AboutBrad Zacharia Expertise All aspects of residential Roofing. This includes shingles and flat (low slope) roofs. I have knowledge in the installation as well as the design of roofs from an engineering standpoint.
Experience I have been doing roofing for 40 years. This was my father's business and I took it over in 1980.
Publications I have written responses to artcles that I felt needed a response to and those responses have been published in roofing trade magazines.
Education/Credentials BSEE Drexel University
www.ZachariaRoofing.com
Question QUESTION: Hi, I live in NC and we have recently had severe storms here with hail and high winds. I started seeing all kinds of roofing signs going up in neighbors yards, so I decided to call and get someone to check my roof. They came out and went on the roof and mailed me an estimate to replace the entire roof. My question is this: is it typical to just do an estimate to replace entire roof without any details of damage found? I am going to call my insurance company to submit an incident for this so they can have an adjustor come out, but I just want to be educated a bit as to if this is standard. My immediate neighbor got a roofing company to give him an estimate with similiar results as mine, then his insurance had an adjustor come out, and they say there is no damage. I want to call the roofer that gave me the estimate and ask some questions, but not sure if that's necessary or if I should just wait until the adjustor gives his findings. Thanks.
ANSWER: It depends what you asked of him. If you asked him for an estimate for a new roof and that's what he gave you then he did what you asked of him. If I buy a new car and take it to the paint shop and tell him I want it painted, he might think I'm nuts, but he'll do it.
The roofer is looking for work so he might just push a new roof. The insurance company doesn't want to pay for damage so they'll sway towards no damage. You have to find someone you can trust.
Hail damage can be cosmetic damage or structural damage. Some insurance companies won't pay for cosmetic damage.
Brad
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QUESTION: I did not ask for an estimate for a new roof, I asked for them to check my roof to see if there was any damage. I have never gotten an estimate for any roofing work before, so I guess I imagined that they might give me a summary of what they found and then say something like "given that we found XYZ, we would suggest replacing the entire roof." I didn't get anything other than an estimate that said "due to roof damage from hail and wind storms, tear-off and re-roof entire house." I would think that I would be given exact citings of particular damage to justify the need to me for a completely re-roofing. This is apart from my whether my insurance company will go along with it. I guess that's why I wanted to know whether it was typical to provide an estimate without any substantiating examples to explain the repairs.
Answer If you asked for him to look at the roof and he said there was "roof damage from hail" then it all depends on how far you want to take the conversation. I have customers that know nothing about roofing and wouldn't understand anything I tell them. When I tell them they need a new roof that's good enough for them and they don't ask any details. Other customers want to go up on the roof to see for themselves.
He could be giving you a general description because there's nothing really there or maybe because he doesn't want to burden you with details. It will be up to the both of you to carry the conversation further.
I guess it would have been better for him to call you and discuss the magnitude of the damage. Not all hail damage needs a new roof. But he probably wants a new roof out of it.
