Choosing Roofing Contractors can be a daunting task for any homeowner looking to get their roof replaced. With so many roofers in the Houston Texas metro area market, a potential client might wonder who they should hire to get the job done correctly. We have put together some recommendations here in this post that we believe you will find most helpful. Below I have outlined a step by step approach when it comes time to replace your roof and selecting from the vast sea of  residential roofing companies. Here is a great article from WIki choosing a residential roofing contractor and some things you should be looking out for. As a homeowner, you should read each of the points below carefully as they have great information that you should be aware of when selecting a company to replace your roof.

Get Three Roofing Estimates from Different Contractors

In the past, many homeowners have used the first and only roofing company to give them an estimate because they liked the person that came out to give them a bid. This is not a good idea because you have no idea if their pricing is inline with the going roofing market. By getting other bids, you will now have something to compare to. Look at each roofing estimate closely and read what each roofing contractor is offering of the following:

Contractor Reputation and Reviews

You should be doing your research in looking around on the web for reviews for that roofing company you are considering using. Check with the local BBB and view the reputation of that contractor and it’s complaint history if any. You can also do a Local Google Review search for that company that you are considering hiring and see what their Google reviews are like. I would also check with Angie’s List, as well as other sites and see what their reviews are like as well.

Price They Are Charging

What is the price that is offered and does it include tax? Make sure that there are no hidden charges like replacing any extra rotted wood that might be found under your old roofing shingles. The cost of replacing your roof can vary from contractor to contractor as you will see in their estimates.

Roof Removal Work Scope

Make sure that you are reading line by line what the scope is of the removal work the roofing contractors are doing such as; removing the old roofing shingles, tar paper (felt) hauling off the trash, removing drip edge, pipe jacks, valley flashing, sidewall flashing, ridge vents, air hawks or turbine vents.

Roofing Installation Scope of New Material

This is where you should find listed on their contract what new in accessory materials they will be installing such as the following; New tar paper (felt) and what weight such as #15 lb or #30 lb? Drip edge what size? 1″1/2 X 1″ 1/2 is most common and make sure that it is colored to match your new roofing shingles. Pipe Jacks, make sure they are using led jacks as they are most common and will most likely out last your roof. Valley flashing, the roofing contractor should be installing new at least 20″ wide metal or roll roofing before installing the new shingles. All that I have spoke of here you can call, best roofing practices. Note: Ice and water shield usage in the south on all of the roof protrusions and valleys is a nice upgrade to ensure no water leakage. This is a must in the north especially where snow can ice dam around the perimeter we recommend ice and water shield in those areas as well as all valleys and roof protrusions. This should all be outlined in free roofing estimate they have given you.

Roofing Shingles and Warranty

What roofing shingles are offered and what is the warranty? With all of the roofing shingle options that you can choose from, consider what kind of look do you want your roof to have, flat and smooth, dimensional or maybe the wood shingle look? Most homeowners have been using a laminate shingle that is offered by GAF called Timberline Roofing Shingles. They come with a lifetime warranty and have great reputation in withstanding the elements and that desired dimensional look.

Shingle Colors Offered

Consider the color of your home both in siding and trim, how do you want your roof to contrast with the colors? Do you want the roof to blend in or stand out? Look around at your neighbors houses in your neighborhood and see if there is a roof color combination that you like. This way you can see what it will look like before getting started on your own home.

General Liability Insurance

Every roofing contractor should have at least one million dollars in general liability insurance should it rain while your roof has been removed and is being replaced. This they should offer a copy of while giving your roofing estimate.  As a suggestion, you might want to make sure that the insurance certificate is genuine and active by calling the issuing insurance company.

Roofing Job Completion Walk Around and Final Payment

At the end of your roofing job we suggest that you do a walk around to inspect the entire job from top to bottom. Look up at your new roof, make sure that all of the shingles are laying down, this might take several days if the sun is not out and in the colder winter time as well. Also, look around on the ground near the perimeter of the home and your driveway for nails and trash as they should be using a magnetic sweeper nail rake to pick them up. If you have any type of natural gas, propane appliances or heat, look in your attic, make sure all of the roof protrusions are securely fastened to the base of where the hot gases come out of base unit. Take a flashlight and make sure that all single and double wall vent stacks are not touching any plywood for fire safety. This is often overlooked.

