PETRUS Roofing and Solar

Rock Solid Roofing and Solar in the Greater Houston Area

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Free Inspections? What’s the Catch?

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Last week I inspected a customer’s home in a very damaged area of Houston from the storms. After I texted him, he replied, “And it’s free, right?”

Many first-time homeowners are fearful about “free”. I get it. Free usually has a catch, a conditional statement attached to it that obligates a person or costs them something. Or “free” means “terribly done”, as in, “you’re getting your money’s worth.”

Not in this case.

See, finding people who need roof replacements is hard. Roofers door knock, send out mailers, buy lists from insurance companies, run paid ads on Facebook and Instagram, etc. But the best way to find a customer is to offer a service that is so outstanding that they would be foolish to say “No.” Then to fix their roof so well that they recommend us to their friends and neighbors without hesitation.

A free roof inspection with Petrus means you will have around 50-100 photos and videos of your roof. Also, you will get photos of problematic areas with your gutters, downspouts, windows, screens, AC equipment, and patio furniture that may show signs of weather damage. We call these elevations or ground-level damage. Finally, in most cases we also enter your attic to look for areas of water intrusion, leaks, or other forms of damage.

Roof, attic, ground- all photographed for your education and for whatever claims you made need years in the future with your insurance company. It gives you peace of mind.

Why would we do this for free? Why would we spend an hour + walking the perimeter, climbing hot roofs in Houston in the Summer, and, worst of all, entering attic spaces, all for free?

In order to give you an offer you can’t refuse.

We want you to see how thorough we can be when no money is on the line so that you can trust us when potentially thousands of dollars are on the line for the actual roof replacement.

Three weeks ago I was at my daughter’s cheerleading practice (shout out to Tomball Christian Warriors). A mom came in telling an annoyed tale about her roof inspection. Before the guy hit the curb he was telling her, “Oh yeah. You got a lot of damage. I can see it from here. We’ll get your insurance to buy it, no problem.”

He hadn’t performed an inspection and was already claiming he’d get it replaced. The roof was only a few years old. She felt from the get-go that he was selling her something she didn’t need. After his inspection, which did not involve the attic and nor ground-level, he told her, “Yup. This is damage beyond saving. Just tell me your insurance company and we will get you going on that new roof!”

The guy lied up and down. She didn’t trust him. He offered no evidence of damage. Just push, push, push, sell, sell, sell. This is an offer you absolutely should refuse!

At Petrus Roofing and Solar, we believe in our product so much that we do the hard work of quality inspections for free so that you can trust us when it comes time to do the actual build. We supply ample evidence if your roof is damaged beyond repair or not, or if your roof is solid and in good condition.

We do not build roofs if it does not need it. We do not push customers into insurance claims if it does not need it. We do not do a spot repair if it is not needed. Anything else would be unethical. And we are Ethical Roofers above all.

Insurance Bought My Roof. Should I Get 3 Estimates?

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What happens when your insurance provider confirms that you have enough storm damage to merit a full roof replacement? First and foremost, you should rightfully celebrate, realizing that you have to pay a very minimal cost to replace something that is not cheap (i.e., your roof). Once the approval has occurred, you get to meet with your roofing contractor to finalize the shingle colors, assess the full scope of the work and all the necessary warranties, and finally prepare for build day. It is a relatively wonderful and simple process.

But sometimes…

There are those moments when a homeowner has their roof bought through their insurance provider, and then moves in a slightly different direction. Sometimes we as homeowners will turn to our contractor and say the well-known phrase:

“Can you give me a quote?”

Such a question can feel like a dagger to the heart for a roofing contractor. However, this is actually a great teaching moment and opportunity. Contractors need to be radically customer-centric, and by doing so, it allows them to better understand why homeowners would request a quote. So let’s unpack this a bit.

We begin with a simple example. Let’s say that your insurance provider agrees to offer you a full roof replacement. The replacement cost value (RCV on insurance paperwork) of your roof is $30,000, and your deductible is $7,000. So your insurance provider will send you a payment of $23,000. However, they will not send this all at once. Your insurance provider will split the payments into two separate distributions.

The first payment you will receive is connected with the actual cash value (this is the ACV line on your insurance paper work) of your roof. This first payment is your ACV minus your deductible. It would be found under Net Claim. This first payment, along with your deductible, is what you would pay to your roofing contractor when you go through the contract. The insurance company needs to see that these payments have actually been paid.

