Pat wrote:
wrote in message
...
For those that don't recall the original thread, I had a roofing
contractor tell me that my 6" soffits were too narrow to use a ridge vent
and he recommended box vents instead.

All a.h.r responders basically said BS.

I have had 2 more estimates since then and also spoke to 2 shingle
manufacturer's customer service lines. No one has ever heard of the
"narrow soffit - no ridge vent" practice.

So, while I'd like to tell that contractor to take a hike, there are also
issues with the other 2 estimates:

One company came out, took a look at the house when I wasn't home and then
brought over the estimate one day after work. Before I looked at the
estimate I asked him about the "narrow soffit - no ridge vent" practice.
He said that it doesn't even make sense and that the estimate that I was
holding included a ridge vent. When I asked him how he was going to handle
the soffits he said "Oh, I didn't notice that you don't have any soffit
vents." A quick calculation later and he said "That'll be $200 more soffit
vents." How the heck do you estimate a roof job and not even notice that
there are no soffit vents?

The other company seemed very well prepared, asked me a bunch of
questions, and then said. "I'll tell you right up front, we'll probably be
the most expensive estimate you'll get, but you'll never call us back
unless you want some other work done." He eventually gave me very complete
estimate, including doing a few things that the other companies had not
mentioned. Problem is, he's more than *twice* the other 2 estimates. He
even charges $10 more per sheet of plywood than the others. I asked him
about that. "What's different about your plywood or the way you install it
that makes it worth $10 more per sheet?"

The answer: "There's nothing different. I just have a lot of overhead to
cover. I have 5 trucks like mine, a dump truck, a this, a that and another
thing." Even if he did include some extra items on the estimate, does he
really expect me to pay more for everything else just because he has
higher overhead than the other guys? I'm sure I could get the other
contractors to add in his items for a lot less than he's doing them for.
Seriously - If I added the other 2 estimates together, they be less than
his.

The search goes on.


Roofers like to take a lot of shortcuts. This is a job I prefer to do
myself.

Hi,
That is why all my properties have metal tiles or standing rib steel
roofs. Will last at least for my life time and more. Done once, forget
about it.