Some Helpful Links – Choosing a Roofing Contractor

Owens Corning – Roofing Basic Choosing Contractor

Angie’s list – Tips Choosing Roofing Contractor

Roofing About – Selecting a Roofing Contractor

GAF – Roofing Residential Contractors

Inspectapedia – Roofing Contractor Selection

San Francisco Chronicle – Select Roofing Contractor

Each of those links above have great information when it comes to selecting or choosing a roofing contractor for your project. Amittengley, this can be an exhausting task and we hope that the information included will make for a more enjoyable home improvement experience.

From all of us here at Texas Home Exteriors do hope that you have enjoyed this informative article that we have written for your benefit and education. Should you need home improvement financing we have some exciting options with no payments for one year and free roofing estimates in the Houston TX metro area.

Thank you Greg Kapitan (the siding man)

Free Roofing Contractors Estimate

What many Texas homeowners desire is a roof that’s not too expensive, requires no maintenance, and lasts forever. However most roofing shingles are replaced and or at least repaired every ten to twelve years here is southeast Texas due to the intense heat and leaghty sun drenched summers. By carefully choosing re-roofing material, you can reduce the cost and increase the duration of the life of your Houston TX roof. In the long run, you’ll use less building material, fill up less landfill space with discarded materials and have a roof that lasts for years or even a lifetime with some options.

If you select a light-colored surface or a material that doesn’t absorb heat from the sun, you significantly reduce the cool needs of the home or building. When your attic stays cooler, your cooling bills reduced. I will post more on “Cool Roofing” shingles in a future blog.

Popular Roofing Materials

Below I provide a quick overview of the most popular types of roofing. Remember that cost alone does not determine quality of the roofing shingle and not all of these products will meet the specific needs of your home or building. By carefully selecting the right material, ensuring it is installed properly and by performing occasional modest maintenance, your roof can function properly for 20 to 50 years or even longer!

Composition/Asphalt Roofing Shingle by GAF Timberline Laminate

Composition Roofing Shingles

Asphalt and composition roof shingles are the most common choice for a clean look at an affordable price. Higher quality versions made from asphalt or fiberglass shingles offer a more durable option, we’ll discuss those later.

Bob Vila tells us that Composite Shingles come in a large selection of types, brands and colors. They are versatile, adapt easily to different applications, are relatively easy to install and in some applications can even be nailed in place over an existing roof. This type of shingle is low maintenance and can be walked across without damaging the material. Most brands also offer Class A fire protection and can be recycled.

The negative side of composition shingles is that they don’t have the lifespan of other roofing materials like tile or metal, they don’t offer the dimensional look of tile or wood shakes, and there is a possibility of them blowing off in high winds. At Texas Home Exteriors, we use GAF Roofing Shingles with the GAF roofing warranty.

Wood Shake Shingles

Wikipedia – “wood shingles are thin, tapered pieces of wood primarily used to cover roofs and walls of buildings to protect them from the weather” Wood shake shingles offer a natural look with a lot of character. Because of variations like color, width, thickness or cut of the wood, no two shake roofs will ever be the same. Wood offers some energy benefits, too!   It helps to insulate the attic, and it allows the house to breathe, circulating air through the small openings under the felt rows on which wooden shingles are laid.

A Great Natural look. Wood Roofs require proper maintenance and is much more costly to replace.

A wood shake roof, however demands proper maintenance and repair or it will not last as long as other products. Keep in mind that mold, rot, and insects can be a problem with this type of roofing. The life cycle cost of a shake roof may be high, and old shakes cannot be recycled.

Additionally, installing wood shakes is more complicated and costly than roofing with composite shingles and the quality of finished roof depends on the experience of the contractor as well as the caliber of the shakes you use. The best shakes come from the heartwood of large old cedar trees, difficult to find anymore thus adding to the cost. Note that some contractors maintain that shakes made from the outer wood of smaller cedars but the usual source today are less uniform and more subject to twisting and warping causing them not to last as long.

Roofing Tiles

Roofing tile is a good choice for homes with Southwestern, Italian, Spanish Mission, Terracotta designs or even for homes with a modern, clean look.

Tile lasts a long time with an expected lifespan greater than the material on which the roofing rests. Tile will not rot or burn and it cannot be harmed by insects. It requires little maintenance and comes in a variety of colors, types, styles and brands.

Terracotta Roofing tiles have a long lifespan, but are heavy and may require extra roof support. Additionally they are fragile and can break if walked on.

