16 Jul
NY Roofing Story | New York Roof Replacement
A national hotel chain with locations in Hampton Roads, Virginia, recently found out why hiring professionals, sticking to industry standards and ensuring quality work is so important.
We’ve all been there. Faced with a major repair, we collect bids and look at quotes – and the temptation is always to save a little money, especially when the contractor seems to be providing near-identical services. In the case of the Hampton Roads hotel chain, an asphalt roof was leaking and in need of a roof replacement. A roofing consultant was hired, and he emphasized the importance of giving the job to a commercial roofing contractor who would offer triple warranty coverage – which is a warranty on labor, materials and workmanship. The key to ensuring a quality job was the final inspection by the manufacturer of the roofing product. This inspection would certify that the new roof was installed per manufacturer and National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) standards. After the final inspection was passed, as per protocol, the manufacturer would give the hotel the “20-year, no-leak warranty” which protected them even in the event of even misapplied flashings.
The maintenance manager gathered proposals and interviewed contractors; and, understanding the importance of the triple warranty coverage, made his recommendation to the General Manager. The maintenance manager understood that the NCRA process, and most notably the inspection, gave the hotel the best guarantee of quality work and a long standing warranty. When a roofing contractor knows the job is not complete until he passes inspections, crews are trained properly, steps are followed to the letter and the roof is property installed. However, the GM saw his opportunity to save the hotel some money. He recommended a cheaper bid which did not include the same level of protection, and did not require an inspection. Believing the promised work and warranties to be comparable, the GM went with the lowest bid, against the advice of both the roofing consultant and his own maintenance manager.
Unfortunately, it only took 6 months for the roof to start leaking – not only in all the places that it used to leak, but in new locations! When the hotel called out the contractor, they were told that it was a material defect. When the roofing manufacturer made it out to look at the problem (several weeks and more rainstorms and damage later), it was determined that improperly installed and reused flashings were the cause of the problem, not material defect at all. However, the “comparable” warranty which was originally provided with the lower bid did not cover a warranty on workmanship, meaning that the contractor was not liable either. Ironically, the hotel chain was told by the manufacturer that there should always be a roofing inspection as a part of the process- exactly what the consultant and maintenance manager had originally suggested.
In the end, the hotel brought out one of the original bidders to fix the roof. Instead of the initial $19,000 in perceived savings, the hotel lost nearly $60,000 in repairs both to the roof and the water-damaged room interiors. The roof now only carries a 5 year warranty, due to the fact that it is patched, not a new roof; and the hotel chain, looking at a mis-mtached roof with a limited warranty, is now putting aside funds to re-roof the hotel. When it comes to major roofing jobs, doing it right means hiring a contractor who follows NCRA standards, and provides a triple warranty , 20 year guarantee. Cutting corners rarely saves money; in this case, it was exceptionally costly. Call Roof Pro today at (800) 766-3773 and let us come speak to you about our quality roofing products, services and guarantees. Because when it comes to your roof, you can’t afford anything less.
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