Installation

COLOR AND STYLE SELECTION

The more roof you have showing from the street the more important the color of the roof becomes in relation to how well it blends or coordinates with the colors of the dwelling. Having your roof replaced presents an opportunity to take a fresh look at the color scheme of your home. You might look at other homes in your area to give you an idea of what you find pleasing and then select the color that best showcases your home. If you have plans to paint the body or trim of your home in the future, make sure to take that into consideration. As one of the leading roofing companies in the Colorado Springs area we try to present a total roofing experience and pride ourselves on helping homeowners make the best decisions regarding their roofs.

Many of the people we help with installing a new roof are in the process of selling that property. It may be a nice gesture to ask if the soon to be new owners would like to select the color of the new roof. It is wise to retain the right to override the color selection. If something were to happen to the transaction preventing it from successfully closing, you wouldn’t want to have a color on the roof others might find unattractive or might affect the desirability of your property. If the timeline between finding that you need to install a new roof and the projected closing is short, you may want to simply replace the roof with the existing color to save time.

A NOTE OF CAUTION: If you live in a neighborhood with a homeowner’s association, or that has covenants regarding installing a new roof or changing its color, make sure to get approval from the association and or the Architectural Control Committee before giving the roofing contractor the go-ahead to install the roof. Even if you aren’t changing the color, it doesn’t mean the HOA isn’t interested in your new roof. Some areas have HOA stipulations regarding the style and even the weight of roofs to be installed. Getting HOA or management company approval can sometimes take a while, especially if the request needs to be presented at a monthly meeting. We will be happy to help where we can but ultimately the responsibility of dealing with the HOA belongs to the homeowner.

There are quite a few colors from which to select depending on the brand of shingle you are having installed. Please refer to the list of Shingle Manufacturers in these resources and use the links we have provided to look at the available colors for each one.

HIRING A ROOFING CONTRACTOR – CONTRACTING FOR THE WORK

As one of the most responsive and forward-thinking roofing contractors in Colorado Springs we are recognized for going the extra mile to make sure our customers are fully informed throughout the process. Upon our review of the Insurance Claim Estimate we will prepare our internal workbook or cost sheet to determine if the job has been properly estimated, adequately reflects current damage repair costs and is consistent with the area standards of payment. The insurance Claim Estimate for hail damage repair costs or wind repairs generally does not include the fee for the building permit and may not include the sales taxes or other items that are customarily paid by the insurance company after the work has been completed. See Overhead and Profit and Supplements.

If there are minor discrepancies, we will take them up with the insurance company as a matter of course. If there are large or costly difference, we will get them squared away prior to starting the work or ordering the material but we will need signed paperwork from the homeowner before the insurance company claims representative will speak with us. They have an obligation to protect your privacy and we respect that. Of course, if there are major disagreements we will ask you to work with us to get them resolved so we can get your roof on in a timely manner.

Once we prepare the paperwork we either email it to the homeowner for their review and approval or upload it into the JCRT Online System to be accessed by the homeowner. If there are questions or concerns, we invite the homeowner to contact us to discuss the issues and get them resolved before anything is signed. We work hard to make this as seamless a process as possible and will upload the contract and other pertinent information into the Homeowner Dashboard and advise them that we have done so via email. If your realtor or insurance agent is involved, this information will be uploaded into their Dashboard as well. After the homeowner has reviewed the paperwork it must be approved and returned to us.

At this writing, we are working on E-signing but in the meantime the paperwork needs to be printed out, signed, scanned back into the computer and emailed to us. If a homeowner does not have the ability to scan they are welcome to fax the paperwork to our corporate offices at 303-261-8211. We ask that we be advised when the paperwork has been or is being faxed.

As was mentioned earlier we do require a deposit. We will advise you as to the necessary amount when we send you the paperwork. You may mail your check to us or you may ask your bank to do an Electronic Funds Transfer into our bank account if expedience is necessary. Many people feel like they need to send their check using Overnight or expedited delivery. If time is not of the upmost importance, please don’t spend the extra money on overnight delivery or expedited delivery. We may go ahead and order the material, and even have it delivered but won’t begin the job without the deposit unless we have agreed in writing to defer the deposit for some reason.

CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS – We do not directly accept credit card payment for our work. If a credit card payment is the only alternative you have for payment, you may pay by using SQUARE. There is a 3% portal fee charged by SQUARE that is the obligation of the credit card holder. Many of our jobs run in the many thousands of dollars so the fee can be substantial. There are bank charges and credit card company charges for using credit cards. In many cases these fees can come to 3-4%. To keep the cost of a roof as agreeable as possible we have found it best not to accept credit card payments and recommend that you consider alternate forms of payment as well.  Please see the resource document regarding monthly payment plans.

There are a few places on the paperwork that require the homeowner’s initials in addition to their signature at the bottom. Generally. these are highlighted in yellow and pertain to the brand and type of shingle and the color of the shingle to be used. If drip edge is being installed, we will often ask that a homeowner initial their approval of the color.

We are one of the few roofing contractors in Colorado Springs that have helped property owners put a new roof on the property they own in the area while they were living in just about every one of the states in the country and in various countries in Europe and Asia and South America. Between the internet, excellent communications skills and now, the JCRT online job tracking system it is even easier for us to help folks all around the world put a new roof on the property they own here in the Pikes Peak Region.

ROOFING CONTRACTOR FOLLOW-UP AND FOLLOW THROUGH

FOLLOW-UP

Within a few days of the invoice being paid we will follow-up with the homeowner to make sure everything worked out as was expected. If the work we did was a part of the sale of a home we will follow-up with the new owners and help them get the material warranty transferred into their name(s) and make sure they know how to get in touch with us in the event of any issues having to do with the roof.

FOLLOW THROUGH

Our business is based entirely on referrals from our professional referral partners such as real estate brokers and insurance agents and brokers and from our customer base for whom we have installed roofs or performed repairs. You can count on hearing from us on a regular basis via our monthly newsletter and hail maps when our area is struck by storms that may have caused hail damage. We encourage our customers and others to have their roofs check by us on a bi-annual basis just to make sure that everything is as it should be. There is no charge for our inspections and we are happy to do them. There is a lot to be said for peace of mind.

INSTALLING THE NEW ROOF

Far too many roofing contractors are negligent when it comes to keeping the customer and all other concerned parties informed regarding when the work is scheduled to be started and completed. We take pride in keeping folks informed. Our scheduling is done at least a week in advance unless it is a super rush job and we let the property owner and others know the expected dates for material delivery and installation.

The day prior to the installation we will remind all concerned, via email or telephone that the installation is to take place the following day. If the property is tenant occupied, we will make sure that the tenant is made aware providing we have the contact information.  We will apologize ahead of time right here. Our crews, as many times as we ask them to do so, may not knock on the door and introduce themselves and let the occupant know that they are there to begin work. They are often equally reluctant to let the occupant know that they have completed the work and are leaving. We have a field supervisor who will introduce himself to the occupant and make sure that the work is done in a workmanship like manner and the grounds are left clean and free of debris. Our crews are independent contractors not employees. They are licensed and insured.

On the day of the installation we will pull a truck or a trailer up to the garage when possible into which the debris that is being torn off will be dumped. This will block the garage and driveway so make sure to have any vehicles you plan on using during the day out of the garage and off the driveway. Our roofing crews are conscientious professionals. They care about their work and about your property. They try to be careful about your shrubs and flowers items around the house. It is wise to move patio furniture away from the side of the house so that it isn’t in harm’s way if something should slide off the roof inadvertently. Removing the old roof down to the decking is required by Regional Building. The removal and installation of the new roof is hard dangerous work. Our roofers are good at what they do and are careful about their well-being. As they tear off the old shingles and install the new ones it may look as though they are being haphazard about where the debris goes. They are not. They want to get the old roof pulled off and dried in so that in the event of rain or some other weather event your home is not vulnerable to leaking. These roofers work like a well-trained team with very little dialogue or banter. Our crews are not allowed to smoke on the property nor are they allowed to play music. They want to get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible.

