Planning and budgeting for a roofing project is no small feat. Roofing is one of the larger and more expensive projects you will embark on when it comes to home maintenance, remodels, or upgrades. Roofing often ends up being one of the last home maintenance projects homeowners consider, in part due to expense; but also due to being one of the less gratifying large ticket replacement items for a home. Despite it being one of the main components of your home, that protects you and your families contents its often one of the last things considered for home upkeep until a problem arises. Its not considered an exciting project, or even aesthetically satisfying. Replacing a roof is a more utilitarian requirement on a homeowners list of to-do’s, its not a “Fun” expense or project to embrace. All of this being said, it is one of the most important components of your homes integrity. Running a roofing company in beautiful “Pure Michigan” Climate can be tricky and certainly comes with concern from home owners with a lot of questions around timing and weather. A lot of consideration no matter the season and lots of planning is required. Naturally busy season is in the warmer months, with higher temps, sunnier weather and longer days. There are some roof installations that require particular seasonal install, perfect conditions and additional planning; but the majority of roofing can be installed all year around.
First thing to consider is; what is the current age and condition of your roof? Do you have time to budget and plan or are you in immediate need? Do you have current issues with your roof? Such as flashing issues, leaks, missing shingles, ice damming or all of these issues combined? Is your roof in a state it could sustain any of these issues easily with a mild rain storm, winter storm or just under normal conditions due to its age? Are you buying a home knowingly or unknowingly with roof issues that will require immediate attention? All great things to evaluate and consider when it comes to planning the replacement of your roof. The questions and answers are limitless when it comes to this topic, so we will try to stick to the basics of the subject in this post.
As a professional, certified and licensed roofing company; we are careful to consider as much as possible when it comes to projects we evaluate, and or are we are hired for. Where we do have more desirable install seasons over others, we install new roofs all year around, navigating around heavy snows, precipitation, icy conditions, high winds and temps below 25 degrees. If you’re from Michigan, we all know we can have a 55 degree day one day and an 18 degree day the next in early winter, mid winter, late winter and early spring. I know at one point or another we all have a memory of snow accumulation in April and 58 degree beach romps in January! Given consent after we have provided the pertinent answers to homeowners for any given project, we evaluate for each project for when we plan installs. We look at roof complications and variables, roof pitch, valleys, wall interfaces, existing issues, shingle manufacturer requirements and weather forecasts.
We will schedule qualifying roofs through the winter season, remember any good contractor should have a workmanship warranty present with their installs. It would not benefit us as a licensed contractor that provides a 15 year workmanship warranty, to install a new roof in inclement conditions that could cost not only our clients pain and concern but cost us time and money in the long run. Shingle manufacturers have implemented technologies in their products that have been tested, tired and approved over the years for installs in all kinds of conditions and circumstances. Did you know that new home production and erection is at the peak of its season through late fall and winter? Did you know that after a home is framed the roof is the next task to fulfill on the project punch list before anything else can be installed? This holds true for budget homes and multi-million dollar custom homes; in all environments.
Our crews are trained to follow and implement installation guidelines set forth by not only our company but the manufacturer. Roofing is a mindful and considerate process, evaluating many variables that will be considered and met when you hired a qualified professional. So there is no perfect answer to the question; “When is the best time to roof my home?” But there are great things to consider, and plausible questions to ask. A great contractor will help you work through the questions and answers that best apply to your situation.
The very last question to ask but certainly not the least important is; what is your budget and do seasonal increases make a difference to your project? In the construction industry an almost guaranteed variable is; material prices are almost always likely to increase in the spring or early summer. If you are looking to meet a budget or take advanatage of off season discounts, youre most likely going to be able to meet those goals by scheduling an install late fall through early spring.
If you have been putting off a roofing project and you think its time, please give our business manager Emily a call. She is always available to share her knowledge and experience by answering questions and providing insight based on your specific needs. Thanks for reading our blog, we look forward to hearing from you! Please always consider that a minimum of two to three comparable quotes are recommended, education post experience can be expensive and don’t forget to contemplate that your roof ultimately protects your family’s biggest investment. If you aren’t sure about your roofs condition please reference our blog about signs of roof repair/replacement.