Not sure how to write this one. Depending on what aspect of the Baker experience we're talking, I'd rate them all over the map.
Price 3.5/5- Fair, maybe a little high but was happy to pay a bit more because I felt comfortable in the estimator's sales pitch relative to those of other roofing companies. Small discount offered for prompt payment.
Brad, estimator: 3.5/5. Brad seems like a good guy, was very helpful and knowledgeable in discussing options and estimating the job. He actually told us that we weren't in immediate need of a new roof, which I appreciated, but he never actually got on the roof to look at anything and so some things that might have been caught earlier were not. The worst part was that once he submitted the estimate, I never got to speak to him again. All phone calls and emails went through the general office and were returned by office staff, not him directly.
Mike, Project Mgr. 2/5: Talks. A lot. Does not listen much. Thinks he knows what you're going to say and then talks over you. Boasted about how good clean-up looked, but it wasn't. For example, yeah...I don't see nails and trash on my drive or patio but only because they blew it all into my flower beds and under my furniture and grill. Boasted about how crew would be super attentive to this and that, then when they weren't he made excuses. I get it -- it's a roof job and there will be some residual mess and maybe stuff will get missed -- but Mike was more into trying to tell me I wasn't seeing what I was seeing and how after X number of years in the biz, he'd seen much worse. That's not what anyone wants to hear when they're shelling out $14K on a roof and wish to discuss a concern.
Roofers/Crew 4/5: Worked long and hard and final job looks pretty good. Not particularly attentive to specific instructions or cleanup, and they had a bit of disregard for the neighbor's landscaping. Wish they'd been more careful not denting up my gutters with their ladders.
Final roof job 4/5- Looks good and I can only trust it was all done correctly. Haven't noticed leaks or anything through the first few months, though I'm not sure I would without getting up into my attic space. Shingles, valleys, vents, etc. all look new and fine from all sides. Gutters got bent up pretty badly in a couple places, though.
Final Punch-out/Touch-up 5/5: Guy did a good job and seemed conscientious. No complaints.
Communication 1/5 : This is where they were really lacking on a company-wide basis. From the point I signed the contract on, it was very difficult to find out what was going on with the project. I called just to try and see roughly when the job might start so I could plan around it and was not-so-politely told that Mike would call me "at some point" and that I didn't need to call them. After a couple more weeks of still not hearing anything, I was told that the permit process was holding up the job, which was untrue because I knew exactly when the permit had been approved. I could never seem to reach Brad or Mike directly on the phone or via email, and the office staff were less than helpful. Then one day, Mike suddenly called and announced they'd be out "tomorrow," just assuming we'd be available or even in town. At one point during the job, Mike told me to call him if I had any problems, but of course there was no way to do that. You could only reach the office and be told , "Mike's out. Wanna leave a message?"
Lastly...I don't expect to have warranty issues in the future, but should the need arise I have two big concerns. First, I dread trying to get hold of anyone there who can help navigate such a thing, and second, I worry a little about how long they'll be in business. They're a family company that has a seemingly strong 90-year history, but unless there's another generation coming up behind the likes of Brad and Mike who can drag the office staff into modern times -- from crudely formatted estimates and invoices done on old MS Word docs to actual individual contact points for senior staff -- I don't see it. read more