As the job is wrapping up they will begin to pick up all the debris that hasn’t hit the truck or trailer picking up the small bits of material that may have fallen in the shrubs or lawn and using a magnet and their eyes to find as many of the nails that have fallen to the ground as possible. It isn’t unusual for one or more nails to escape detection, so we suggest that you be careful when kneeling in a flower bed or walking barefoot in the lawn after a roof installation.

There is just no getting around the fact that installing a new roof is noisy. When the old shingles are torn off the nails that held them on often remain nailed into the decking. It is faster and more efficient to simply pound these nails all the way into the decking rather than remove them. This involves a lot of banging on the roof for an hour or two and that’s before we begin to install the new shingles. If possible, it makes sense to try to not be home while this whole procedure is going on. It’s irritating and loud. If you have a dog that may be anxious because of the noise and activity, you may want to take it to a friend or it may be the perfect time to take the dog to the groomer. If you have a small baby, there isn’t really anything we can do to abate the noise. We will do all that we can to accommodate your schedule. Let’s work together so you are inconvenienced the least.

POST INSTALLATION INSPECTION

As a conscientious Colorado Springs roofing contractor, we are concerned about the quality and the neatness of our work. Within a day of the installation being completed our project manager or field manager will inspect the quality of the workmanship and the neatness of the grounds. If unused material has been left behind, the project manager will take it with him and if trash has been left behind we will have the roofing crew come and remove it. We take pride in our work and want the property owner to be pleased with the entire job. Our crews try to pick up all the debris and generally do a good job. From time to time the winds may carry debris into a neighbor’s yard. If we see that this has happened, we will do all that we can to get to it and remove it. Sometimes a locked gate or an unfriendly dog may prevent this if the neighbor isn’t at home. Please let us know if we have overlooked anything.

If the property owner is home at the time of the post installation inspection we will ask them to accompany us around the house to make sure they are pleased with the work and the condition of the grounds.

Many jobs include new roof vents and pipe jacks. These are delivered in a big box that isn’t very heavy. Instead of placing it on the roof where it may be vulnerable to the wind, it is generally left on the ground to the side of the house or garage. We have an arrangement with our suppliers that upon delivery of the material they will take photos of the material on the roof or ground and email them to us. We in turn upload the photos to the appropriate dashboard in the JCRT system and advise the homeowner that the photos are available for viewing. We do business with quite a few people who don’t occupy the property that is being re-roofed, so they don’t have the convenience of simply looking on the roof to see that the material has been delivered.

In many homes that were built prior to the 1950’s we find that the underlying decking is not plywood but what is referred to as Space Decking. Before the advent of plywood and more recently OSB or particle board for external use, roofers needed something to nail the shingles to and used one-inch thick wood in widths from four inches to eight inches. It isn’t unusual for this space decking to have gaps between the boards of up to two or three inches. Clearly it makes no sense to try to nail shingles into areas where there may be nothing for the nail to penetrate and hold. When the gaps between the boards is greater than 3/8 of an inch regional building code requires roofing companies to installed solid decking over the existing space decking. When this is the case the material will be unloaded onto the ground so that the new OSB decking can be installed prior to the installation of the shingles. Hand loading of the material is then required.

THE ROOFING CONTRACTOR CONTRACT

Upon our review of the Insurance Claim Estimate we will prepare our internal workbook or cost sheet to determine if the job has been properly estimated and if the numbers are consistent with the area standards of payment. The Claim Estimate generally does not include the fee for the building permit and may not include the sales taxes or other items that are customarily paid by the insurance company after the work has been completed. If there are minor discrepancies we will take them up with the insurance company as a matter of course. If there are large or costly difference, we will get them squared away prior to starting the work or ordering the material but we will need signed paperwork from the property owner before an insurance company claims representative will speak with us. They have an obligation to protect your privacy and we respect that. Of course, if there are major disagreements we will ask you to work with us to get them resolved so that we can get your roof on in a timely manner.

