Our house was long overdue for a new roof. Our previous roof was well deteriorated. The siding had a lot of dry rot. The cheap boards under the overhands were drooping and warped.
I researched my options: the major roofing choices are composite (most common), clay tile, metal and cement. 95% of the roofers like to do only composite. This is because it's very easy and can be done in a day after the roof tear-off. In fact, a regular homeowner could do it themselves, even placing a new composite on top of an old one (as the previous owners of my home apparently did). Composite is also the cheapest. However, despite the many designs and colors, composite is uninterestingly flat. I choose to go metal.
The downside of metal roofs is that they are about twice as expensive as composite, can dent if you jump up and down on them (of course, why would you), and are difficult to install. The upside of metal roofs is that they last forever and look great as the metal is shaped and sprayed with a stone-type coating. Further, metal roofs have better energy savings than heat absorbent composite due to the reflective nature of the material and the added space between the metal and the base roof. Thus, I believe metal has more value.
Clay tile and cement have a reputation of cracking. In fact, when I had a contractor stop by to do a metal estimate, he tried to sell me on cement. He even said extra tiles would be included in the package for future replacements. Seriously, he mentioned this during the quote. Umm, I passed. These options crack in time. Metal doesn't.
As I said before, 95% of the roofers will walk away from metal roof jobs. I quickly discovered this when I called around, using Yelp. Metal roofs require experienced staff. Unlike composite roofs that literally roll out like carpet, properly installed metal roofs require binders- a wood lattice between the roof and the metal. Metal roofs require real know-how that can only be trained up to an extent due to unforeseen complexities. Thus, a metal roofer needs to have years of experience or otherwise problems won't be solved quickly, killing the contractor's margin and interest in completing the job right.
After receiving multiple quotes, which were generally within a few hundred dollars of each other, I chose Cal-Pac. I'm glad I did. First, the person who did the quote was the owner of the company. Tom answered all my questions as a seasoned expert with an honest business. He explained the pros and cons to make sure I knew what I was getting into. Second, he said that his staff had over 20 years experience and that he would visit the job site frequently. They were. He did.
Most important, and this is why I was most satisfied with Cal-Pac, they made sure the job was done right. From past experiences (big problems with the landscaper), I'm always weary of contractors that simply whip through a job with little concern for using best practices. They'll complete the contract in the most minimal way and run to the bank. Cal-Pac is the exact opposite. They are the ideal professional contractor that applies years (really decades) of experience toward doing a job right, with excellent communication, workmanship and dedication.
As an example, Cal-Pac's approach to addressing my dry-rot siding and warping overhands was to replace them with ¾ inch plywood boards with support beams- a method that would prevent any possibility of warping 50 years from now. All the materials were primed to temporarily protect them from the elements until my painter finished the job. This went beyond just replacing how the roof was done before. In fact, I overheard the city inspector making positive comments about how most companies don't go this extra mile.
The roof looks great! My neighbors took notice, stopping by to ask about the contractor. It made my 50-year-old house look very modern (future changes to the siding and paint will finish the look). We love the solar tunnel Cal-Pac installed as part of the package. I didn't think it would be that big a deal, until it light up the room. Wow! When we leave the house we keep thinking to turn off the light, only to realize it's light from the tunnel.
Finally, the guys who did the work onsite are true professionals. They communicated clearly the job progress, any complications being worked on, implementation choices for me to make- e.g. placement of features. It was obvious they knew what they were doing and had a professional attitude. My family is very appreciative of their personal dedication to the job, expert workmanship and being respectful, good guys around our home.
I uploaded before and after pictures. Thank you Tom and the Cal-Pac Team! read more