I wanna know why is that ,, electricians, HVAC, PLumbers, carpet people?? hello!!! etc are allowed to have a set estimate price, usually around 100-150$ but US roofers that keep every damn thing in a home dry (and all the other trades) have come to having free estimates? I wanna know who started the crap and why?,, not the because if we don't then no one will call us BS, if it were not for us none of the above would have a leg to stand on. Someone please clue me in cause I can spend 80$ a day sometimes in gas doing sales and never make a dime. who was it that started that mess??? gets me fired up just thinking about it sometimes, I guess us roofers are not worth it?
_________________
www.onlinehousedoctor.com
www.Enhancedrr.com

Because any Tom, nose and Jose' can hop in a station wagon with a hammer and all of a sudden call himself a roofer.

I tried the Scope and Cost Analysis Consultation approach last year and people were not buying it.

Maybe with more of a differentiation between a "Regular" Roofing contractor and an "Elite" (Not GAF's Version) status that really would mean something, there would be a turn around with the public perception.

Besides the Steep Slope Manual and the OSHA Safety courses, NRCA does "Squat" for the typical small to mid-sized residential roofing contractor.

I have some plans in the oven right now, getting discussed with some very relevant people, that might wind up developing the Beast that our trade and many other so-called low life contractors of small , medium and large contractors could benefit from.

Ed
_________________
Stay Tuned For Our Soon To Be Released Informative And Helpfull Website

Ed is right. Unfortunately there are just way too many people cutting throats in our business. Only way I could see to stop it is for all municipalitys to institute the need for permits and inspections on every single roof job. At this time there is nothing to seperate the legit from the fly-by-night except price. You usually get what you pay for but by the time they find out we miss out on the big money and end up tarring their leaks for the next ten years.
_________________
"Roofing is the birth place of the world's greatest underachivers! Heh."

There talking about this on contractortalk.com right now on a thread. there is no such thing as free.
_________________
WWW.jbennetteroofing.com

What thread topic are you referring to?

As far as the National Roof Group Forums, yes, the past ones he has done have been for free. The hosting package costs $ 40.00 per YEAR.

That is not Free, but darn close to it.

I do want to know which topic thread you are referring to though.

If it is the one that I started about an organization with its basic premise as being a cross-referral network, that will not wind up being free, but it will wind up being about 1/10th to 1/30th the cost of doing the marketing campaigns by yourself.

Ed
_________________
Stay Tuned For Our Soon To Be Released Informative And Helpfull Website

As far as i'm concerned, no more free here. Damn price shoppers, tire kickers and "i want to know my option" / "i want to know what the price is" degenerates killed my patience. I went to look at a 40 sq roof in Providence the other day, for these three "artist" type chicks. After 30 min they tell me another roofer will be there any minute and i need to get out... are you freaking kidding me?

Man, i hope they get a crappy expensive roof form some illegal guy that will leak like a sieve and the illegals will be no-where to be found uha-aha-aha

NO MORE FREE. I'd rather go to the beach and get my sun tan there
_________________
Roofing is a lifestyle; If you don't enjoy it, do something else!
www.CoolFlatRoof.com

Jim, Sorry, I got confused what the original topic was about.

Duh.....Free Estimates.

I thought you were making reference to the Free Websites or something else I posted about on CT.

Ed
_________________
Stay Tuned For Our Soon To Be Released Informative And Helpfull Website

Why? Because we get...

I got a kick out of home owner who I was giving a free estimate to yesterday.

He works as a therapist at a prison and said there are a lot of roofers in there. Of his 16 regular people who he gives therapy to 3 are roofers.

He's done some roofing over the years and his father was a HUD inspector. From time to time he will quiz the roofers and most only know hammer and meth. Sort of sad really. No wonder why us roofers get a bad rap.

I spend about $75 per day with one truck in fuel. This year I am going to write off a sick amount for fuel.