After your new roof has been built, and a certificate of completion submitted by the contractor, the insurance company will then send you the final payment. This is called the recoverable depreciation (an additional line item in your insurance scope of work). Once the insurance company receives confirmation of your roof replacement, they will send this final payment that will go to your contractor.

This is a quick snapshot of the insurance process. So let us now return to our main question: Why would you request a quote from your roofing contractor after insurance has agreed to buy your roof?

A variety of answers can be given, but we will just focus on a few.

One reason you might be asking the contractor for a quote is simply because you do not yet realize that your insurance provider has already set the price. In a real way, there is no quote to give because insurance has already provided it. In the example above, it is the $30,000 replacement cost value. That is the price! Your chosen contractor must abide by this price and build the roof according to the scope of work laid out by insurance.

An additional reason why you might request a quote is because that is how the insurance companies used to operate. After insurance agreed to replace your roof, you would be told to “get 3 estimates.” And while there might be sufficient reasons to do so, which one would seem to be the most likely reason? If you answered the one that is the cheapest, then you would be correct.

But you should ponder whether cheapest is always and everywhere synonymous with what is most valuable. When getting a new roof, you want to experience maximum enjoyment with minimum maintenance, ensuring you will be happiest in the long-run.

Perhaps the most significant reason you might be interested in a quote from your contractor in this scenario is due to a lack of trust. Your roof is the fundamental system protecting your home, and thus should not be a decision you take lightly. And thankfully, with the information readily available online, the leverage is really in your hands.

You should look at your contractor’s website and search for Google Reviews of the company. Find if they list prices for their services, and whether they are addressing your deepest fears and concerns. Thoroughly read through what others have said about working with them, both on Google and on Facebook.

We all want to work with a company that is communicating effectively, setting clear expectations, and meeting those expectations. Remember, you cannot trade in your roof if you are unhappy and dissatisfied.

Ugly may mean “Unhealthy”

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Outside of Christmas mantles, chimneys don’t get a lot of love in Houston. Some time (after today’s eclipse) head outside and take a look at your chimney and the pipe jacks sticking out of your roof. Are they old and ugly looking? That may mean dirt, which is no big deal, or it may mean rust, which is a very big deal!

Chimneys have metal pieces that need to resist heat, smoke, wind, and rain. This can wear and tear on the materials, causing them to degrade over time. Rusty chimneys can let in water, which leaks most often into attics or inside drywall. These are spaces that are not designed to handle water and are easily destroyed by the presence of persistent water.

Most systems outside the home are designed to either resist water or to manage it. Chimneys are a combination of both resisting and managing. The enemy is water remaining in place.

If you have brick outside, you’ll see weeping holes near the bottom. This allows water that gets behind the brick to easily make its way out and not cause any damage. A friend of mine didn’t realize this and put caulk in all of those holes. He thought he was preventing bugs from getting into his house, but in reality water couldn’t get out. Thankfully, the weeping holes he plugged were on the other side of the garage. Soon he noticed wet spots that never seemed to dry appearing on his garage drywall. Then, while poking at it, his finger when straight through the dry, revealing “organic growth” everywhere inside his walls.

Your shingles manage water. Behind them are layers of underlayment that pushes water away from the plywood decking. There is drip edge and ice and water shields that keep the water moving off the roof and onto the ground or into the gutters. The angles, the slopes, the materials are all meant to manage the water away from the house and keep it moving.

Now think about your chimney. The chimney is a giant hole and tube that runs from the roof outside all the way down through your attic, inside your walls, to the family room with the fireplace. Getting your chimney cleaned is key to a healthy home. We had our chimney inspected, cleaned, sealed, and painted the month we moved in because my wife loves the romance of a fireplace in the winter. I guess she forgot Winter in Houston is only 2 weeks in February.

But what about the parts of the chimney you don’t see up on the roof?

Most chimneys have a flue made of brick. At the roof level, there is metal flashing that goes under the shingles and up a few inches of the brickwork to keep flowing water out. At the top of the chimney is the painted metal “crown cap”, there is the “cap” that keeps rain out, and there is the “spark arrestor” metal mesh that prevents embers from flying out with the hot air currents.

Flashing, crown cap, cap, and spark arrestor, you need to make sure they are all in working order and are rust-free.

