Brea, CA
Is a metal roof worth it here?
Metal has stopped being the agricultural option and started being the one people choose on purpose. The install quality still varies enormously.
Describe the metal roofing job
Three questions, then the address. Up to three Brea contractors who do this work.
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in Brea and the surrounding area.
- Today, usually within the hour. The first contractor calls or texts the number you gave us. ASAP requests go out first.
- Up to three of them, no more. We cap it at three so you can compare without your phone melting.
- They come and look. Estimates are given after somebody has been on the roof, not over the phone.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
If you do not hear anything today, check your voicemail and spam folder — contractors often call from a mobile number.
Before you let anybody on the roof
The things worth pinning down on a metal roofing job. A contractor who has not raised them has not looked properly.
- Panel gauge and the coating warranty
- Whether the crew installs metal regularly or occasionally
- How valleys, ridges and penetrations are detailed
- Standing seam or exposed fastener, and why
- How the panels are allowed to expand and contract
Metal expands and contracts more than any other covering. Panels have to be allowed to move, and cheap installs pin them so they cannot.
Ask to see a standing-seam job they finished more than three years ago. The edges and the valleys will tell you everything.
A light-coloured metal roof reflects a serious amount of heat, which shows up on a summer power bill in hot climates.
Locally
Close behind that: shaded slopes that never really dry out. Damp that arrives every morning and leaves by lunchtime is worse for a roof than rain, because nothing ever fully dries between one and the next.
About metal roofing here
Why does ventilation keep coming up?
It is the most under-sold part of a roof. Trapped heat and moisture shorten shingle life, warp decking, and in cold weather it is what turns snow into an ice dam.
How quickly will someone call?
Usually within the hour during working hours. If you marked the job as an emergency it goes to the front of the queue and is normally picked up faster than that.
Can I just put a new roof over the old one?
Often you legally can, and it is usually a poor idea. Overlaying hides the condition of the decking, adds weight, shortens the life of the new shingles by trapping heat, and doubles the cost of the next tear-off.
Can I stay in the house while it is done?
Most people do. Expect noise from early morning, dust in the attic, and a day where the driveway belongs to the crew.