I just handed down my '08 dodge 2500 crew diesel to one of my crews and got a ford escape to do estimates. I turned it into a billboard. I went from $120-$160 a day in fuel on estimates to $50 every 3 days. The 24' aluminum ladder actually doesnt look bad on top of it.

Maybe i can try to post some pics this week. There is actually way more room inside for my samples and lit.

marshall exteriors wrote:

I just handed down my '08 dodge 2500 crew diesel to one of my crews and got a ford escape to do estimates. I turned it into a billboard. I went from $120-$160 a day in fuel on estimates to $50 every 3 days. The 24' aluminum ladder actually doesnt look bad on top of it. Maybe i can try to post some pics this week. There is actually way more room inside for my samples and lit.

How did you mount a ladder rack to an Escape?
How much weight will it carry?
Sounds cool.
_________________
I don't need no freakin' signature, I Am Roofer.

-Axiom- wrote:

marshall exteriors wrote: I just handed down my '08 dodge 2500 crew diesel to one of my crews and got a ford escape to do estimates. I turned it into a billboard. I went from $120-$160 a day in fuel on estimates to $50 every 3 days. The 24' aluminum ladder actually doesnt look bad on top of it. Maybe i can try to post some pics this week. There is actually way more room inside for my samples and lit. How did you mount a ladder rack to an Escape? How much weight will it carry? Sounds cool.

I just strap it to the factory luggage rack with a couple tie downs. I'm sure it wont hold any more than the weight of the aluminum ladder.

I hear you on gas prices,it makes me sick also. But I know someone that just came back from London and gas over there is over $8.00 a gallon.
_________________
If it's not re-MARK-able I didn't do it.

LAMetalRoofs wrote:

As far as i'm concerned, no more free here. Damn price shoppers, tire kickers and "i want to know my option" / "i want to know what the price is" degenerates killed my patience. I went to look at a 40 sq roof in Providence the other day, for these three "artist" type chicks. After 30 min they tell me another roofer will be there any minute and i need to get out... are you freaking kidding me? Man, i hope they get a crappy expensive roof form some illegal guy that will leak like a sieve and the illegals will be no-where to be found uha-aha-aha NO MORE FREE. I'd rather go to the beach and get my sun tan there

Curious-- when you buy your materials, do you always buy at one place or do you look around for the same thing elsewhere for less money? Seems like any business would do that, to improve his profit margin. Of course, relationships with vendors play into it too....

Or, when you go top buy a new truck or car, do you just go into the first dealer you pass and buy it, at sticker price, with no haggling or shopping around?

Put yourself in the consumer's shoes -- with so many contractors out there, we have no way to know who is legit and who isnt....what you see as "shopping around" is, for us as consumers, trying to cover our @sses and satisfy ourselves tha twe are not getting hosed..... Now I know that there are some consumers out there basing it all on price only...and I agree, they will get what they pay for.

In my case, though, I got 6 estimates...got lists of their references and went and visited the references for those who made it to the last stage of my selection. And STILL, I seem to be having issues with a crew that works VERY slowly (3 weeks now into what was supposed to be a 1.5 week project) and a contractor who seems to have no control ober his crew and little concern for my time or inconvenience. Now I have to bite my tongue and let him have hi way so I can get the job done properly (I hope) and not piss him off for any future callbacks.

THAT is what the consumer is up against.

You can say "Well I am one of the good ones...I dont treat my customers that way"....Problem is, a consumer cant know in advance if the price is fair or not, or if the contractor is a shady character etc until several esitamtes are in hand...and even then, as in my case, that is no guarantee.

I look at the estimate process as integral to fidning the "right" contractor. I wont pay for estimates for ANY trade.....unless I am 100% sure I am going to use them and that I will get it back towards labor or materials.

Some of you may do work for larger compoanies and corporations.....THEY wont pay you for submitting a bid on one of their projects...why should Joe Consumer do so?

I am curious about the shopper's mentality...
are you suggesting that when you start looking around
for a gynecologist or proctologist, that your comfortable with the lowest price or the best referrals?

just saying!!

David