Long Beach, CA
A new roof in Long Beach, priced honestly
The price gap between the cheapest and the most expensive quote on the same roof is routinely forty per cent. That gap is not always quality, and it is never obvious from the paperwork.
Describe the replacement job
Three questions, then the address. Up to three Long Beach contractors who do this work.
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in Long Beach and the surrounding area.
- Today, usually within the hour. The first contractor calls or texts the number you gave us. ASAP requests go out first.
- Up to three of them, no more. We cap it at three so you can compare without your phone melting.
- They come and look. Estimates are given after somebody has been on the roof, not over the phone.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
If you do not hear anything today, check your voicemail and spam folder — contractors often call from a mobile number.
Before you let anybody on the roof
The things worth pinning down on a replacement job. A contractor who has not raised them has not looked properly.
- Tear-off or overlay, and what the local code allows
- Which underlayment, and whether ice-and-water goes on the eaves and valleys
- How the site is protected, and who cleans up the nails
- Who pulls the permit, and what the inspection schedule looks like
- Ventilation: what is there now, what it should be
Ask how long the crew has been together. Roofing is a trade where the same company name can mean an entirely different set of hands from one season to the next.
The covering is the part you can see and the part everybody quotes on. The parts that decide whether the roof lasts are underlayment, ventilation, drip edge and how the valleys are handled.
A proper replacement is a tear-off, not an overlay. Going over the top of the old roof saves money on day one and costs it back at the next replacement, when there are two layers to remove and no way to inspect the deck.
Locally
Behind it: morning fog that sits on the roof until mid-morning. Damp that arrives every morning and leaves by lunchtime is worse for a roof than rain, because nothing ever fully dries between one and the next.
About replacement here
Can I just put a new roof over the old one?
Codes in most places allow two layers. That does not make it wise. You lose the chance to see the deck, and the next roofer has twice as much to remove.
What warranty should I expect?
Two separate things. The manufacturer covers the material for its rated life, but only if it was installed to their specification. The contractor covers workmanship, commonly five to ten years, and only for as long as they are trading.
Are gutters included in a re-roof?
Usually not, unless the quote says so. If they are near the end of their life, replacing them during the re-roof is meaningfully cheaper than doing it later, because the crew and the staging are already there.
What should I do to prepare?
Clear the driveway, protect attic storage from falling dust, and plan for two loud days. Agree in advance where the dumpster goes and who sweeps for nails.