"retired54" wrote in message
...

"Dick Adams" wrote in message
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I have a 60x30 one story ranch. Based on a square
being 100 sq ft, a flat roof would be 18 squares.
Figure in 6 ft to the peak and call it less than
20 squares. Than add 4 squares because I don't
do these calcs for a living and round it up to 24
squares.

The first four estimates I got were 34, 32, 30, and
30 squares with prices ranging $5,400 to $7,500.
Not one of the estimators took out a tape or walked
the roof. Everyone of them said there was one layer
already on the roof so it was a roof-over. When I
said I wanted the roof torn off, they said it was
unnecessary and would cost an extra $1,000 to $1,200.
I knew there were two layers already on it.

A roof replacement was not an immediate need so I
waited a year. Finally someone walked the roof.
said it was 24 squares, already had two layers so
it was a tear-off, had two soft-spots which would
probably need new underlayment, made a few other
suggestions, and priced it at $4,650.

It's the difference between dealing with a roofer
and dealing with a commissioned sales person for
a roofing company.

Dick

My experience dealing with many general contractors and roofing
subs/companies over the years is that roofers are about the bottom of a
generally rancid barrel. Most all of them have a bad attitude and far too
many of them do a poor job to boot-- especially flashing around corners,
valleys and the chimney.

I was doing a major add-on some years ago in suburban Atlanta and the GC had
the roofing materials delivered-- except the nails for some reason. When the
roofer arrived ( almost three hours late, he said he was walking off the job
because he was only contracted for labor, not materials. I told him to go up
to Home Depot (3 miles away) and get what he needed and I'd reimburse him.
He said he wouldn't do that. Instead of letting the loser walk, I foolishly
offered to go get the nails myself which I did.

He ended up doing a ****-poor job--- we had leaks and several other
problems. The GC had the roof redone out of his pocket. Good for him....I
guess he never used that roofer again. Not sure where he ever got him from.
Most of the other subs on the job were OK--- except the HVAC...but that's
another story...