The simple solution: Have one of our roofers climb up and make a visual inspection. If significant damage is found on certain parts, they will have to be replaced, but that is rare. Most of the time, the items are merely worn and have a few elements of rust on them. Our roofer repair technicians will then clean the area, lay down any sealant that needs to be done, and then paint your crown and cap with a color-matched Rust-Oleum product that will create a protective enamel on your metal pieces, stopping rust from becoming a bigger problem.

Chimney companies inspect and seal chimneys from the inside up. Roofers do it from the outside on top of the house, occasionally going into the attic to look for evidence of water damage. Either way, the ugly chimney may not just be normal soot from use, but rust.

Call us to make sure your chimney, and the other pipe jacks and flues, are in full working condition!

Wishing for Unicorns

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Now that I’ve spent the last three months diving into the world of contractors, roofers and otherwise, I’ve realized the old saying is painfully true: “Fast, Cheap, Good- pick two.”

Cheap can be fast, but isn’t good. This is because you have to cut corners somewhere. The dangerous thing is if you cut out what is required by code. For instance, Brian recently saw an investor purchase a long-abandoned house on his street get the roof replaced. They didn’t use ice and water barrier, which means future leaks will happen at the next big storm event. The other side of cheap is after the roof is built. If there is a problem, they will not be around to rectify the situation. Cheap labor usually isn’t competent, but it definitely isn’t long-lasting if you’re trying to build a business that matters to the community.

Fast can be good, but it usually isn’t cheap. If I’m a roofer that moves fast, that means I have a lot of people working the job. Sometimes, like in The Woodlands, there are beautifully complicated roofs that require two or three full work crews to get it done quickly. Cheap contractors usually work slowly because they don’t price their work high enough to afford more teams of skilled workers. If fast work is cheap, it is usually because they are skipping steps to get it done. Not laying out tarps or Catch-All nets means nails will be in your yard, waiting for your pet’s paws or kid’s foot. Using the wrong nails or nail heads can mean little leaks into your attic from day one.

Good can be fast, but it ain’t cheap. Good work requires skilled workers. Rare is the handyman who can scale a roof for the first time and know that, when working in valleys, you need to dog-ear the shingles along the angled edge so water can flow smoothly off the roof. Rare is the salesperson who knows what to look for in an attic under the roof on his or her first day. Cheap usually means “unskilled” or “new”. Good work usually means experienced workers. They cost more because they have earned it through demonstrated workmanship.

Everyone thinks they can find that one contractor who will be good, cheap, and fast. Maybe these unicorns exist, but such wishful thinking will only get you taken advantage of by unscrupulous folks. They overpromise and underdeliver because they know every homeowner is looking for that unicorn. But you’re the one stuck with cheap work, cheap materials, cut corners, and no follow-up.

There is a Texas-based roofing company whose ads on Facebook I see almost every day declaring that roofing companies are ripping people off with high prices, and they are good people because they charge around half the norm. My guess is this company will not be around in 5 years. So what’s the worth of a 5-year warranty from a company that fails in 2 years?

Nothing.

Our prices are based on materials, labor (including liability and worker’s comp. insurance), sales, and overhead. We pay our people right and on time. We pay for trucks, gas, Catch-All netting systems for your house, plants, pets, and swimming pool, etc. And we run lean as an organization. Our office furniture was brought from our homes. There are no cushy luxuries bought with company cash.

This is because we want to build something worth lasting.

Build Day Expectations!

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Delivery – materials are scheduled to be delivered on the afternoon or evening before. Our representative will be there to take delivery and place them on your property. We will also start to set up our “Catch-All” netting to make sure as much debris as possible is contained and your home is protected. 

Start date & timeframe – Weather permitting, most full roof replacements take one day, with ancillary work, final touches, and your walk through on the following day. If the schedule changes, your sales pro will be the first to let you know. Please be flexible with the schedule, as it is nearly impossible to schedule construction to the day and hour. It is very possible the project before yours could run a day over, or the chance for precipitation may be higher than we’d like on your planned start day. If that happens, we’ll call you and let you know what Plan B will look like. Apologies in advance for any inconvenience with potential schedule changes.

Early starts – the crews can start as early as 7 a.m. – sorry for any annoyance, but Texas roofs are around 30-40 degrees hotter than surrounding areas. The earlier, the better for the health and safety of our work crews.