The biggest drawback to tile by far is its weight. Depending on the material used to make it, tile can be very heavy, so heavy that extra roof support may be required. Originally made from clay, new tiles are being made from lighter materials and lightweight metal tiles can be installed over existing roofs. However, keep in mind that with some new materials color is added only on the surface of the tile which can fade over time.

Also be aware that some types of tile are fragile, so walking on them can and will often break them thus making it more difficult to accomplish maintenance like painting or cleaning rain gutters and fireplaces. Initial installation can be complicated and tile can cost more than other roofing materials but it does have a nice look.

Slate Shingles

Slate Roofing Shingles like Davinci are actual shingle-like slivers of rock that commonly shows up on more upscale homes. Although slate is by far a more expensive choice, it offers a very natural look and can be laid out in a variety of patterns.

The benefits of slate are identical to those of tile with a very long lifespan, good fire protection, low maintenance and an invulnerability to rot and insects. It comes in a good selection of sizes and colors, although colors are limited to those found in nature.

Like tile, slate can be very heavy and sometimes requiring expensive extra support. It too is breakable enough that walking on it is difficult for a non-professional and complicating tasks such as rooftop maintenance, gutter cleaning and painting but again is a very lovely looking option.

Concrete Roofing Tiles

Concrete is now a roofing material that is commonly used. Concrete Tile Roofs Shingles, simulated wood shakes, lighter-weight tiles and concrete panels are being manufactured from a variety of fiber-reinforced cement products. Some are coated with plastics, enamels, or thin metals with some even containing recycled materials. Although the products themselves are not yet recyclable, they are a good choice for durability and resource efficiency.

Concrete roofing material shows an interlocking greystone colored roofing tile

The advantages of concrete roofing vary from product to product, but generally they all have a long lifespan, require low maintenance, offer good fire protection and are resistant to rot and insects. Concrete mixed with cellulose can mimic the appearance of wood shakes while improving on the durability and fire protection that real wood affords. It can approximate the look of clay tile or slate while mitigating the structural problems caused by the weight of the real material.

Concrete is more expensive than some roofing materials and early types of concrete roofing had problems with the material curling, breaking and changing color. Technology has improved, however; and these problems have mostly been overcome. Style and color choices are expanding and by mixing the cement with additives, manufacturers are producing lighter and lighter products.

Metal Roofs

Metal Roofing is increasing in popularity and back in style. In the late 1700s, zinc, copper, and lead were the most popular materials used for roofing and used for such famous historic buildings as the Washington Monument and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello both having metal roofs.

Metal Shingles with the look of Shake Roofing Shingles

Standing-Seam Steel Roofing is the most popular residential metal roofing on the market today (the term standing-seam describes the upturned edge of one metal panel that connects it to adjacent sections, creating distinctive vertical lines and a trendy historical look).

Stone-Coated Metal Roofing Shingles are pressure formed with an aluminum-zinc alloy coated steel with an acrylic bonded stone chip finish. The stone coating resists fading and UV penetration and is a beautiful roofing choice. We have used both Decra and Metro Stone Coated Metal Roofing.

Metal roofs can also be made to resemble wood shakes, clay tiles, shingles and Victorian metal tiles. Aluminum or coated steel is formed into individual shingles, tiles or into modular panels four feet long that mimic a row of shingles or tiles and look very nice.

Greg Kapitan (the siding man) Texas Home Exteriors

Metal roofs are durable, fire-retardant and almost maintenance-free. They are also energy-efficient reflecting heat and blocking its transfer into the attic. Research by the Florida Solar Energy Center in 1985 showed that metal adsorbed 34 percent less heat than asphalt shingles (believe it or not) and homeowners switching to metal roofing reported saving up to 20 percent on their energy bills. Be sure not to make common metal roofing mistakes by choosing a qualified roofing contractor.

Well that was a bit of a lengthy post, I know, but I hope you found it information as it is my intention to provide information homeowners and those interested in roofing and shingle trends and available roofing options across the U.S. If your home resides in the Texas coastal wind zone, see that page for more in depth roofing installation requirements. Stay tuned for a post on Cool Roofing Shingles and FREE Solar Ventilation!

“For A Home That’s Superior, Call Texas Home Exteriors!”
Call or Text for FREE Roofing Estimate with NO Pressure and Texas EZ Pay Financing at: 281.919.6999. You can also email me at: Greg@TexasHomeExteriors.com and we will be happy to provide you with an estimate and answer questions you might have.

Free Texas Roofing Shingle Estimate