As a handy do-it-yourself homeowner, you may know there are very few projects a homeowner can’t struggle through and eventually complete. The roof isn’t one that you should replace on your own. Even if you understand the process, doing so could be costly, lead to injury, and, in some cases, may even void the warranty from the manufacturer.
There are a number of advantages to hiring a roofing contractor that makes this a wise decision, including financially. If you’ve thought about doing the work yourself, consider these factors before making that decision.
There’s the risk of doing DIY Roofing Projects
While many homeowners handle tasks on ladders, including cleaning gutters and making roof repairs, replacing a roof is inherently more difficult, carrying a much higher risk of falls and significant injury. Any misstep can lead to injury, including falling and suffering a traumatic brain injury. These types of injuries happen to even highly experienced professionals with safety gear. As a homeowner, you’re likely to suffer worse consequences.
The manufacturer’s warranty may depend on who does the roof work
One of the best selling factors for some types of roofing systems is the warranty. Getting a 10- to 20-year warranty on the roof you are buying provides peace of mind. You know, if the roof fails, such as the material wears thin, causing a leak, the manufacturer will cover the costs (be sure to look into the details of all warranties since they differ widely).
The kicker, though, is that these manufacturer warranties nearly always are dependent on who does the installation work. They require licensed, even certified roofing installers to handle the work for you. That helps the manufacturer to know their product is less likely to fail because the licensed contractor has the skill and knowledge needed to install the roof properly.
If your roof fails, and you cannot show that a licensed contractor installed it, the manufacturer’s warranty may be void, even if that product is the reason it failed. That is a costly concern. Most of the time, manufacturer warranties require roofs to be installed by an insured and certified roofing company.
Before you buy a roof, make sure you know:
- What the roofing warranty is
- What types of coverage it provides
- What stipulations are required for installation
- Any exclusions
The good news is that your roofing contractor will be able to explain all of this to you when you request a quote. That’s another key advantage. Your contractor has the knowledge of different roofing systems, warranties, and stipulations that will play a role in just how wise of a decision you make. It is nearly always worthwhile to ask a roofing company to explain the options to you.
Your homeowner’s insurance might now cover new roof installation or roof repairs
In many situations, a homeowner’s insurance policy will cover the full cost of repair or replacement of a roof when a covered peril occurs. For example, if there’s a hailstorm that creates significant damage to your roof, the insurance coverage may foot the bill for replacing the roof.
However, that’s dependent, again, on who installed it. Some homeowner’s insurance companies may not be willing to replace the roof in a covered peril if it wasn’t professionally installed. They may claim that the installation wasn’t completed properly, and that led to the damage.
More so, if your homeowners’ insurance is covering the roof replacement of your home, they will cover professional installation. Therefore, there’s no real savings to the property owner by simply doing it themselves, especially with these risks to consider.
Hiring an experienced Charlotte roofing contractor makes a big difference
The installation of a roof is a big deal. Just as important as the foundation of the home, the walls, and the trusses, the roof helps to protect every other system within the home. Should a small leak develop because the underlayment of the roof wasn’t overlapped properly, it could develop for years, leading to significant damage and loss without any realization of what occurred. This causes significant repair needs and a much higher cost.
Even if all of that doesn’t happen, there’s no YouTube video that is going to provide you with enough information to ensure you are installing the roof properly to your local building code. Many cities have very stringent requirements for this process, including requiring a licensed contractor to do the work. The contractor may also need to obtain a permit to do the work.
The actual work or roofing is time consuming
Put aside all of the safety risks and financial loss that could occur. Think about the time investment in your new roof. Typically, a standard home will take a licensed contractor 1 to 2 days, sometimes a bit longer, to complete the work. They come in and handle the entire process:
- Removing the old roofing materials
- Disposing of the old roofing materials
- Ensuring the roof deck is structurally sound
- Putting in place the underlayment
- Handling the roof installation
- Completing the finish work
- Cleaning up and disposing of all unused materials
If you don’t hire a pro to do this work, you’re tasked with it. It’s going to take time even if you have a friend or two to help you. Even more so, you need the right tools for the job. That typically includes a roofing nailer, saws, and other high-end and high-quality equipment that probably will not be necessary for any other task around your home. Even if you simply rent this equipment, you’re still paying to do that, and it will tap into any savings you have from doing the work yourself.
The value of hiring a local roofing company pays for itself
It certainly costs a bit of money to hire a roofing company to do the work. You could do the actual work for less yourself. However, in the long term, it’s going to cost you time, money, risk to your home’s value, and even the denial of insurance claims that you may make down the road. All of that makes any investment in labor for a roofing contractor to do the work well worth it.