Potential delays – We try our absolute best to give our homeowners a realistic start date, but please bear in mind that there are countless extenuating circumstances that can affect the schedule. Inclement weather, surprises on the job before yours, material delay, crew leaders may get sick or have an emergency, etc. We will do our best to keep you up to date with any schedule changes along the way – thank you in advance for your patience and understanding!

Satellite – During the construction of the roof, we’re going to have to detach and reset your satellite if you have one. The roofers will do their best to put it back exactly how you had it, but sometimes the signal doesn’t come back and the cable company has to come out and fix it, which usually costs about $50. If that does happen, go ahead and call your provider and we’ll reimburse you for the service call.

Move cars – Be sure to park on the street the night before so you don’t get trapped in the garage during construction.

Noise – demolition and construction can be noisy – sorry for any inconvenience! 

Nails – as you can imagine, the construction of a roof involves a LOT of nails. Just as many come off the roof as go on it, and while our crew members do their best to go through the yard with a magnet afterward to pick up as many as they can, it is impossible to get every single one. Please be careful after the project is complete and keep your eye out for any strays. In some instances if the crew finishes late and it is getting dark, there may be more nails than usual left behind. If you are finding an unacceptable amount of debris in the yard, please call your sales rep and let him know; he’s more than happy to swing over and clean up for you.

Exploitation by Bad Contractors

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The three groups of people whose vulnerabilities shoddy contractors exploit are day laborers, salespeople, and homeowners. These unethical and immoral practices have stained the industry to no end, ruining the reputation of the whole industry. Ethical contractors must work together to overcome the horrible stereotype and build a business worthy of your hard-earned dollars. 

VULNERABLE WORKERS 

We all know that there are a lot of migrant workers in the roofing industry, some with dubious legal status to be in the country. The working poor, even as “aliens and sojourners” in our country, cannot be deprived of their just wages. The Bible lists this as one of four sins that cry out to God for vengeance. Yet, shady contractors will often take advantage of migrant workers and instead of paying them at the end of the day, will ditch them at the worksite and pocket the hard-earned money. After all, most day laborers are not going to go to the police. 

Another issue with subcontractors and the business owners is the phrase you’ve perhaps seen or heard on contractor ads: “Insured and Bonded.” This means that we, Petrus Roofing and Solar, carry liability insurance and worker’s compensation for our subcontractors. If an accident should happen, God forbid, they will be covered and cared for. The type of contractor who would refuse to pay a person for their labor is probably not going to pay for extra insurance for the same workers. 

VULNERABLE SALESPEOPLE

Another vulnerability the unscrupulous contractor takes advantage of is his own salespeople. Often, the best salesperson will actually out earn the owner of the business, which is OK because a strong salesperson means the whole company benefits. But what many bad actors in this industry do is once the roofs start going up, they fire the number one salesman and refuse to pay their commissions. Again, the pocket the money for themselves. 

VULNERABLE HOMEOWNERS

The vulnerabilities of homeowner ignorance are often exploited. You don’t know what a whole roofing system looks like, so they leave out the water and ice barrier or the drip edge, causing water penetration during the next big storm. You don’t know what’s happening on top of the roof, so inadvertent damage is covered up, but not fixed, making your home no longer worry free. They pull you into insurance fraud by suggesting you don’t need to pay your insurance deductible. You think they are keeping more money in your pocket, but they are cutting corners, committing fraud, and drawing you into it. We are also “bonded”, which means that if for some reason our company folds, the bond ensures your project will still get finished.

ETHICAL CONTRACTORS

None of us know everything about everything, so our ignorance makes us vulnerable to exploitation and scams. This is why in the contractor field it is important to go with a company that values education. In our ethical outlook, more knowledge means more agency. You are an informed consumer and now, armed with knowledge, you have significantly more leverage in hiring a contractor. You have expectations that are clearly communicated and must be met.

Those who work on your roof are skilled, compensated, and protected by insurance. Those who sell to you are valued, trusted, and respected members of our company. And we will never cause you to commit insurance fraud, submit a false claim, leave off required materials for a complete roof, or push you into a project or solution you don’t need.

We educate and never manipulate because we plan on seeing you again in the future. A satisfied customer is a returning and a referring customer! Every roof, every time.