Well, remember this... roofing contractors are much like foundation repair contractors. They may offer a "free" assessment and estimate, but the repairs are going to cost 1,000s of dollars!
Just like I've preached about the 90% of times that proposed foundation and structural repairs are not needed, I contend that 99% of the time, the shingle roofing does not need to be replaced due to hail damage.
Can you imagine all the millions of tons (who knows - billions maybe?) of shingle roofing, which has been torn off fairly new homes in North Alabama over the last three decades and sent to the local land-fill/dump? Shingles, which I contend were in perfect condition for their geographic location and placement on a differing-pitched-roof. Steep pitched roofs are notorious for having excessive foot-traffic damage ---damage caused by people trying to ascend or descend the roof on a glorious hot afternoon --- bluebird skies and 100% sunshine. Most of this damage occurred when the roof was first installed. Have you ever watched a shingle roof installation? Five or more workers walking or sliding up and down the roof during shingle installation. The solar collector (shingle roofing) doesn't like it when 150-250 pound roofing workers try to ascend or descend the roof---the steeper-the-harder and more dangerous. Man, does this cause "asphalt-shingle damage"! I've heard countless roofing contractors tell me this was hail damage! Countless!
If I've done one hail damage inspection in my life, I've done one hundred over the past three decades. On steep pitched roofs, I would always throw a rope over the ridge across the house to the far side---tie the rope to a tree or parked vehicle or whatever could provide safe anchorage, climb to the top of my ladder, hook the rope to my full-body, safety harness, and step off the ladder onto "risk your life steepness"! I'd then ask the roofing contractor to follow me and show me where the damage was. Guess how many followed? In combination with special high-grip boots (Cougar Paws) I shimmied across countless high-dollar roofs to search for hail damage. Even in storms reported to have two-inch diameter hail stones, I never found damage that would compromise the roof to such an extent that it could not shed water (do it's job) and hence cause leakage inside the home. Never. Never did I see this. Yet, I saw countless insurance companies fall prey to intimidating roofing contractors and pay to have the perfectly fine roofing torn off---sent to the landfill, and replaced with brand new shingles! Countless times!
Don't fall prey to the roofing contractor's assessment in these situations. Don't let their assessment cause your real estate deal to fall through. Call JADE and ask for a second opinion. We'll make sure that any hail damage is verified and repairs are justified. Contact us today!
