's what stretches it, what shortens it, and what a roofer should tell you first.
- How much does a roof replacement cost?
National roof cost averages are close to useless for your house. What actually drives the number, and how to read three bids against each other.
- Should I stay home during a roof replacement?
You don't have to leave, but you'll want to plan the day. What the noise, dust, and vibration actually do to a house during a tear-off.
- What happens during a roof inspection?
What a roofer actually looks at during an inspection, how long it takes, and why a free inspection and a paid one have different incentives.
- Do you need a permit for a roof replacement?
Nearly every full roof replacement needs a permit, and your roofer should pull it. What it buys you, and why being asked to pull it yourself is a warning.
- How much of a deposit should I give a roofer?
A modest deposit is normal, full payment upfront is not. What roofing deposits are for, what's typical, and the payment terms that protect you.
- What should I check before signing a roofing contract?
The clauses that decide what happens when a roofing job goes wrong — scope, decking price, payment schedule, warranty, and the insurance clause.
- How do I find my roof warranty?
You have two roof warranties from two different companies, kept in different places. How to track down both, including when the roofer is out of business.
- How do roofers rip you off?
The specific ways roofing jobs go wrong — storm chasers, deductible offers, phantom damage, vanishing deposits — and the check that stops each one.
- What do I do if my roof insurance claim is denied?
A denial is a position, not a verdict. How to find the real reason in the letter and the escalation path most homeowners don't know they have.