Roofing contractors have been busy since a windstorm battered the region March 2.
Crews have been backlogged with roofing jobs and anxious customers, some who need roof repairs while most others need their roofs replaced. Homeowners found everything from missing shingles to limbs and trees on their roofs one the winds died down.
“It’s just been a crazy month,” said Pat Brennan, who runs a roofing contracting service in Manassas. “Winter was just ending and roofing season hadn’t really started yet.”
Fast forward nearly two months later and Brennan has a backlog of customers who are waiting to have their roofs replaced. The materials, to include new shingles, have been dropped off at his customers’ homes who are waiting for Brennan and his crews to show up to do the work.
There are two problematic factors for roofers and customers post windstorm — the first is the rising cost of construction materials like plywood and vinyl siding following last year’s hurricane season. The second is a labor shortage.
“There are plenty of roofing contractors, there’s not enough labor to get the work done,” added Brennan.
There are other factors at play. This week’s rainy weather not only delays work, but rules at some homeowners associations can also play a role in delayed repairs.
“Some managed communities have pretty good bylaws that state shingles on roofs have to match,” said SC Companies CEO Jenny Osborn. “If you can’t find the matching shingle because it has been discontinued, you have to get a full roof replacement instead of a repair.”
Homeowners have also been inundated with “fly by night” companies, as Osborn calls them, which parachute into communities after storms, offer to repair the roofs for a low price, but end up doing shoddy work.
It’s important to make sure the contractor and subcontractors working on your roof are fully insured, to include workman’s compensation insurance in the event of an accident. This way, the homeowner’s insurance policy won’t be on the hook in case a worker falls or has an accident.
“And the most important thing someone can do in this situation is to have patience,” added Osborn.
Wind storms are not uncommon in our area, but the amount of damage caused by the March wind storm is, added Osborn. In many neighborhoods, about 20 percent of homes need roof replacements.
