How Do You Estimate A Roof?

Hammatime

I am only asking this because the last four roofs that I did an estimate for, the HO's asked why I had to go on the roof to look at it.
I have always gone on the roof to measure and check for any problem areas. I also take pictures of problem areas and show the HO.

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TonyD

I think you answered you own question. and yes I go on the roof also to measure and inspect.

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reveivl

If I can walk it, I do. For the same reasons.

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Cole

Wow, they really do ask you that?

I always go on the roof to measure, never from the ground.

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Grumpy

Theoretically most roofs I estimate I could do from the ground, however I make it a habit to go on the roof to impress the customer. Now when they ask why I am climbing on the roof, ai ask very bluntly "How else can anyone take an accurate measurement and assess the overall condition?" The sales begins from the moment the customer contacts us, I am setting myself apart from the competitors by measuring from the roof top.

I was laughing one time because I saw a guy measuring like a mo mo, measuring from wall to window edge, from window edge to other window edge, to interior corner. LOL All the while I was on the roof, measured in 5 minutes but stayed put and really did a thurough inspection on my hands and knees to really really impress the customer. After the first guy finished measuring, I got off the roof, grabbed my presnetation book and while I was explained the abc's of roofing to the customer, the competitor knocked on the door handed the guy an estimate and said "It's all there." then walked away. I landed that job and was about $700 higher than the other guy.

Honestly though there's not much reason to go on the roof anymore, other than to impress the customer.

AaronB.

WTF? Just hit them with the unseen extras when the roof is off and they "have" to do it?

Say it isnt so....

I inspect every roof I do from the rooftop. Otherwise you cannot accuraely describe what needs to be done.

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Cole

Exactly, to me you would have to be a fool not to get up on it and fully inspect/measure the roof.

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Shingle Monkey

I do them from the ground, a ladder doesnt look good on the 89 camaro

Cole

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Grumpy

Flat roofs, yes absolutely you have to get on every single one. Sloped roofs? C'mon. There's no need to be on them (sloped roofs). You can see everything you need to see from the ground in most cases.

I should have rephrased my original statesment to indicate what I was talking about. Flat roofs are excluded from my original statement when I said there is no reason to be on the roof. I still think there is no reason to get on a sloped roof when estimating, other than to impress the customer.

River Rat Dad

I always walk them when they're walkable. I like to feel for bad wood around the usual places. Since I also install what I sell, it gives me a chance to get a vision, a game plan, and add on dollars for details that might be slow.

747

The purpose of walking on it is to see if any plywood is soft there by needing to be replaced.

Grumpy

LOL Really you are only going to find anything that is major. At 220 LBS, every sheet of 1/2" plywood feels like a trampoline underfoot.

AaronB.

I also like to get an idea of the conditions of flashings, skylights, etc. Many more reasons to inspect than not to.

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joasis

I have found many problems by walking the roof, and frankly, I would not give an estimate without being on the roof...I saw a roof recently that looked pretty decent...just curling shingles..older home...nice drip edges....well..the home was being sold, the contract speced a new roof, the new HO's wanted a metal roof and paid for the upgrade..so we are up there looking it over, and notice the shingles aren't really laying flat...well..turns out there is a layer of shakes, hidden well by the drip edge, and laying pretty flat...had we done this from the ground, we would have missed it and the tearoff and nail pulling involved before metal goes down. Yep, get on the roof..and if I can't get on it, I have guys who can, and if they can't monkey up there, we won't do the job anyway.

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Shingle Monkey

By walking on a shingled roof you can tell if it has one or two layers, and what kind of decking.

snapper21

I too will walk it to estimate it. When I asked an estimator why he didn't get up on the roof to measure he told me that if he were to step through the roof it would be more problem than it's worth. Don't know if that's the reason of all of the binocular estimators, but I guess I saw his point.

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Grumpy

Why? Replace them all. That's going to be my answer from the roof or the ground. However skylights should be measured from the roof IMO.

Grumpy

I made the mistake once of not finding the cedar on the roof. This was in my first year of estimating, but to be honest at that time I was climbing on every roof I could The houses were 3' apart from one another and the roof was a 12/12 so I wasn't getting on it.

However since then I have been able to spot a layer of cedar even if it's got 2 layers of shingles ontop and especially if it's got a layer or 3 of 90# on top of that.

Most of the time you can accurately count the layers from the gable/rake, when there is one.

AaronB.

I think the 3 90# roofs on top of 2 ashalt shingle roofs on top of a 100 year old cedar must be unique to the city.

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Free roof inspections within 12 miles of our locale.