Caribou Gear Tarp

Hack roofing contractor, what to do?

schmalts

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Joined
Aug 22, 2002
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9,368
Location
WI
I am fed up. This roofer i have hired is a hack and he is 2/3 done and i want to fire him but have a contract. This is the second time i caught him not putting down Ice and water sheild and the second time I caught him going over the old tar paper. It seems that this guy remembers nothing i say! I am not around during the day and I caught him going over the old valley flashing with new stuff. Then he was cutting the shit out of the valley with the trim knives because he didnt have hook blades. Literally creasing the steel and cutting throught he paint.
I have a contract for a tear off, Ice and water, and the usual. This is the letter i typed for him last thursday, and he was all apologetic and now its like he didnt remember any of it! Today i get home and look and there is Ice and water shield for the first 6 feet and then nothing but tar paper for the next 20 feet! I call hom and ask WFT? he said "Oh yea we ran out and i didnt notice my guys got ahead of me. I will get it under there tommorrow" I say WTF? you cant get ice and water shield up 3 feet under a completely laid section of roof! this guy is screwing me. So what would you guys do? What legal obligation do i have? I want either tell him to tear it oll off and do it over, or stiff him the complete add on for the ice and water shield.


Corey, here is a list of things that concern me on the roof job. Please do not take this the wrong way but if this was your house I do not think a lot of these things would be happening.
1; Tuesday I was concerned that the gutter aprons were not removed to get the weather barrier under it. You said that the old barrier was still good. I really don’t care, its 8 years old and I want it to last 40. You said you would put new barrier over the old stuff on that north garage side and have a double barrier, and I said that is fine, but it is not there. I told you that I wanted all the old valley removed from that day on, but today your guys tar papered up to the old valley again. Please remove that valley and do a complete tear off from this point on as out contract states. Please make sure that the overlap on the valleys are 8 inches as per manufacture spec, and a sealer used at the lap seam.
2 ; The small areas north of the porch was tar papered without any weather barrier. That area by the porch is a bad ice dam place every year. Please make sure the tar paper is pulled up and weather barrier is laid down.
3; The valley flashing is really looking poorly done. Stand on the ground (as it will be looked at for the next 40 years) and look up the valley on the south side of the garage. That is really sad looking. Please use a chalk line to get the cuts looking good. I am concerned that some shingles will need to be replaced as the manufacturers spec is that the shingle to valley bottom gap should not be more than 2 inches for water back up reasons.
You guys are not using hooked blades when cutting the shingles in the valleys. Take a look at the valley laid out above the porch, and you can see that the blade is cutting into the metal and literally creasing the metal. A 40 year roof is useless if the valleys rust out in a few years because the paint and galvanizing was cut and exposed the raw steel. I would suggest replacing that section and please be careful cutting it in the future. I use a hook blade for this to protect the underlying valley. I also placed a chalk line out for you guys to use when cutting the valley shingles. A few extra minutes makes a world of a difference in the appearance of the finished product.
I also placed my roof tear off tool out there if you guys want to use it. I used to use flat shovels as well but both work. The shingles on the north side of the house near the porch are showing signs of damage from being walked on, be careful with this. That was my concern I had the other day when I asked why you wouldn’t start the roof on the opposite end of the dumpster to not have any reason to walk over the new roof.
Please take extra time to make sure shingle seams do not line up less than every third row. There is a lot of areas that every other row has a lined up seam. These light shingles really show this more than dark ones, like the guys are putting on next door.
I hope this does not seem like I am whining but this is my home, and I want it done professionally.
 
no, someone I trust recommended him. All 4 bids were within a 400$ range.
 
schmalts.. Contact the building inspector for the area and have him inspect it and bring all this to his attention. Might light a fire under his ass and get his attention. Doesn't sound like whining to me at all. Just a concerned homeowner wanting a good job done on his investment. Stay on him and good luck.
 
If the specifics of the job are listed in your contract with him then he's in breach...kick his lazy ass off your roof and hire someone else to finish. If not then you screwed up drafting the contract.
 
