Anyone else frustrated with the quality of roofing installation (and materials)?
The workmanship and attention to detail is so lacking. I am even seeing this with larger companies who have been in business for a long time, but are not training their workers properly.
Man, it is frustrating.
There are so many details that I could mention, but I am just going to say, I am frustrated.
You?
These companies are only as good as their weekest employee… which nowadays, you’re lucky to even find one willing to work!
I had a new roof installed 2 years ago. Only one person on the entire crew of about 10 spoke english, and I would hire every one of them to do it again tommorrow if needed. Not only were they hard workers, but they also did a really good job on the installation.
Same goes fo all the larger Landscaping companies around here.
I did 6 new construction inspections in the last month, 2 of which I found they didn’t install a drip edge, other than that the workmanship appeared to be good.
In saying that, I have found roofs that were a mess and posted pictures of some of them in the WTF thread.
New construction, in general I find more cladding and fenestration issues than roof issues. Of course, the larger national builders tend to just suck all around.
I think it all comes down to oversite by the owner / management of the contracting company. For the most part, you are getting what you pay for.
In October, the third new roof will be installed on my home since 2011. (1 wind claim, 2 hail claims) All three will be installed by the same contactor, which he is the largest in the area. The owner of the company is on the roof of every job, making sure it is done right.
I was talking to my “go-to” roofer that I’ve known since I got into inspections 20+ years ago. He runs 4-5 crews and has an overall great company. He was telling me it’s becoming impossible to compete with all the outfits cutting corners - paying under the table to avoid taxes, not following safety guidelines, etc. The sleazy companies slowly get weeded out but there are always more to replace them that he has to compete against. I’d imagine a lot of OP’s frustration is with the sleazy companies that do shoddy work and will be gone in a couple years.
I had my roof replaced 2 years ago. First time I ever had that done on a personal home I’ve owned and they actually did a great job. Installed drip edges that weren’t present, installed a cricket for the chimney that too, was not present. Cut and removed the lower siding on the chimney chase and installed proper step flashing and did the same on a sidewall. Corrected everything the original roofers didn’t do in '93 when the house was built.
But I do understand the frustration of sloppy and lazy contractors these days.
I had the same experience, Kevin.
We put a roof on the house our grandkids live in late last year. It was a tear off, 2 rows of ice and water shield, w/ 2 valleys, and replace 2 sheets of plywood, new ridge vent w/shingle over, covering 17 square in all…on a 2 story.
They showed up at about 11 am and left with everything, including hauling away the debris, done at 6 PM.
And, at a very competitive price, I might add.
Definitely kept their number and will use them in the future. 
Off topic regarding roofers, but in contractors in general.
My wife has a house under contract that has had some remodeling done and sits on a very nice creek lot. The house was built in 1960 and renovations were done in 2016 which included roof, electrical and plumbing. The down side is the flooring was uneven, soft and spongy in areas. It was disclosed that there were areas where the flooring needed to addressed plus some other things (HVAC etc.), thus the price was set accordingly.
Buyers had a contractor come in to check the flooring. Their estimate is 30K minimum for repair. This house is less than 900 sq/ft. For that much, you would think they would have to lift the house and replace all the flooring structure then reset the house. Who knows, but it smelled fishy to me…
Half that and half again 
There is an absolute epic pandemic/plandemimic of improper roof installations in this area.
Years ago when I had my roof replaced, I heard the boss tell the crew that the customer is a home inspector so no screw-ups. They did a great job.
Years later with the same roofer, I had him roof a fixer I was doing. They didn’t cut holes in the roof deck for the vents! I called him up and he told me that it had gotten to the point that he could barely find anyone willing to work, much less do a good job. An hour later, his foreman was on the roof re-doing the vents.
I don’t know about your guys states, but in New Jersey, a couple years ago they got rid of permits for roofs, and the quality really dropped
Been dealing with this for years.
Interesting ‘off topic’ post
It’s disappointing to witness a lack of attention to detail, even from well-established companies. Have you considered reaching out to these companies to express your concerns?
Your feedback could potentially contribute to improvements in their practices. It might also be helpful to connect with others in your community who share similar experiences to collectively address these challenges and advocate for better standards in roofing service.