Once we prepare the paperwork we email it to the property owner for their review and approval. If there are questions or concerns, we invite the property owner to contact one of our team to discuss the issues and get them resolved before anything is signed. We have worked hard to make this as seamless a system as possible and will upload the contract and other pertinent information into the property owner Dashboard of the JCRT Online System and advise them that we have done so via email. If your realtor or insurance agent is involved this information will uploaded into their Dashboard as well.

After the property owner has reviewed the paperwork it must be approved by them and returned to us. We will be offering E-signing soon but in the meantime the paperwork needs to be printed out, signed, scanned back into the computer and emailed to us. If a property owner does not have the ability to scan they are welcome to fax the paperwork to our corporate offices at 303-261-8211 or it can be mailed. We ask that we be advised when the paperwork has been or is being faxed.

As was mentioned earlier we do require a deposit. We will advise you as to the required amount when we send you the paperwork. You may mail your check to us or you may ask your bank to do an Electronic Funds Transfer into our bank account if expedience is necessary. We find that many people will send their check using Overnight or expedited delivery. If time is not of the upmost importance, please don’t spend the extra money on overnight delivery or expedited delivery. We will order the material and have it delivered but will not begin the job without the deposit unless we have agreed to defer the payment until closing. We do not accept credit card payment for our work. If a credit card payment is the only alternative one may pay by using SQUARE. There is a 3% portal fee charged by SQUARE that is the obligation of the credit card holder. Many of our jobs run in the many thousands of dollars so the fee could be substantial. There are bank charges and credit card company charges for using credit cards. In many cases these fees can come to 3-4%. To keep the cost of a roof as agreeable as possible we have found it best not to accept credit card payments.

We do have monthly payment plans available through third parties. If a payment plan is attractive to you please call us and we will be happy to help you make the necessary arrangements.

There are a few places on the paperwork that need the property owner’s initials in addition to their signature at the bottom. Generally. these are highlighted in yellow and pertain to the brand and type of shingle and the color of the shingle to be used. Often, we will ask that a property owner initial their approval of the color of the drip edge if it is being installed.

IMPACT RESISTANT – CLASS-4 SHINGLES

We live in hail country and at some time in the future it is likely your roof will sustain hail damage from hail. It has been our experience that the closer to the mountains you live, the less likely it is that you will receive damaging hail. That isn’t to say that it won’t happen, it’s just that weather patterns make it less likely. When storm clouds come over the mountains they generally haven’t had the opportunity to build to an elevation high enough to produce large hard hail.

Several roof shingle manufacturers make what are referred to as a Class-4 Impact Resistant Shingles that are better able to withstand damaging hail than regular Class-3 fire resistant shingles. As a conscientious Colorado Springs roofing contractor, we feel obligated to suggest that you upgrade should the opportunity arise. Many if not most insurance companies offer substantial discounts on their homeowner’s policy premiums if this type of shingle is installed. The discounts can go as high as 20-25% for several years.

There is a cost to upgrade to this type of shingle. Generally, the cost is less than $40 per square. (A square is 100 square feet of area on the roof.) The average roof size in our community is around twenty-four squares or 2,400 square feet of roof including waste. This would mean that upgrading to a Class-4 Impact Resistant shingle for the average home would be less than $1,000. It has been our experience that the timeline for starting to save money on insurance with the discount is about three and a half years. The real savings comes when a hail storm damages everyone else’s roof but not yours, saving you the deductible of anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000.

Many of the homes we put new roofs on are in the process of being sold. It is a nice gesture on the part of the seller to ask the buyer if they would like to upgrade to a class-4 shingle and pay the additional cost so that they can get lower insurance premiums. They may also avoid having to replace a roof and pay the deductible at some point in the future.

When the buyer is paying for the upgrade we require that the cost of the upgrade be paid ahead of time by the buyer. We do this so that in the event something happens to prevent the sale from closing the current owner is not stuck with paying for the upgrade they didn’t necessarily want or need.

We recommend that those interested in upgrading to an impact resistant roof consult with their insurance company representative to determine the exact savings that may be available.