How specifif need it be? Contract states
"removal of existing roof" "ice and water around perimeter" "5yr warrebty on craftmenship"
 
Kick him off. apperently he don't know his job, find a relacement draft a good contract then take cival action, call better busines and the state licencing board and have his licence reviewed and revoked if nessisary. in most states he should have a contractors licence if he don't then you screwed up. NOTE to every one use a licenced contractor for your protection. Good Luck!
 
Tell him, he has to fix the discrepancies immediatley befroe any further work can go on. If not, he is fired and you will sue him to recoup the cost of bringing the roof up to your specs. If you don't do it know, you will play hell getting it fixed or your money.
 
Did you pay him yet? I hope not the full amount, withhold half until its done, unless you specified something diffrent in the contract.

The problem with building contractors today is there is so much work and money to be made, its easier to cut corners, do a half azzed job and move on. No skin off his back.

Good luck, I hope it all works out for you!
 
Your letter is specific enough but your best leverage is withholding progress payment. I don't know how much teeth your local inspection/licensing agencies have but that would be a good discussion point with your contractor. Is your contractor actually working on the job or has he subbed it out to a crew?
 
This is an independant guy. I needed a tear off and new roof from the hail damage i had this spring. No contractor because it isnt a new construction.
 
Chewed his ass today big time. He somehow put the ice and water up, by remiving the lower portion of the roof. I dont know how this is possible but he said it is. I told him that he will not get payment if i find anything not as contract and i will walk around with him before payment. I went up there today and piinted out 4 shingles that needed to be replaced. 2 from nails poked through, 2 from being skidded on with shoes.
 
I have been a builder all my life, we run hundreds of subcontracotors through our books every year. It's really pretty simple .... If you've got his money, you have leverage. If you've already paid all or most, you're probably screwed.

Forget all the building officials, lawyers and all that crap, and deal with the man yourself. If he doesn't get things done to your satisfaction, don't pay until he does, or have someone else finish it up and deduct their charges off of his bill.

Yes, there is a chance he could take legal recourse, file a lien on your property, etc., but not likely. If the dude is a screwy as you say he is, he aint got the brains to go to any of that trouble. If he pulls any of those stunts, that's when you get the lawyers involved. Meanwhile, document everything you discuss and agree on.

You sure he wasn't the low bidder?
Is he even a reputable contractor?
Does he even have any insurance?
Did the price sound too good to be true?
 
Yeah I was gonna mention taking pictures for proof just in case the roofer took legal action, but Trent did. Your letter to him sounded very specific and he still ignored you. Don't pay him if your not happy and he violated the contract, but make sure you take pictures. If all else fails you could always use the "SSS" method which is very effective. Good luck.
 
You mean, a theres a roofer that cant be trusted.

Seems like you need to check and make sure nail placement is to mauf specs, that is the number one early killer of a roof.

you can take the lower 3' off and install Ice and water shield, takes a flat bar and alittle time.

I would like to help you more(Im a licensed roofing contractor for the last 12 years) but Im on my way to Aruba and Im leaving the cell phone and laptop at home.

Did you get a copy of his general Liability? If so you can go back on that if the job isnt to code or to the mauf specs.

From your post he seems like an unlicensed jackleg. The last thing you would do for me is to type my contracts.

Also as posted earlier, money is your leverage, lose that and your done.

good luck
Jason
 
How specifif need it be?

"5yr warrebty on craftmenship"

Maybe he doesn't understand Moosineese ?

I hope this does not seem like I am whining

BOOHOO, I can't get drawn in other satates.. BOOHOO, Don Pey is hurting my huning, BOOHOO I can't get a Good contractor, BOOHOO, ;)

Fire his ASS, PAy him nothing, Take pictures and let HIM take YOU to court. Fugg um Scmalts. I'll come dig a Hole to Burry his Arsh in. Lemme know !!!
 
Wow moosie, that was harsh. You arent becoming buddies with "Pay to play" Don are you?
 
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