gonjah wrote:

This is roofing we're talking about. It's not rocket science.

And if you were any kind of man, you'd be up there on your roof
with them - performing your own examination and being critical
of their work WHILE THEY'RE DOING IT. Maybe even give them a
hand, moving bundles around, helping with the chalk lines.

I'm not following. Any decent contractor would want you to watch,
but help? I don't think so.

That's exactly what I did when I had my roof done about 6 years ago.

I was up there, practically like one of the crew. About the only thing
I didn't do was any nailing.

I had about 8 sheets of decking replaced - mostly the sections that
formed the eaves. When each sheet came off, I had my shop vac up there
and I vacuumed out the junk that was there (which included a few dried
up squirel carcasses).

With the decking sections removed, I took pictures from various angles
for documentation so I could refer to them later when I did any soffit
or attic work. These pictures show how the varous trusses and joists
run, some vent lines and even some electrical wiring that would have
been a pain for me to trace from inside the attic when it was closed up.

I also re-arranged the insulation and the eave-baffles to insure good
air flow. I added additional insulation where I found it was lacking.

I've also helped a few friends and family do their roofs over the
years. It's got to be one of the simplest jobs that a homeowner can do
(from a "fussy" or meticulous point of view) while being some-what
physically demanding.