Porch.com Shares Tips for Homeowners Replacing or Repairing Their Roof

SEATTLE, March 4, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Porch.com (http://porch.com), the home network for homeowners and home professionals, today shared tips for homeowners thinking about replacing or repairing their roof.

"The roof of your home is the first layer of protection against the elements. It also serves an important function in your home's insulation system," explains Anne Reagan, Editor-In-Chief of Porch. "So although a roof replacement is expensive, it is a necessary part of a home's structure."

Repairing versus replacing a roof:

Whether or not you should repair a damaged area versus replacing the whole roof should be a decision made with the help of a roofing specialist. An expert roofer can assess by visual inspection and by walking around the surface of the roof to see if it is in need of a full replacement. Some roofing manufacturers may not grant a warranty to a roof that is partially replaced, so be sure to ask the pros and cons of a full or partial replacement.

How much does a new roof cost?

Replacing your entire roof is not an insignificant cost and it should be the homeowner's responsibility to speak with a reputable roofing expert to gain a full understanding of all the options, including financing options. The final cost will be the addition of the square footage of materials needed (including shingles, water barriers, venting systems, etc.), any materials that may need to be replaced (damaged plywood or trusses), labor costs, taxes, and other on-site variables such as lifting the materials by hand up to the roof or being able to raise a boom next to your house to mechanically raise the materials on to the roof. Other cost factors may be the cost of replacing gutters, flashing, vents or repairing chimney damage.

Here is a list of roofing specialists in the top 25 metro markets:

1. New York Newark Jersey City, NY NJ PA Roofing
2. Los Angeles Long Beach Anaheim, CA Roofing
3. Chicago Naperville Elgin, IL IN WI Roofing
4. Dallas Fort Worth Arlington, TX Roofing
5. Houston The Woodlands Sugar Land, TX Roofing
6. Philadelphia Camden Wilmington, PA NJ DE MD Roofing
7. Washington Arlington Alexandria, DC VA MD WV Roofing
8. Miami Fort Lauderdale West Palm Beach, FL Roofing
9. Atlanta Sandy Springs Roswell, GA Roofing
10. Boston Cambridge Newton, MA NH Roofing
11. San Francisco–Oakland–Hayward, CA Roofing
12. Phoenix Mesa Scottsdale, AZ Roofing
13. Seattle Tacoma Bellevue, WA Roofing
14. Minneapolis St. Paul Bloomington, MN Roofing
15. San Diego Carlsbad, CA Roofing
16. Tampa St. Petersburg Clearwater, FL Roofing
17. St. Louis, MO IL Roofing
18. Baltimore Columbia Towson, MD Roofing
19. Denver Aurora Lakewood, CO Roofing
20. Pittsburgh, PA Roofing
21. Charlotte Concord Gastonia, NC SC Roofing
22. Portland Vancouver Hillsboro, OR WA Roofing
23. San Antonio New Braunfels, TX Roofing
24. Orlando Kissimmee Sanford, FL Roofing
25. Sacramento–Roseville–Arden Arcade, CA Roofing

Your first meeting with a roofing specialist:

During your initial meeting with a professional roofer, expect to have them visually inspect the roof, measure the roof, expertly discuss particular issues (like insufficient gutters or flashing), and give you an overall expectation of costs and time.  Some roofers may not "walk the roof" if they feel that by doing so, they may cause further damage. Some roofers represent a roofing manufacturing company and will only use their products. If this is the case, ask them specific questions about lifetime expectations, costs and performance testing of the materials. If your professional roofer is open to using various brands, question them about their experience of using one product over another. Your initial meeting may last over an hour as there will be many items to discuss. Be sure to request the following piece of information during your first meeting:

• Professional license, registration and bonding
• Insurance (and the dollar amount of insurance)
• References from previous clients
• Warranties or guarantees on their both their labor and materials
• Other business credentials such as a BBB rating or professional membership with a local, state or national roofing associations
• Level of experience, number of years they have been a professional roofer
• Any specific training they've received on the materials they plan on installing.
• Have them walk you through the scope of the proposed project including the general timeline, what tasks will be performed, the duration of the project, the clean-up process, and what you (the homeowner) will need to do to prepare in advance
• What happens when there is unforeseen issues (heavy rain during installation, more damage than they first thought, etc.)
• Customer service guarantees or follow up procedures 

About Porch

Porch is the home network, free for homeowners and home professionals. With over 3.2 million professionals and over 130 million projects, Porch enables homeowners to make smart home improvement decisions by giving them the information they need to find the right professionals, get inspiration, and manage their home. The Porch App, a first of its kind app available for iOS gives homeowners direct access to a personal Porch Concierge to help find the best professionals for your home. For more information about Porch, visit http://porch.com and to download the Porch App at http://porch.com/app